Trying to Break the Inertia

After a lovely summer weekend where temps hit the 80s, I finally caught up on my sleep and got a bit over 8 hours, albeit in two sessions. Important health numbers are creeping up and that's not a good thing: weight, blood pressure, IOPs (intraocular pressure). Not getting the requisite amount of sleep is most likely not helping. But it's one of the hardest things to remedy without a good late afternoon nap. I'm not a morning person and never have been. 

By the time I've managed this rather obsessive dental hygiene routine (so that I never have to have gum surgery again), a bit of time has passed and it's later than I planned. I am impressed by the fact the combined flossing and rubber tipped "gum stimulator" means my gums are probably the healthiest they've ever been.

I got to the gym much, much later than I'd like, but I really wanted to avoid the Senior Class, and have a chance for the a/c to kick in when I finally got to the Aerobics Room. It's been 3 days and I can feel it in the difficulty I have doing program 2 on the Precor. I need to exercise more than 2 days a week. It's just not enough to counter the rising numbers in spite of medication. More is better, right? More is what I used to do. But more is a lot harder these days. Maybe it's a matter of incentive. And priorities. Health should be a priority. But vanity is stronger, and lately vanity takes a back seat to other concerns. 

It's always a cardio day first, and subsequent days allow for pushing some weights. But it's frustrating not to be able to push heavy and to have to limit my movements because I'm afraid of triggering a bad sciatic attack. And I'm afraid of losing my vision quicker than I already am. So, it's high reps with moderate/light weights. And no more dead lifts or seated cable rows unless it's a ridiculously light weight, and then, what would be the point?

Today it's cardio. I make it closer to 2.8 but not quite. It's early in the week. Pull-ups start off okay and of course, get progressively harder until it's really ugly by the third and last set. I feel like a novice by then because the pull-ups are so hard. I'm happy to enter the Aerobics Room, although it isn't nearly cold enough. Damn bloodless seniors. I'm kidding. But I really wish the gym would turn the thermostat back down after class is over. I see a sign on the mirrored wall reminding people not to lean on it. Seriously? 

29 Sept 2025 12:52-2:56

Monday All Cardio

Sunny Post RevFest 250

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5396)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 306

Avg Hr: 146, 198-105

New FB: 43-162

(1:30)

HGPU 18.5 (1:37)

Matrix StairMaster (R) (1:45-1:55)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (38) / 1 (29)

Steps 444

Floors 27

Cal 67

Hr 173? / FB 96

HGPU 18.5

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

(2:08-2:23)

Program Manual

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.26

Cal: 113

Avg Hr: 110-118

HGPU 15 (2:29) I am so tired

20 Hip Bridges (2:35)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

The Baby Snapper Mission

I got to pick my car up on Tuesday but had errands to run. Wednesday I had more errands to finish, especially looking for a shipping carton for our fancy coffee maker and I wanted to do it before the flood watch warning rains started. Which means that I finally had enough items checked off my To Do List to be able to go to the gym without a worrying errand list lurking in the back of my mind. Of course, since the weather is rainy, my head is as foggy as the skies overhead. I really hate feeling hungover when I haven't had any adult beverages. I'm finding my tolerance to alcohol keeps diminishing as well so I'm happy with half a glass of sangria these days.

As I loaded my car with my gear, I looked down at the grass and saw what looked like an out of place mossy green rock. Or a weird leaf. It was neither, but a wee turtle. With a very long tail, I could tell it was a snapping turtle hatchling. There's a pond behind the neighbor's house but the overgrowth is thick and impassable for humans. I have wetlands behind my house and a stream that only exists when it rains. The pond isn't very big but the lake is two roads away and probably where the hatchling was headed. I picked it up and put it across the walkway, then thought better of it and put it in an empty flower pot. I'd take it to the lake when I got back from the gym, assuming it was still alive and not a snack for a hungry bird or other creature. And I'd have to scan the rest of the yard because if there's one hatchling, there might be others. Turtles lay a lot of eggs in a nest. 

It was raining hard when I got to the gym and I was happy that it was mostly empty. Of course, Wind Breaker was on elliptical #3. I got on machine #1. Halfway through my program, another fellow got on the machine between us. I didn't get close to 2.8 today. My legs had no energy and my head was all fogged up. At the pull-up stretch cage, I spaced out for a minute or two and couldn't remember whether today was Wednesday or Tuesday. I hate that feeling. But the longer I exercised, the better I felt. That did not translate into better pull-ups though. I did my entire cardio routine and went home to check on the turtle. 

I found a second turtle right along side the car after I got my gear into the house. It had stopped raining so walking to the lake was relatively pleasant. I did find a third hatchling on the road just past my driveway, but it had met the unfortunate fate of most wildlife on roadways... squashed by vehicles and drivers who can't see them. I put the two little turtles at the water's edge where there was plenty of foliage to hide from hungry fish and birds. And then I gave each one a gentle push and one immediately took off and swam away. Mission accomplished. 

25 Sept 2025 12:25-2:36

Thursday All Cardio

Flood Watch Warnings

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5306)

Distance: 2.75

Cal: 300

Avg Hr: 129, 185-73

New FB: 42-128

(1:04)

HGPU 16.5

Matrix StairMaster (R) (1:15-1:25)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (36) / 1 (29)

Steps 453

Floors 28

Cal 68

Hr 113

HGPU 16.5 (super spacey!)

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

(1:37-1:52)

Program Manual

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.23

Cal: 112

Avg Hr: 110-116

HGPU 12 + 3/2s (2:00) I am so tired

20 Hip Bridges (2:07)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

A Daisy Chain of Events

I had an appointment to get the other control arm replaced in my car so I only managed an abbreviated workout: cardio and a set of pull-ups. While I finally hit 2.8 on the elliptical, the pull-ups were a bit of a struggle. I'm definitely back tomorrow to do an actually workout.

Meanwhile, the 2-hour wait for my car to be repaired turned into a "we discovered a leak in the boot" so we need to order that part and give you a loaner. Well, at least they offered this repair gratis. But I'm paying for the arm to be replaced, as well as a coolant flush, and to have the PCV replaced. (I'm hoping that resolves a slight issue I'm having with the car sometimes choking a bit on local roads. Sorta like a stutter.) I have been remiss and not done any of the 30k mile recommended tuneups. I guess I'm playing catch up now. I'm hoping I don't need to do spark plugs... 

The loaner is a 2025 base model Forester so not so many apps on the touch screen. And it has an actual key! I'm surprised that cars are still manufactured with them instead of the fob. The car drives fine because it's new with tight suspension, and it's quieter. But it also has those annoying safety features, like beeping when you've crossed the lane marker. Of course, I'm usually doing that to either give a cyclist a wide berth, or I'm avoiding a pothole, or storm drain grate. And I haven't once used the backup camera to back into my driveway. It's not that I don't appreciate advancements in technology. I like having the digital radio that doesn't lose the station as we round a hill...   

22 Sept 2025 11:57-12:45

Monday — chilly & gray

Abbrev Cardio / Car appointment

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5486)

Distance: 2.80

Cal: 309

Avg Hr: 164, 194-119

New FB: 44-139

(12:35)

HGPU 19.5 w/ kipping (12:42)

More Car Issues

I took Tuesday off to do some errands and noticed a big hunk of hard plastic hanging down behind my front passenger wheel. Well, that might explain the odd rubbing noise I've been hearing, and the occasional bang when I make a sharp left turn. A bang like sheet metal flexing, not like an explosion. I made an appointment for late Wednesday morning, figuring that this shouldn't take too long. Unless the shop finds other problems. But I've just had my car repaired a few weeks ago. Everything else should be fine. Of course, it wasn't. 

They tell me some of my outer bulbs are out. Okay. Then they tell me that in a routine inspection, the car battery isn't registering a charge. What? Any problems starting my car or getting any of my devices to work, like the power window or the radio/CD player. Uh, nope. Well, one of the six cells in the car battery appears to be dead. There's no fixing that, and car batteries are only good for 3-5 years. I dig out my receipt and the 3-yr warranty had expired over a year ago. (Honestly, I really thought car batteries lasted 7-8 years!). They can replace the car battery. Okay. I still don't understand how my car is running fine but the battery meter says it's too weak to give a reading. Everything I've read online says one dead cell will cause issues with the radio or ignition or other power-assisted mechanisms. I haven't experienced any of that. Now for the bad news. Of course. 

The other ball joint is cracked with older stress fractures. They recommend replacing that. Also, they tell me the car is way overdue for the 30k maintenance. Well, duh. My odometer reads 95k, but it already had 25k on it when I bought it years ago. Red flags pop up on the check list. I ask them if they actually checked all these items. They admit, no. It's just based on their records. Never mind that I've had a lot of these items dealt with at the oil change place over the years. The car is fine to drive out and they'll call me when that part comes in. Yeah, okay. 

I get to the gym today, of course later than I had planned, but I'm immediately cheered by the fact that the gym is virtually empty. There's no Senior Class today, which means the Aerobics Room will actually have the a/c blasting. Wind Breaker is pedaling elliptical #3 and I get on #1, which still clunks at certain elevations. Program 2 is a couple of steep hills. I'm content to pedal hard and still not make it to 2.8. Maybe tomorrow. I'm usually better the second day immediately after. Weird, right?

I do one set of pull-ups because it's been a few days. My right shoulder woke up twinging so I had applied Penetrex cream before I got dressed. That helped as I got my set done without needing any kipping. What a pleasant surprise! The free weight area was also almost completely empty, but I did have to hunt down a Nautilus bench and drag it back to the DB rack area. 

It's been several weeks since I last did a DB workout, so I don't push my reps too much. Twenty-five is plenty. I had been getting 30, but considering I'm "out of practice" I figure I'd take it "easy." A few people trickle in and out of the free weight area. It takes me about 40-45 minutes to finish the routine and enter the Aerobics Room to do core and a few other body weight movements. I'm able to knock out 30 push-ups in spite of doing DB presses, so I'm pleased. It's probably harder on the days I focus on triceps specifically. 

18 Sept 2025 12:22-1:56

Thursday — sunny!   

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5326)

Distance: 2.76

Cal: 302

Avg Hr: 146, 188-119

New FB: 43-140

(12:58)

HGPU 20 (1:07)

(Applied Penetrex beforehand)

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys (slow & EZ)

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (1:15)

15 lbs x 30/15/30 (1:24)

20/15/20 x 25/15/25 reps

Set 1 (1:32); Set 2 (1:41); Set 3 (1:51)

20 Hip Bridges (1:56)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

I Blame the Dog

I had to discard my favorite pair of gloves last night. I tend to wear gloves year round when it's cool enough (so I don't have to apply insect repellent). This summer, I noticed some minor skin irritation after using topical sprays like picaridin or the "all natural" Bug Soother spray and wipes. Irritation means itching and redness. And if it itches, I'm gonna scratch. And I don't want to scratch my face or the thin delicate throat skin. So, I've been wearing my bug repellant hoodie and gloves when necessary, especially at night. 

One of my pups is more food adventurous than his brother (that one channels his finicky inner cat), which unfortunately also means he's game for eating poop. Not his own, but he's been caught waiting for a dog friend at the park to finish her business so he can snarf it up. And only hers, because she's got some weird digestive issues (as per her owner). This also means, like a lot of canines, my pup likes deer, bunny, and feral cat poop. In the dark, in spite of having a headlamp, I didn't catch him quite in time as he lunged forward and chomped down on something stinky. I had a leash in either hand. Two dogs, two leashes. 

In the past, I've been able to pull the disgusting not-a-sausage out of his mouth. Last night, it was more like scooping peanut butter. And it stank. Thankfully, I had gloves on. Unfortunately, there was no cleaning these thin leather gloves I got from Land's End. It's one of the few items I've bought several pairs of, in different colors. They actually fit my very small hands comfortably, and add some traction to my slippery-skinned fingers. These were a wonderful purple color. The brown ones are very worn and water damaged, and the dark green ones stained my fingers when wet, and have been stitched at the seams more than once. The leather is so thin that there's barely anything left to repair. Totally worth it when they're on sale. 

I get to the gym today and it's much much later than I'd like. Two of four elliptical machines are in use so I select one of the cross-trainers. I go for the maximum amount I can tolerate on this particular elliptical before my feet go numb: 20 minutes. There's a 5-minute cool down as well. When I get to the Stretch Cage, the bottoms of my feet and some of my toes are tingling. Luckily, that is the only exercise equipment that has that effect on me that I use on a regular basis. The first set of pull-ups is slightly difficult, probably because the cross-trainer is a bit boring without using the arm handles. I also did a portion of the Cascade program pedaling backward. The machine doesn't like it and resists, which means I can't pedal as fast as I'd like. Since it doesn't ask me to pedal backward, that's probably not one of it's functions. It is one of the reasons I like the Precor better. 

Precor elliptical #1 frees up and I can tap in program #1 for 35 minutes. Just as well, since the step machine is occupied, and I only need 35 minutes more cardio for today. While the Octane "elliptical" moves laterally, more or less, and has a greater difficulty quotient, I feel that I get the best cardio workout on the Precor. It has a few different programs and the ability for me to zero down the resistance, which is great for my wonky knees. Best is the ability to pedal backwards, which works different muscles. Pull-up set #2 is actually better than the first, and doesn't require the same kipping movement. 

My right hand and shoulder still twinge sporadically, but I don't know why. I'd hate to think that this is just aging! What? Hit 65 and some of your parts get achy for no apparent reason. I do have two different jar openers in my Amazon basket, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet. Today, I started taking 1500 mg of calcium pyruvate with my after workout protein drink. A lecture on new glaucoma treatments suggested that taking pyruvate with nicotinamide (B3) might help restore optic nerve damage. The problem is that nicotinamide can be toxic to the liver, and the doctor (in the lecture) could only recommend the pyruvate. I don't know if pyruvate alone will be helpful, but at 1500 mg daily, it shouldn't hurt. (Recommended dosage is 3000 mg with the B vitamin.)

I have a Visual Field test in a few weeks and if there's an improvement, then I'll know that taking the pyruvate was/is worth it. The only place I can purchase it is on Amazon, and the lecturer named a specific brand, which was very helpful. I should probably pop another bottle of it in my Amazon basket. 

The Aerobics Room is warmer than I'd like but I still cool down while doing core and stretching movements. I need to start doing push-ups more often because I feel weak doing them today. But I do worry that this exercise somehow raises my IOPs, and they are stubbornly high for someone like me. They really need to be lower, and they aren't. Maybe I'll go to the gym tomorrow.  

15 Sept 2025 12:49-2:42

Monday All Cardio

Late Crisp Sunny Tax Day

(Start 1500 mg pyruvate)

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Cascades L1

Time: 20 (+5 min cool down) = 25

Distance: 2.24

Cal: 195

Avg Hr: 116-118

(reverse pedaling is a slog)

HGPU 18 w/ kipping 1/3

Precor elliptical #1 

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5328)

Distance: 2.75

Cal: 301

Avg Hr: 129, 190-112

New FB: 45-151

HGPU 18!

20 Hip Bridges 

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

An Unexpected Wrench in My Hand

I'm gonna buy it!

My right hand has been sore for the past few days, to the point of where I'm waking up with it aching and stiff. It's not visibly bruised, but it feels tender both palm side and top. The Voltaren gel worked for the sciatic discomfort in my calf so I applied it to my lower back and upper thigh, because it's suggested that anti-inflammatory topicals should be directed to the source of the problem, usually a wonky vertebral disc impinging on a feeder to the massive sciatic nerve, which isn't one giant nerve, but a bundled cable of different strands. I'm applying the gel to my hand as a last resort... 

It's overcast enough to threaten rain and temps are comfortably in the 70s. I thought about skipping the gym, but that would mean ripping invasive Oriental bittersweet vines out of the hedges and whacking the remaining mugwort stalks interspersed between what's left of the milkweeds. All of that would be really hard on my hands so I decide to put that off until tomorrow. I'll go to the gym today. 

I get to the gym really late. It's nearly 1 pm and Wind Breaker and another regular are already on the Precor elliptical machines. I don't want to use either of the remaining machines so I opt to hop on the Octane. But I enter 12 minutes instead of 13, forgetting that the cool down is 2 minutes, not 3. I'm looking for 15 minutes total. Then 10 on the step machine, and hopefully, back to the Precor for 35. I have to adjust and add an additional minute to the step machine, just because I'm weird like that. 

An Octane elliptical

My hands are bothering me so much that I only do two sets of pull-ups and they were not very satisfying. Both my hands and the right shoulder complained. Is this because I'm old? When I was at the dog park earlier today, I mentioned I thought my sore hand was from wrestling with jar lids, and another dog owner said they had purchased a battery-operated lid opener that actually worked. They showed me the item (an "as seen on TV" type gadget) but swore that it worked great, with the caveat that the jar had to be solid, like glass. (Softer plastic jars crumple and that's not at all helpful.) I can order it online and Home Depot will deliver it free. Sounds like a win-win. 

After my second set of pathetic pull-ups, I saw that Precor #1 was vacant so I hopped on and eagerly punched in program #3. Halfway through, a big middle-age guy gets on #2 so he's between me and #3, where Wind Breaker has been for hours. The difference between the Precor and all other elliptical machines at my gym is that this is the machine where I can really push myself and emerge very happily drenched. 

During the last 10 minutes is where I tend to pedal as hard as I can for as long as I can. I still don't make it to 2.8 but I feel satisfied. I'm also not out of breath, not at all. Which, I guess is what one would expect. I can feel the guy next to me glance over as I tap my stats into my phone. This also means I wish the Aerobics Room was a lot colder. It's balmy and there's at least three teens in there, doing their own stretching and floor exercises. If it was colder, I'd stop sweating sooner. Sweat rolls off my nose and lands on the mat. Ugh.

Tomorrow I'm going to do yard work, then back to the gym on Friday. I bought a second Venus flytrap plant from the grocery while they were on sale. I've wanted a carnivorous plant ever since I was a kid. I didn't realize they were so high-maintenance though: special nutrient-free potting mix and distilled or rainwater or RO (reverse osmosis) only. Added fertilizers are apparently toxic to carnivorous plants, and they can subsist on photosynthesis alone if necessary. 

I put the plants outside for several hours in direct sunlight. Meanwhile, twice I have come across dead flies, one wedged in a tiny flower's petals, and another on the floor mat of my car, trapped and roasted by the heat. I'm concerned that the first plant, Seymour, hasn't closed its trap tight enough for the smaller fly to be consumed. The second plant, Audrey, gets the bigger fly from the car, but again, the trap doesn't close completely. I've read that incomplete trap closure can be a problem, that the plant won't be able to digest the insect. I try to stimulate the plant to close tighter by tickling it with a toothpick but that's not effective. I guess I'll just wait and see. 

The plants are too big for their tiny pots and need to be re-potted. But finding the appropriate substrate has been challenging. I went to Home Depot and managed to find sphagnum moss, which is different from peat moss, and definitely not Spanish moss. But no one locally carried additive-free perlite. (There aren't a lot of garden centers and nurseries left after big box Home Depot opened and drove a lot of mom & pops to close.) Everyone sells the MiracleGrow brand, which is famous for lots of additional fertilizer. 

The one carnivorous plant website I found also carries the potting mix, but the shipping charges amount to more than twice the cost of the product ($9 bag + $22 s/h). I'm sure it'd be the same shipping cost if it were live plants, but this is just volcanic pellets. Eventually, I wind up on Amazon, which, because I already had a few items marinating in the shopping basket for the past several months, could give me free shipping. I expect to re-pot the wee beasties by this weekend.  

10 Sept 2025 12:42-2:36

Wednesday Alt Cardio

Sore right hand & shoulder!

Octane #2 

Program Manual 1 / 5width

Time: 12 + 2 (1524 steps)

Distance: 1.11

Cal: 91

Avg Hr: n/a

HGPU 16 w/kipping

Matrix StairMaster (R)  

Manual timer 9+2 cool down (11 min)

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (33) / 1 (29)

Steps 476

Floors 29

Cal 72

Hr 131

HGPU 16 w/ kip (both hands hurt)

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5404)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 305

Avg Hr: 131, 192-92

New FB: 42-154

20 Hip Bridges (2:17) room is too hot

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

Post Wedding Weekend

I used gel to prevent dreaded 
flyaway hair

We went to my sister's wedding on Saturday. The day started out sunny and it was 81F when we left our house. On the 2+ hr drive up to the venue, the temps dropped 20 degrees, dark thick clouds rolled in, and then it poured so hard visibility was 5%. As in, we could see the flashers on cars in front of us, and cars passing us, but we came up on a vehicle and it was only in passing it that I realized it was a huge semi truck. It was totally invisible except for the rear bumper flashers. 

So, we were late to the wedding by 20 minutes and missed the actual ceremony, but were present for all the other festivities. My sis seemed genuinely happy to see us. 

My sister looked radiant, dressed in a very fancy semi-Victoria dress she found in a consignment store and had altered, and still spent so much more than I'd ever feel comfortable with. It was a small wedding but everyone looked to be having a great time. I've decided that my sister is a lot of fun because she's a "party person". (Apparently I'm the serious one.) Lots of socializing, decent food, free flowing beer and wine, DJ music so there was a lot of dancing. Even my hubs danced and didn't look too uncomfortable. He's actually looking good these days, having lost a lot of weight by sticking to his low/no carb diet. 

Deep down, my sister and I are complete antagonists in our world philosophies. We don't travel in the same circles, don't share the same concerns. Everything is fine with the world because she's doing fine. No reason to concern herself with other people, unless it's going to impact her. (I'm completely different, as you can probably tell.) Still, I'm glad we went. We took a lot of photos and posted them to the wedding website. And yes, with the exception of the toddler step grandchild, I was the smallest person there. 

All that meant it was important to make it to the gym today as I'd also missed Friday when the building inspector came late in the morning and did a 30-second quick look at the new oil tank. No leaks? Great. Perfect. Wind Breaker was already on elliptical #3 when I arrived. The gym was fairly empty. I can't blame anyone since it was literally a perfect day: sunny but not hot. Just crisp enough to be comfortable. The gym had both front and back doors open to let the building air out, and I was happy not to have flies pestering me. 

I decided to re-familiarize myself with the Life Fitness cross-trainer's programs. I remember the Cascade, which is gentle hills. I tap in 12 minutes and try to alternate between forward and backward every 3 minutes. The machine was not happy and appeared to be confused when I pedaled backwards. So, after the first 6 minutes, I just pedaled forward for the remainder of the program. Sometimes I used the handles. I was really tired by the time 15 minutes was done. In total though, my "all cardio day routine" equals an hour, which isn't a lot especially when that happens only twice a week.  

I'm not breaking any records, especially not my own. And I'm fine with that. I got my three sets of pull-ups, although that last set was really hard. I kept muttering to myself that I have to make it to a dozen. Okay, make it to 15. By this last set, my right shoulder was bothering me a lot. It gets sensitive sporadically for no apparent reason. The next time I go to the CVS with a coupon, I might buy a tube of Voltaren cream (diclofenac sodium) to see if that helps with my chronic sciatica and the intermittent shoulder twinge. It's an anti-inflammatory that's meant to penetrate the skin and muscle. I still use Penetrex when I remember. But I'd like to try something new that might be more effective. 

8 Sept 2025 12:18-2:22

Monday All Cardio

Crisp & Sunny post-weekend wedding

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5332)

Distance: 2.76

Cal: 302

Avg Hr: 146, 188-94

New FB: 45-127

HGPU 18

Matrix StairMaster (R)  

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (36) / 1 (29)

Steps 444

Floors 27

Cal 67

Hr 128

HGPU 17 w/ kip

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Cascades

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.14

Cal: 112

Avg Hr: 116-120

(reverse pedaling not registering)

HGPU 15 w/ kipping (rt shoulder)

20 Hip Bridges

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

Time Well Spent

I keep finding garbage to toss into the dumpster and will probably continue to do so until either the dumpster is picked up by the carting company, or I run out of room. But the dumpster is packed so imperfectly that there always seems to be room to slide a few old futon railings, or toss another ancient pet carrier. I skipped the gym yesterday but managed to get myself organized enough to go today, albeit much later than I'd like. 

Three out of four elliptical machines were occupied when I arrived even though the rest of the gym wasn't busy. I took a gamble and decided to flip the order of my cardio programs, figuring that machine #1 would be free at some point. Wind Breaker was already on #3 and I didn't want to ride the machines to either side of him. 

I started with 15 minutes on the Life Fitness cross-trainer. I've thought about skipping use of the arm handles since it affects my pull-ups immediately afterward. But I never do. Probably because the cross-trainer is boring just foot pedaling. There's no program with backward movement. And I don't like any of the other programs available because most of them want to manage your heart rate, and we all know how unreliable these handle-based HR monitors are. (My HR appears unresponsive to pedaling slower or faster according to these machines so there's little point in using them.)

My first set of pull-ups is abysmal and requires kipping within the first dozen reps. Still, anything over a dozen is good in my book. I do my 10 minutes on the stair climber. Then back to the Stretch Cage for another round of pull-ups. Slightly better, but still needing to use a bit of lower body kipping to finish the set. I see that elliptical machines #1 and 2 have opened up. I choose #1 even though it clunks. It's further away from Wind Breaker and his old paper & dried mushroom odor. Halfway through my program, a big fellow clambers onto elliptical #2. He's got a bit of cologne on, which is better than locker room stink, or old pantry items so... All together, it's an hour of cardio, just broken up into bite-size, much less boring chunks, with pull-ups in-between. 

My last set of pull-ups surprises me. I'm actually too tired to curl my lower body up, and the dead hang pull-ups feel okay. I'm extremely pleased and very surprised to make it all the way to rep 18! Then I trot off to the Aerobics Room, which is not as cold as I wanted it to be. There's a couple of HS guys in there doing roller stretches and some body weight movements. Eventually I stop sweating. I do everything on my list and realize that I haven't added back items like Wall Sits or Walking Lunges. Maybe next week.

I might not make it to the gym tomorrow as the town building inspector is scheduled for some time in the morning to sign off on the new oil tank. There's a 3-hour window so I have time to take puppers to the park. The fellow could come right at 9:30. But he could also lollygag and not show up until noon. Regardless, I have to be home for it. 

Saturday, we drive to Charlton NY to attend my sister's wedding. It's just a day trip, and I hope that the food will be good. There might even be music and dancing since my sister's new hubs plays in a band (they're both retired) but I'm not sure if it's dancing music. Of course, pretty much anything is danceable, right? I mean, he doesn't play in a string quartet so chances are good it'll be alright. 

I stopped at the grocery before heading home. The store had baby Venus flytrap plants for sale. I've never seen them sold there before, and for $5, that seemed reasonable. So I bought one and sent a pix to my kid at college. They wanted to know if this would take care of the tiny ant problem in the bathroom, and I had to confide that I'd already laid out a line of ant poison gel and those ants were gone. My kid expressed relief. There's a lot of yellow jackets in the yard and some smallish bumblebees and flies. I might have to catch a few ants from the lawn to feed the plant... Should I name it Seymour? 

4 Sept 2025 12:39-2:36

Thursday All Cardio

Late so cardio reordered

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

12:40-12:55

Program Manual L1

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.50

Cal: 118

Avg Hr: n/a

HGPU 17 w/ kipping last 1/3

Matrix StairMaster (R) (1:06-1:16)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (36) / 1 (29)

Steps 440

Floors 27

Cal 66

Hr 117

HGPU 18 w/ kipping last 1/3

Precor elliptical #1 (1:28)

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5514)

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 311

Avg Hr: 149, 190-84

New FB: 40-162

HGPU 18! (2:11) no kipping!!

20 Hip Bridges (2:17)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

Bare Minimum

Mugwort image from A Way to Garden

I spent the weekend whacking down the overgrowth of mugwort that has taken over the central milkweed patch in my yard. I started out with over 5 dozen milkweed plants but there are fewer than a dozen that have healthy pods. Most have succumbed to the hordes of golden aphids that no amount of ladybugs or other predatory insects could control. The problem with mugwort (aka sailor's tobacco aka artemisia vulgaris) is that not only do they spread via underground rhizomes, but their stalks are hard like plastic tubing. Which means it's hard to weed whack a grove of them without risking being impaled or sliced by razor sharp flying sticks. Which meant I did not use a weed whacker. 

Instead, I had manual hedge trimmers and a parrot beak lopper for the thicker stems and I cut down all the stalks by hand. I haven't gotten around to gathering all the fallen stems yet. And later, I'll have to rip out as much of the residual plants as possible. Because I'd like to have healthier plants next year. Maybe something edible. One pest I didn't have to worry about this year: spotted lantern flies. While they were spotted in my county, apparently the milkweeds kept them away from my yard. 

I get to the gym earlier than usual but I barely have time to get a quick cardio jaunt and a single set of pull-up, no core routine or stretch. Luckily there were few folks exercising. A lot of folks take this week off if they don't have kids in school. The pull-ups were better. I'm trying to institute better sleep hygiene by not napping at 5 pm and drinking only non-caffeinated tea after 2 pm. I haven't tried 20 minute meditations yet. Most days I feel like I barely have time to do the things I need to do... It's on the list. I'll probably get to it eventually, see how I feel about it, and then most likely, make some adaptations. 

I make it to my eye doc appointment and after an initial vision check (20/20 uncorrected vision) and pressure check, I have to wait for another hour to see the doc. While my IOPs aren't great and should be lower, they aren't horrible. They're 16, and we all know we wanted them under 10. They've been better at 13/14. They've been worse at 17/18. I go back for an annual Visual Field test in a few months. That's where the vision loss in my eyes gets documented with an actual physical map. I suspect the right eye is worse than it was last year. This loss is apparently unrecoverable: lost vision can't be repaired. The best we can hope for is to slow it down. Slow it down a lot. 

2 September 2025 11:44-12:17

Tuesday Abbreviated Cardio

After the Holiday weekend

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 20 + 5 (3820)

Distance: 1.97

Cal: 216

Avg Hr: 156, 186

New FB: 41-127

HGPU 17.5