First Bite of the Season

I was in my yard for the past few days, and as I was tying hot pink surveyor ribbons to the milkweed seedlings popping up all over the yard, everywhere except where their parent plants were established, I got my first bug bite of the season. Initially, it looked like a weird bubble, a blister or pearl under the skin. Then as time passed, it grew larger, more diffuse, bright and hot and itched like crazy. Several smears of hydrocortisone cream later, the itch lessened and the bump reabsorbed into my hand. Itchy hands can be aggravated by gym gloves so I'm glad the bite is gone today. 

It's the Friday before a pseudo holiday, Mother's Day and I was worried that the gym would be crowded, but it's more likely to be full on the day after a holiday. So Monday will probably be miserable. I hadn't any plans for this weekend except to cook and eat things that I like since the kid has finals until next week, and the spouse has been away at a job site for the past several weeks. I might still do that but I've been invited to re-watch a movie, The Devil Wears Prada in preparation for the sequel which opens this weekend. The movie I really want to watch is, of course, Sheep Detectives. But this weekend is not the weekend to go to the cinema cuz it'll be full of families and kids and I'd rather not deal with all that chaos. 

The gym isn't very crowded and I'm able to clamber onto elliptical #1. At first I'm really cold because weather-wise, it's cold and rainy. (The dogs were happy with the colder temps while we were at the park.) But after 10 minutes of pedaling, I can't wait to strip off the hoodie. I almost made it to 2.8 as well. I don't quite hit 20 reps at pull-ups but better than last session. I got on the Stair Master and tapped in 13 minutes at level 5. Normally the console reads between 48-45 steps per minute, but today it popped up to 52 and mostly stayed at 50. So, today I climbed more steps. 

The free weight area was mostly empty so I decided to do the same routine I had done on Tuesday. The exact same routine. Today, the right shoulder twinged during the first set of triceps as did the left elbow. But like magic, those pains disappeared for the remaining 3 sets. Articles about fitness now proclaim exercise variety to be a key ingredient to human health. All I can say is, Well duh. 

The Aerobics Room again feels warmer than expected. There was a Senior class in there earlier. I do the same routine, noting that my sciatica has been very quiet these past several days. My foot tingles briefly during Dead Bugs and Bird Dog planks. I'm leery of adding new movements because experience has shown me the error of pushing my limits. Suffering for months with sciatic pain is too great a price for a mild spinal over extension. Today, I added one gentle new movement: standing, bring a bent knee up across the body to tap the bent elbow of the opposite arm. I see most people do this laying down but I want to minimize potential issues with the dormant sciatica. So far, doing a dozen today felt okay. Keeping my fingers crossed that there are no repercussions. 

 

8 May 2026 1:07-3:17

Cold Gray Friday

Rain? Sun? Both?

Precor elliptical #1 (1:44)

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5446)

Distance: 2.79

Cal: 307

Precor HR: 152, 184-75

Fitbit: 43-138

HGPU 19.5

Matrix StairMaster (R) (1:55-2:10)

Manual timer 13 + 2:35

Speed 5 (52-45) / 2 (36-33) / 1 (29)

Steps 687

Floors 42

Cal: 104

Hr 167

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (2:17-2:47)

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

S/s with

DB Laterals w/u 10 lbs x 15 reps

15 x 15 x 3

S/s wit

DB Alt Curls w/u 10 lbs x 12 ea

15 x 12 x 3

20 Piriformis/Hip flex 

10 Hamstring stretches

DeadBugs 20 x 5 (mild tingly foot)

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2 (mild tingling)

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Standing Cross Body Knee to Elbow

12 each side

Neck Stretch / eye yoga