Mostly Cardio

I confess there was a moment when I was tempted to drive back home immediately after the school bus came, but I know from experience that I'm actually too awake to venture a decent nap. I went to the gym instead, had my pick of ellipticals, then got on the Step Mill for 20 minutes. Six minutes into the climb, I'm exhausted. Four minutes later, I'm recovered. Weird, right? No pullups or pushups today. Just a cage stretch and then abs in the Aerobic Room.

After a few minutes, I notice someone else at the other end. Usually, it's a woman or two doing calisthenics or something. Today, it's MW (Milk White) a young (college? HS? I can't tell ages!) well-built dude who's been regular for the past several months. He keeps to himself and works out diligently. I'm a little surprised to see him in the Aerobic Room but when there's no class, this room is quiet, spacious and a few degrees cooler than the main section of the gym. In an hour, there will be Zumba followed by Yoga.

My right foot is still sore. It's actually sprained between the bottom of my heel and through the foot to the last three toes. Less painful and debilitating than having an ankle sprain, but annoying nonetheless. I really miss the old "wellies" I used to buy from LLBean. Not rubber, but leather with a low heel, wide round toe, and a molded, single-piece, skid-resistant sole. I wore through several pairs back in the day because I literally lived in them year-round. Except they could never be re-soled. Then LLB stopped carrying them and I've been looking for suitable replacements ever since.

I thought I had them with the Ariat FatBaby boots, but those are now cut narrower, and I've recently discovered that the 1" heel is probably exacerbating my hammertoe tendencies. Ugh. The search for decent footwear continues. And I don't just mean a decent pair of gym shoes. I've got those. I mean boots I can toss on to walk the pups in whatever the weather is whatever time of day.

Rainy Cardio Tuesday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.94
Calories 331
HR 157-203 (86, 97, 89)

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 130
Total steps 852
Floors 53
HR 121

Cage Stretch

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60
Sideway Scissors 60
Crunches 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Reclining Hero Pose

Dragged by Sled Dogs

The day got away from me yesterday so I never made it to the gym. I did, however, get my son to help me coerce our two rescue pups into my car, forcibly secure their harnesses to the rear seatbelts and drive us all to the local park. It's close enough to walk at just a 1/4 mile, but the lack of sidewalks and shoulders means that the walk is dangerous, especially with dogs who don't understand how to behave on a leash. And, because school is out this week and it was ridiculously sunny and mild (43F), there were kids, people, and dogs everywhere.

The pups were frantic to exit the car once we stopped. The dog park itself was mostly empty except for one large man and his two large dogs who were rough-housing. I didn't want to take the chance with our skittish unpredictable pups. We walked through the park itself, or rather, I was dragged through every path and trail by a dog frantic not to be there. In spite of the martingale collar. At least he wasn't wheezing. But he wasn't slowing down either. My son had the other pup, who once he relieved himself, at least took the time to sniff and look at all the activity. Both were just as difficult to get back in the car and seatbelt when it was time to leave. At least they slept well last night.

Today it's raining so we just did regular walks through our neighborhood, which also entails being dragged up and down our hilly roads. The pup's tail usually curls over his back, a throwback to the Spitz-breed dogs (which apparently include corgis and Siberian huskies). At the park, it was down the entire time. We will have to try this again. And again. Until they are used to going for rides. And being in new places. It's a good thing I'm a lot stronger than I look.

I've promised my son that we can see the film 1917 this afternoon (trailer below) so I can't tarry at the gym. I knock out time on the elliptical, and then the Step Mill. I'm pleased to see that the second machine has been fixed! Then the Stretch Cage where I knock out my pull-ups. It should've been easier, but then again, it's been 3 days since last I did them. If too much time elapses, then I do lose a tiny bit of strength here.

The Aerobic Room is empty save for two middle-aged women I've never seen before. They are consulting pads of paper and spend more time in discussion than actually performing any sort of exercise. But that's to be expected when trying something so new and daunting. I finish my Core movements with the Reclining Hero Pose and then I'm off to shower.

In the locker room, an older lady greets me with pleasant surprise. It's Grand Dame. I haven't seen her in at least a year. She remarks that she thought something had happened to me since she stopped seeing me. No, I tell her, it's that my son's school bus comes early now so I come to the gym early now. I didn't recognize her because her hair is different. She leans in to whisper that since she hurt her arm and can't fix her hair anymore this is a wig. I tell her it looks really nice.

Grand Dame has a wonderful smile and beautiful sparkling blue eyes. She's the lady who told the trainer years ago when she first arrived that she wanted to work out like me, and he had to steer her away to a program less taxing. She must be in her 80s at least. I'm hoping to look as good when I get that old! But I won't lie. I think I'm doing good for pushing 60.

Cardio Tuesday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Miles 2.95
Calories 333
HR 152-198 (95, 90, 85)

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 134
Total steps 890
Floors 55
HR 165

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60
Sideway Scissors 60
Crunches 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Reclining Hero Pose



The trailer for 1917, an epic film definitely worth watching...

Yep, Forgot to Post a Header for This

I've periodically thought about monastic life although monasteries and convents are having a hard time financially. Some have managed to create popular products to generate income, like beer (Trappist), wine (New Clairvaux) or dogs (New Skete). I'm fairly certain that a simple life of chores and hard work, without much speaking, would be fine.

Some people, on the other hand, can't go more than a minute or two without uttering some sort of noise. Not even words, just sighs and moans, for no apparent reason. I suspect it's an unconscious demand for attention. Today, in the space of 4 minutes, I counted 5 loud sighs, grunts and moans from B when she walked into the locker room. This persisted until someone greeted her. I have no desire whatsoever to engage in conversation early in the morning. I have less desire to overhear conversations that leak through my earbuds.

Three old men are chattering loudly on the stationary bikes in front of the ellipticals. I choose the 4th machine, the one farthest from the noise. While this particular machine only clunks during low revolutions (slow pedaling) unlike the third machine, it also doesn't register a heart rate at all. Which is just as well considering that they all seem to be wonky.

The Intervals program is deceptive. Even though I slow down every two minutes out of four, I seem to have burned slightly more calories and achieved better mileage for the same amount of time compared to other programs. I'm drenched when I'm done. There's been a steady stream of people on the lone Step Mill since I do my Cage Stretch and then disappear into the Aerobic Room for my Core exercises.

I'm not sore anymore from the ab work, but I have to be careful not to rub a raw spot into my tailbone when doing Sideway Scissors or Bicycles. The seams to my sport pants can be really abrasive. Tags I can cut off although I keep forgetting to remove the tags inside my lifting gloves. Maybe I'll do that right after I finish posting this. When I leave the Aerobic Room, the Step Mill is vacant so I'm able to do my 20 minutes. I won't lie. It made me sweaty and tired but there was no way I was going to drape myself over the console like everyone else.

All throughout the day, my right index finger has been threatening to spasm at the last joint right before my fingertip. This has never occurred before so I'm a bit concerned. It's my right foot that has those recalcitrant hammertoes, with shortened tendons causing me problems. I do periodically stretch out my fingers and toes when I can.

In the locker room, I see a woman, a regular, with huge ugly blisters at the base of her neck. "What's happened to your neck?" I ask her. "I had melanoma and the surgery didn't get it all, so I have to apply this cream for 16 weeks, and that's the side effect." She covers it with a gauze pad and tapes that to the back of her neck. She explains that she used to love sunbathing and tanning beds but now she regrets it. She's fair-skinned and blondish with an Irish brogue. I don't know if the hair is natural or not because she's a hairdresser. "Well, at least it's not on my face!" Since it's winter, she can cover it with a scarf or her hair. I feel relatively blessed to only have an ugly, nailless big toe and no signs of cancer.


Another Cardio Thursday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program Intervals
Miles 2.93
Calories 330
HR n/a machine #4

Cage Stretch

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60
Sideway Scissors 60
Crunches 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 133
Total steps 885
Floors 55
HR 107

Mat Stretch

Just Cardio and Then Some

So I'm thinking that if I push some weights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and only do Cardio Only workouts the other two days of the workweek, I'll have all my exercise bases covered. I could be wrong but I haven't tried this specific routine yet. I know I need to keep my weights light, but not so light that I'm bored. I also know that stretching every day isn't good for me either, contrary to popular belief. My legs get more sore from that than just doing cardio every day. Weird, right?

Today I saw that the lone working StepMill was available just as I finished on the elliptical. And like any Year of the Rat opportunist, I hopped right on because this is a popular machine, especially now that one is broken. My routine is flexible!

I got my pups licensed with the town in order to sign up for membership at the local Bark Park. One dog has perpetual zoomies so this large, rugged enclosed area, with obstacle courses, trees and lots of space seems ideal. What's not ideal is the  6-foot high chainlink fence. I'm not sure my dogs can leap but the trainer did put that fear in my head. Of course, this might be a bit premature since I haven't attempted to walk them together by myself since that fateful night when one got spooked, slipped his harness and ran away for 5 days. Luckily, he came back. And now they both wear martingale collars and harnesses.

Because I eventually plan to take them to the Bark Park when it's quiet and there's no one there, I'm going to lose early morning gym time. I'm dreading getting to the gym with the lunch crowd, especially if that means I have to listen to The Mayor in spite of my tunes. I guess it's a good thing that I've been cutting back on my workouts. It won't be so traumatic for me.


Cardio Tuesday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.88
Calories 321
HR 192-138 (85)

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 126
Total steps 818
Floors 51
HR 131

Cage Stretch

Elbow Plank 60s
Sideway Scissors 60
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Mat Stretch

Eye on the Prize

Ever wonder why people hate Millenials? You probably have your own stories. Here's mine. It's posted here because texting back and forth added a substantial amount of time to my workout and detracted from my workout focus. I did go to the gym with the intention of doing an intense cardio workout. That got done, but it's hard to constantly redirect your focus toward the task at hand when you feel that people are working against you.

As you probably know, we agreed to adopt a dog who was in danger of being put into a shelter because his parents had divorced. The dog was never able to adapt to a new home life in spite of our best, persistent and gentle efforts. Luckily, his parents reconciled and the dog's mom was able to secure permission from her landlord to have a dog again. After 7 weeks of needing to be handfed, the dog has been reunited with his family and is once again a happy pup. But we are dogless. The house feels really empty again.

First, we were told that we should adopt two dogs to make the air travel from overseas more bearable as well as the transition to home life easier. Currently, all the dogs live in a big group home. Okay, that makes sense. The rescue presented two dogs who are not the type we want. We agreed to one because we are familiar with the Chow breed, but not the other. We suggested two other dogs, young Jindos. The rescue then had another "adoption committee" member suggest a completely different dog who was totally foreign to us. What is it? A 4-year old poodle-mix? When I demurred, they said they thought this dog would be more suitable for us. Why? Well, because the first dog never gave us a chance to show them how well he would be cared for. What?!

Filtered to show
actual color of
the tank top

Now they'd like photos and videos of us with our former dogs on adventures to show them what a great life the dogs will have if we adopt them. This is truly a Millenial thing, right? Our last dog was 16 when he passed. He didn't go on any adventures with two ruptured CCLs. He was a homebody who hated car rides and anything different or new. I had a dog who traveled well and got into a lot of adventures, but 30 years ago we didn't have cell phones!

We have a few photos and videos of when our dogs were much younger playing in the snow, say 10 or 15 years ago. I told them as much. And then I offered to shoot a cell video of what a walk around my neighborhood would be like, with a ride to the dog park (because there's no shoulder to the road and it's not safe to walk), a park trail and the beach at the lakefront. But they're not getting it until after the Holidays.

All this chatter in between my cardio exercise and pull-ups. I'm not only distracted, I'm also pissed off. It takes me a few minutes to refocus and calm down because my first impulse is to text something snarky. Ugh. That's not going to be productive so I bite my tongue, calm my fingers, and take several deep breaths.

For the third cardio movement, I get on an Expresso bike. The one that fits me best has a big sign stating Under Repair. The next bike has a seat that doesn't adjust forward quite enough. I can use it if I keep my arms fully extended. The buttons and controls are slightly different so I spend 5 minutes playing Dragon Island just to get the feel of the bike again. Then another 10 minutes actually playing. So I only have data for 10 minutes, not that it matters. It's really late by the time I leave the gym. The painters are still working on the trim. Some walls are still the original orange. Then I see the painters have changed into gym clothes and are working out instead. No wonder this is taking sooooo long.

Pre-Turkey Cardio Wednesday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.91
Calories 327
HR 164-200 (135)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Leg horizontal scissors 60
Bicycles 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 129
Total steps 851
Floors 53
HR 109

HGPU 26

10 Expresso Bike + 5
45 cal
1.67 m
116/133 HR

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 12
30 x 12
35 x 12
40 x 12

HGPU 25

Quick Stretch

Some Days Are Good Days

Wednesday, on my drive home, I had to stop in the middle of the road to let a pair of geese cross to the other side. The road becomes a causeway over a large reservoir. There were close to two dozen small dark birds swooping over it perilously close to being hit by vehicles because they were flying so low and erratic. No doubt they were scooping up the mosquitoes and flies that inhabit those waters.

I'm not sure if they were swifts or swallows. I've seen chimney swift nests affixed to strip mall columns so perhaps these were those. I drove super slow with my hazards on and I would've videoed them if there hadn't been a truck right behind me. Luckily lots of other folks have posted videos of these birds dive-bombing hapless creatures and drones alike. This video is kind of cool.


Once across the water, I proceeded at a reasonable pace until my turnoff on to a rough pot-hole cratered road. There's one house that usually entertains a large flock of wild turkeys and I was not disappointed. Closer to home, I had to slow for a deer ambling across. Then I had to stop to wait for the fawn that was following. Some days are like watching the Nature channel right from my car.

Today there's nothing to see. It's raining again, which is okay because I tossed a packet of wildflower seeds out into my front yard. I also planted some milkweed seeds, but I'm looking to buy actual plants this weekend at the Cornell Cooperative Extension plant sale. Although milkweeds are offered for sale at big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes, those plants have been sprayed with pesticides and any butterflies and caterpillars feeding on them will either die or develop severe deformities, as per customer reviews for both stores.

Today is Cardio Friday. I'm game. HIIT Cardio was routine. Pull-ups make my right elbow hurt, but truthfully, it hurt before I even left my house this morning. I muscled through pushups and core, then went straight to the StepMill. What's nice about climbing steps is that it starts off as if you're not doing anything. Without increasing the speed, by merely repeating the same five step-movements I'm able to bust a good breathless sweat. I don't understand those folks who drape themselves over the handles as if they can't hold themselves up. It's not me.

Lying leg curl or torture device

I do manage to do two more sets of pull-ups between my cardio intervals. Because the Octane seems to put a lot of stress on my feet from the lateral motion, I choose the cross-trainer for the last 15 minutes. And unlike Interval training, I don't slow down but go full tilt for at least 13 of those minutes. The Walking Lunges are always exhausting and my quads clench for a few seconds when I'm done. But then, I'm fine. The 2:1 Lying Leg Curls are another story though. I can't make it past 8 reps and I don't push. Part of me worries again about raising my IOPs because lying face down is bad for pressures. I keep my head up but it's still a concern.

The last set of pushups isn't bad and the Mat Stretch feels good.

Cardio Friday

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 283
Miles 2.62
HR 137-188 (109, 87, 113)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 60
Crunches 30/40
Leg horizontal scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 114
Total steps 720
Floors 45
HR 139

HGPU 23

15 Cross Trainer+3cd
Manual 1
Calories 145
Miles 2.23
HR 156-147

HGPU 20

Walking Lunges
30+29= 59

2:1 Lying Leg Curls
30lbs x 8, 8, 8 (!)

Push-ups 50
Mat Stretch

Getting It All Done

It's 15 F this morning when I warm up the car. Yep, winter's here. My schedule is fully packed today. After my workout, I plan to meet a friend to see how she stages vacant homes for realtors. There's a chance I can pick up some work from her so I'm game. I'll also have to pick my son up after school because Fridays he and his friends go to the library to play D&D, or do homework. Then, my son has reluctantly agreed to accompany me to the jazz swing event later this evening. It starts slow and seems like a bust, but as more people arrive and the band starts to play, the mood changes and my son and I dance and are entertained by live music.

Today is a cardio plus day, which means 3 types of cardio machines interspersed with pull ups, and some core, ending with walking lunges and lying leg curls. Simple, right? And it is. It just takes stamina to perform all the movements with enthusiasm and mindfulness. Cardio is tricky. At any given moment, all the treadmills will be in use. Or all the Expresso bikes. I spend 20 minutes on the elliptical, then 20 minutes on the cross-trainer, before the final 20 minutes on the Step Mill. Pull ups don't seem too bad even though I've noticed that my lats are sore. That's unusual for me to have soreness anywhere. It's not a proven fact, but I feel, like many muscle heads, that soreness means growth, either in size or strength, or maybe even both. 

I don't think that it's the multiple sets of hammer grip pull ups. If anything, I think whatever is fueling my lat growth is making doing pull ups easier. (I get 4 sets again and I feel good about that.) It might be my habit of alternating between T-bar rows and Smith RDLs, or more likely, the neutral close grip Lat Pull Downs. Today my focus is legs, both hamstrings, and to a lesser extent, quads. All the cardio exercises utilize both muscle groups as do walking lunges. I'm quite winded after the first stroll of 28 walking lunges, but again, I'm always happy when I don't lose my balance and teeter onto my face. The 2:1 Lying Leg Curls are much harder today and I'm only able to complete sets of 10 instead of 12. I'm hoping to grow some leg biceps eventually. Not sure if that will happen, but this is the best way I know. Unfortunately, I don't have time to stretch out, but I do manage a final set of pull ups before leaving. 

My weight has kept steady at 111.6 lbs for the past several days. I drink a lot more water since I switched to a 32 oz bottle. My mouth always feels dry, sometimes even as I swish water around inside it. I suspect it's the by-product of my glaucoma medications, which are all eye drops. They appear to lower eye pressure by acting as a type of diuretic. They make my eyes dry as well and I've invested in dry eye relief drops. I find that the ones that contain glycerin seem to work better than the standard polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol. The fancier ones contain flaxseed oil, but I'm not a fan of the single use containers that don't stand up by themselves. One container is good for several applications to both eyes, so it's annoying that they can't be resealed and need to be wedged upright back inside the box. 

Another side effect of dry eyes, besides irritation, is the tendency of my eyelids to droop as my eyes get tired. My vision starts to blur and instead of squinting, my eyelids slide downward. I've discovered that if I force my eyelids open in a mock surprise expression, more light enters my pupils and my vision improves dramatically. It feels counter intuitive, but it works. Half the time I don't even need my reading glasses, but I still catch glimpses of my artificial lenses glinting inside my eyes, at the edge of my vision. 

Cardio Friday

20 min elliptical + 5 cd
Program 1
Calories 219
Miles 1.99
HR (125) 154-194 max

Cage Stretch
HGPU 20

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 x-trainer
Manual
Calories 163
Miles 2.43
HR 147?

HGPU 20

20 min StepMill
Level 3
Total Steps 710
Floors 44
Calories 113
HR 137

HGPU 21

Walking Lunges
28 x 2 = 56

2:1 Lying Leg Curls
20lbs x 12
25 x 10, 10

HGPU 20

Another Cardio Friday

I'm developing the sniffles, which is not unusual with the weather changes. Today there was frost on the windshield although the temps will rise into the 50s later. Perhaps my body is rebelling against this routine, especially with the lack of enough sleep. I'm a little sore all the time, but not enough to prevent me from doing anything.

That doesn't mean that my immune system hasn't been challenged by all the cold and flu viruses in the air. I'm convinced it's the less than 7 hours of nightly slumber during the week that's causing this lapse in health. However, I don't feel sick (yet) so I'm able to work out the way I want, which is with high intensity. But I should probably start dosing myself with zinc before bed for a little while. (High doses of zinc (50 mg or more) can cause copper deficiency and weaken the immune system as per Consumerlab.com.)

My routine is the same as last week: Octane, Step Mill and Expresso Bike. I finally figured out that the bonus treasure (worth 5000 points) boxes in the Dragons Island game actually regenerate not far from their origin point, which is marked by a beacon. Today, I use the magic portal to land on the island that contains the portal, then spend my time collecting coins that allow me to bag dragons. The blue and green dragons (500 & 750 points) aren't worth as much as the red coins (250) and dragons (1000), and the white coins and blue-silver dragons (1500). I used to wander around the island looking for more treasure box spots, but today I stay put, circling the beacon until I can pick up a total of 6 treasure boxes. Yaaay me.

Everything is good today, but my left knee (kneecap specifically) twinges occasionally. The only exercise it affects are the Pistol Squats. Ugh. This is the first time that I can remember having one leg, the left one, fail at doing these. I can squat down and get up twice, but after that it's total failure. The right leg is actually not having any issues, but I don't want to work out just one leg, the stronger leg. Ugh. I do a few lunges to warm up my knees. I get just one more squat out of the left leg, but then it fails again. Today's not the day for this. Oh well...

Cardio Friday

20 min Octane
Manual Level 1
Calories 127
Steps 2402
Miles 1.75
HR 113 max 150
(Toes are numb)

20 min StepMill
Level 3
Total steps 706
Floors 44
Calories 112
HR? 122

20 Expresso Bike
Dragon Island
Points 173,180
Calories 75
Miles 3.54

HGPU 23
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pistol Squats
Right 6
Left 3 (knee ugh)

Step Lunges
About 15 each

Stretch