Whacking the Machine Gently

The Nexersys was still functional when I arrived at the gym this morning. I did a quick 10 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, followed by two sets of baby bell shoulder exercises and some band stretches at the Cage. I pretty much skipped all other types of stretching. I didn't wake up with that annoying ache running down my sciatic nerve, which means there can absolutely be too much of a good thing. Stretching is good, but maybe not every day. I know it sounds counterproductive, but stretching is also a muscle and ligament stressor.

I debated not putting on all my hand protection but did it anyway. It's safer to have too much padding than not enough. Each layer serves a purpose: the moleskin adds padding and protection against chafing my knuckles raw; the tape keeps the moleskin in place; the cotton wraps offer padding between my fingers and holds the little bones in my hands together. Everything gets stuffed into my padded gloves. It's one-size-fits-all, and I have tiny hands. Without all the preamble, my hands would slip and slide inside the gloves. That'd be catastrophic! Blistered raw knuckles and potentially sprained hands in no time at all. (Something to do with loose connective tissue and why I find walking barefoot so painful. Yes, I've sprained my foot, not my ankle, walking barefoot.)

7r Beginner

I pull my punches because I don't want to break the machine. It shows in the final tally of points, accuracy, and power. And because I'm not really whacking all that hard, I don't work up a good sweat until I'm into the Intermediate rounds. I did manage to blackout the screen 3 times during the 7 rounds at Beginner Level though. But that was just a warmup. The first Intermediate round was a little crazy: the pacing was much faster and the combo of Jab/Jab/PowerElbow/Lead-Dig seemed more appropriate in the Advanced setting. Also, the Intermediate Level defaulted to SouthPaw and had to be reset to the Traditional stance. (I didn't even bother with the Advance Level.)

5r Intermediate

I admit I was a little nervous about how tired I felt during the first few rounds. It's been a long time and I was a little winded. However, as we all know by now, I'm the type of person who needs a long warmup. By the time I got to the Intermediate Level rounds, I was feeling great. If I'd given up and given in when I felt tired, I'd never make any progress. It's important to understand when to listen to your body, and when to push further. The little voice in your head isn't always right. Sometimes it's just scared.

If the machine is still working next week, I might go back to 7 rounds each level. In spite of the machine's many failings, it's still a fun workout with great cardio and hand-eye coordination benefits.

Whacking Thursday

10 min x-trainer
Calories 90.4
Miles 0.81
HR 147-186 (86)

DBs Overhead, Front & Side Raises
5lbs x 15 reps x 2 sets

Mid-Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15
Cage Stretch

Nexersys FM (gently!)
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 5r

Quick Mat Stretch

Head Cold Hump Day

I had hoped those annoying sniffles were the result of allergies. It is the season, after all. But no. I fear I've succumbed to a seasonal head cold. I'm not the only one. The rainy weather with its depressive barometer doesn't help so I'm a little groggy as well. There's no school today and I manage to sleep in enough to garner almost 7 hours.

The good news is that at yesterday's glaucoma doc appointment, my pressures remained steady at 13-14, and when I asked for a review of my last Visual Field exam back in July (I was expecting the worst news since my right eye temporarily wasn't seeing color or light properly), the doc told me that the VFs were comparable to exams dating back to 2017. While we are all told that you can't regain lost vision, her answer suggested that my optic nerves are not deteriorating. My vision appeared to be stable. Which I find puzzling, even though I'm greatly relieved.

We also discussed my inability to get my health insurance to cover a prescription for Rhopressa. Currently, I'm using samples provided by my doctor's office. The doc was excited about the newest drug to be approved by the FDA, Rocklatan, which is a combination of active ingredients in Rhopressa and Travatan (which I also use), but in a generic form. So, essentially, I'm already on a form of Rocklatan, which won't be covered by my health insurance either. At least I feel I'm doing the right things in my exercise routines.

I've made a flu shot appointment for my son this afternoon, so I cut my workout short. I'm also blowing snot out of my head all morning, and even though this doesn't really affect my ability to work out, I know that I should conserve my energy. I don't have the most robust immune system and I've been supplementing with additional zinc and lysine. I selectively skip the second cardio session and Reverse Grip Curls, and substitute Seated Cable Rows. Unexpectedly, I'm able to increase my weight on this last movement. I also skip the Mat Stretch. I have a thought to pick up a few groceries but the only thing I have time for is milk.

I'm rushing back for no reason apparently. I take my son to his doctor's appointment, but the door is locked. The receptionist is in and asks us if we have an appointment. Uh, yeah. I made it with you. She vaguely recalls but didn't put it in the system. There's no one in the office. Some emergency somewhere. She makes a new appointment for Monday when school is again closed. I wish doctors had to pay us for missed appointments because I'm tired of those recordings and letters telling us we owe them $50 if we don't give them 24-hour notice of cancellation. What about my time? Ugh.

Meanwhile, the new dog is beginning to settle in although it will take a while before he realizes that he's in his new forever home. My son wants to be able to pet the dog. I confess I haven't pet the dog yet either. But I have managed to feed him a few times, and have cleaned up two messes so far. I'm an experienced dog mom. This is still easier than housebreaking a puppy. But puppies are typically more reciprocal with their affection. Jindos are not known for sloppy exuberance. It's a trait I respect.

Head Cold Wednesday Pull
30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.90
Calories 3.25
HR 143-194 (77, 95, 90, 80)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches Legs Up 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Crunches knees bent 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12, 12, 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25 x 3

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
80 x 12
85 x 12
90 x 12

Jindo Is a Another Word for Patience

The dog we agreed to adopt was stuck in traffic for several hours so he didn't arrive until early afternoon. I hadn't realized that both his human parents (who had divorced over a year ago) were coming to see him settled. A lot of questions went unasked. The pup refused to get out of the car. Well, not exactly refused. More like he just stood there bewildered and had to be carried out. Most dogs are excited to get out of the car and want to explore and sniff everywhere. Not Jindos, and especially not dogs from dog meat farms. Not that he'd ever been on a dog meat farm. His pregnant mother had been the rescue. She was also adopted.

What's great about these rescue organizations is that they tend to keep track of everyone and encourage small groups of related pups to stay in touch. So I know about my dog's siblings and his mom and how they are fairing, how they behave, and if they have any health issues. My dog is small compared to his brothers. But he's been through several moves just this year, and that has caused his weight to drop 10 lbs to barely 50. His brothers are 67 and 60 lbs.

Not my dog's siblings

He and his siblings were all placed within a few months of their birth. But dogs raised for meat are, like a lot of domesticated animals, bred to be docile. Which is a shame, because Jindos are the national dog of Korea. They're known for their loyalty and protectiveness, as well as for being hunters. They are not big, goofy, happy labradors. Although similar in appearance to the beloved Japanese Shiba Inu (aka "Doge"), these dogs have suffered the ignominy of being relegated to the category of livestock. Both breeds are considered closer in lineage to wolves than the dogs we are most familiar with, except for huskies and malamutes.

from: MyFirstShiba.com

Our new dog is fiercely loyal by nature to the people who have raised him since he was a puppy. And, as my son puts it, he's conflicted. Because they keep leaving him. Part of him hopes they'll return. He might suspect it's different this time. He hasn't really left his crate since he arrived on Friday. There's food and water a few feet from his open crate. And wee-wee pads. Because he won't let anyone take him out for a walk. Last night he snuck out to lap some water. I've hand-fed him treats and some kibble. At some point, he will need to void. I've heard from other people with rescued Jindos that it may take weeks to build the trust necessary for even a quick walk onto the lawn. A rescued Jindo is an exercise in patience, but I don't mind.

At the gym, I'm not happy about the bags I see under my eyes in the harsh lighting. (That's why selfies taken lying on the floor are so good! Gravity hides all the droopy flesh from the camera's view!) I'm actually a little sore from yesterday's Columbus Day parade march. My son and I walked 2 miles to the venue and then 2 miles back to the car. It rained on us. We're both suffering from scratchy throats and dry coughs that make your eyes water. "Ragweed," my son tells me. I tend to agree.

After pull-ups and core, there's the pushing part. B is on the Smith. She's become very self-conscious about how much time she spends there so she's off the machine before I get my second set on the Inclined Breaker Bench. Great! I knock out my sets and reps fairly quickly. Then 20 plus minutes back on the elliptical to get warm and sweaty again. After a good stretch, time to shower! Back home, the dog is still in his crate with the door wide open. I feed him treats while my son and I share silly videos between our phones. I offer him a piece of kibble, which is harder and crunchier than the treats. He eats several pieces if I proffer them one by one. This behavior reminds me of our last dog, a Chow-Boxer mix. As a puppy, he wasn't all that interested in eating so I would sit on the floor and hand-feed him his kibble. It's very zen and I'm okay with that.

Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.86
Calories 318
HR 150-200 (87)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 21

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

Inclined Breaker Bench
Bar (45) x 15
55 x 15

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 13
70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/15 reps x 4 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12, 10, 10

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.05
Calories 229
HR 140-176 (87)

Mat Stretch

Well, We'll Try This Again Next Week

My adopted pup is due to arrive any moment so I'm keeping this post short. I only did one session of cardio, my basic core routine, and then did a number of shoulder exercises with DBs. After a vaguely painful warmup doing shoulder presses with light (10 lbs each) DBs superset with front raises, I leaned back on an inclined bench and tried those Inclined DB Lateral Raises. Maybe 10 lbs was too ambitious. There was considerable strain on the front (anterior) deltoid and even the pectoralis where it inserts into the armpit. I did one set and then grabbed the 20s to do my usual DB superset of lateral raises and reverse inclined flys.

I was sorely tempted to do another 15 minutes on the elliptical, just like I was also tempted to stop off at the store to pick up a few items. But then I realized that I'm always cutting my timing too close. Besides, I'd rather spend the time tidying up. The dog and his mom are stuck in traffic and running late. No rush. It's not like I'm going anywhere.

Friday Shoulders Plus

30 + 5 cd elliptical
Program 2
Miles 2.81
Calories 3.10
HR 141-186 (114, 87, 126)

Cage Stretch

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

DB Shoulder Press s/s Front Raises
10 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
DB Laterals Incline Laterals
10 lbs X 12 (strains front delt)

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flys
20lbs x 12/15 reps x 4 sets

Mat Stretch

Is It The Barometer or Fatigue

If you are awakened in the middle of a dream or worse, a deep dreamless sleep, you might feel disoriented or even drunk as you stagger to the bathroom. If the feeling persists even after a cup of hot coffee, you might believe that the weeklong sleep deficit has finally caught up with you. I've had a case of mild vertigo for the past two days. Nothing spectacular, just a sense of unease and imbalance, like my head is too heavy on one side. This morning I drive all the way to the gym only to discover I've left my purse at home. My purse with money, credit cards, hairbrush, lip balm, and countless other tiny mom things.

Wow, I must be really tired to forget that. I debate doing my workout anyway but realize that I had planned to pick up a few items at the store afterward and I wouldn't be able to do that. So I go home. At home, I talk myself into taking a nap to rid myself of this vaguely dizzy feeling. But even back in my jammies, I can't sleep. I put the Relax Melodies app on for 20 minutes and find it grating. So I put my gym clothes back on and go to the gym again, but this time with my purse. It's raining and cold. The temperature actually drops 3 degrees as I drive, from 52 to 49F and it's mid-morning. That's not supposed to happen.

I've missed the morning crowd which makes me happy. Today is a Cardio Plus workout day because tomorrow I'm expecting my adopted pup to show up and I'll just have enough time to get a quick workout in. Cardio Plus days take much more time to finish. I see that one of the Nexersys machines is running again. The Gym Owner says he pulled it apart and put it back together again, but that it's delicate. You can't hit it hard. Just tap it. Uh, okay. That's half the fun, but of course, getting the combinations right is also fun. I'm not sure I'll have time for it tomorrow though.

I knock out my 3 sets of hammer grip pull-ups and do all my cardio. I also end the cross-trainer session before the 3-minute cooldown begins. And I increased my Seated Leg Curl slightly but skipped the Walking Lunges. It's getting late and I still need to shower and pick up milk before my son gets home. So maybe it's not fatigue. Maybe it's the dropping air pressure that's making my head feel wonky? There are lots of online articles correlating barometric pressure to migraines, headaches and joint pain. Lesser known is the fact that a drop in pressure can also thicken blood, making BP rise as the heart works harder to pump it, as well as causing blood sugar to drop. I never knew that!

Of course, my mom suffered from horrible sinus and ear problems, as well as vertigo and a heart murmur from rheumatic fever (untreated childhood strep infection). Heart murmurs can cause people to suffer dizziness. I don't think that's my problem. It feels like the weather. Tomorrow is supposed to be drier although still in the 50s. I'll take it!

Rainy Cold Cardio Thursday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.85
Calories 317
HR 157-195 (97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 20

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

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 112
Total steps 708
Floors 44
HR 133

HGPU 20

15 X-trainer
Level 1 Manual
Calories 113
Miles 1.38
HR 231-146

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 15
30 x 12
35 x 12
40 x 12
45 x 8

HGPU 20

Mat Stretch

Unseasonable

It's 84F right now, which is ridiculously warm for October in New York. The stink bugs are swarming, desperate to find a cozy home to overwinter. When we find them, my son and I will coax them into a ziplock baggy and toss them in the freezer. Once they're dead, I toss the little frozen bodies outside where they can't do any damage. I've heard that spiders like to eat them too but I haven't seen anything other than hapless moths caught in the messy webs both inside and outdoors.

I overheard a riotous conversation in the locker room today about stink bugs because the woman who teaches Body Pump discovered several dozen of them nestled inside the folds of her heavy window drapes. Wow, that's an unpleasant surprise! Temps may drop low enough to warrant frost. That'll kill them all if they haven't found shelter.

It's a Pull Day but I'm cold when I first enter the gym. I'm always cold in the morning, especially having drunk only half a cup of coffee. It takes me at least 15 minutes on the elliptical before I can unzip my hoodie. I skip the Cage Stretch because SnowBird seems to be arranging himself in it and I don't have time to wait around. Go directly to the aerobic room to do my core exercises.

Afterward, I realize that I need to skip HGPU anyway because I'll be doing 3 sets of them tomorrow. The Smith is free but the cable stations are lousy with those gabby regulars, M, Lazy Pedals, and a few others. I opt to do light sets of Smith RDLs. It's been several months and my lower back feels stiff. But I'm more concerned about the weird feeling I wake up with that's in my right leg. There's a nerve soreness that runs from my glute down to the sole of my foot. Yeah, that'd be the sciatic nerve, as it's certainly not one singular sore muscle.

I figure a change of routine will help, especially if I'm careful not to go heavy. I only load 100 lbs, less than my body weight, so I figure this is fine. Since I'm at the Smith, I might as well do a few sets of RG BB Rows too. Those are actually easier than I remember, as long as I'm not positioned too horizontally. Too much stress on the lower back otherwise. I can feel my lower lats work when I do this so I figure I'm getting something out of it. The chatterboxes have moved off and I could do some seated cable rows, but I decide I've put my lower back through enough today. After three sets of reverse curls, I'm back on the elliptical.

I've determined the reason I don't like the cross-trainer: it's impossible for me to keep my feet flat on the pedals as I move. I can do it on the Precor elliptical, but not the Life Fitness cross-trainer. My heels lift up and all the pressure goes to the balls of my feet, which is why my toes become numb. If I try to keep my feet flat with the pedals, I'm unable to move forward or backward!

I've also determined that my newish NB 7w clown shoes just aren't as comfortable as some of my other trainers. The soles feel hard, and there's a great deal of pressure on the pinky toe of my right foot. No doubt the right foot bunion is a lot of the problem, but there seems to be plenty of room inside the shoe. There's something about the supporting structure that's amiss.

Oh well... I might just reserve this sneaker for mundane walking about tasks instead of going to the gym. Still, nothing beats the comfort of my memory foam Go Walk Skechers. I'll be wearing those tomorrow.

Same But Different Wednesday Pull

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.87
Calories 320
HR 151-186 (81, 85, 91)

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches Legs Up 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Crunches knees bent 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Skip HGPU / tomorrow 3x

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12, 12, 12

Smith RG BB Rows
50 x 25
80 x 25, 25, 25

RG BB Curls
40 lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Calories 230
Miles 2.06
HR 152-190 (136)

Cage Stretch
Mat Stretch

Five Dollar Tuesday and It's Crowded as Heck

If I hadn't waited until 3 am to go to bed, I might've gotten up in time to sneak in a quick workout before rushing home to wake my son. We thought we'd catch the early showing of Abominable, an animated movie about some kids trying to help a yeti go home. However, sleep is vitally important and getting enough is hard even on lazy weekends or school holidays.

We get to the cinema 15 minutes before the first showtime and it is jam-packed with parents and their kids. Little kids. Babies even. We're both surprised at how crowded it is. At least we get tickets and reasonable seats although my son said there were tiny feet kicking his seat the entire duration of the movie. Still, we both enjoyed the film. Loved the details! Steamed white pork buns have been a favorite snack since childhood (so much better than the baked brown ones). My sister-in-law's name is Yi, the same as the protagonist. And we knew something was off about Dr. Zara when she claimed her pet was an albino jerboa, not a weird gerbil. Albinos have pink eyes due to a lack of pigment. Her "pet" did not.



I have to revise my gym schedule and make Thursday my intense cardio day. We've been trying to adopt a dog for some months now but things haven't worked out. First, we tried to adopt a Chow-mix (like our past dog) from a local rescue but we were ultimately rejected without the rescue giving any cause. Some rescues are run by flaky people. Then, at a different shelter, we saw a dog who looked great online, but in person, we were told she had some issues. We weren't the right family for her. Another rescue won't adopt their dogs out past a 30-mile radius and we're 55 miles from them.

The local humane society is a great place but I'm not keen on pitbulls or beagles, and that's what they have. Yet another rescue never answered queries posted via email. Later I read rather disturbing reviews about the health of animals adopted from them. Then my brother told me about a Shiba Inu rescue in NJ but warned me not to use my own name since the guy who runs the rescue is his former boss and apparently hates all Asian people. Oh jeeze! Why even bother then? Besides, I'm not looking for a Shiba Inu. I'm looking for a Jindo or a Chow-mix.

I've been "conversing" with the latest rescue organization for some weeks now. I'd wanted to get a puppy who got along with other dogs, then perhaps adopt a sibling for it. But quite suddenly, a dog who had been adopted a few years earlier needed to be re-homed because his parents had divorced, and is so often the case, neither of them could find housing that allowed dogs. So we're adopting a 3-yr old male who is shy and needs to be the only dog. Just like our dog who passed away almost exactly a year ago. His mom is driving him down, along with all his vet records, his crate, bed, toys, bowls, and food. They're supposed to arrive on Friday but I don't know what time. So I'll probably go to the gym for a quick cardio workout and then dash home. It's a 3-hour drive from their town.

Tomorrow, however, I'm going to do a Cardio & Pull Day workout. Yep. Because tomorrow there's school and we'll be at the bus stop at 6:45 am.