Remembrance Friday

Our house lost internet connection last night although we still had power. Still no internet this morning, so we loaded the car with the Chromebook and notebooks, pencils, a backup battery for the cell phone and some reading material for myself. I know from experience that the supermarket parking lot usually has decent cell service. Using the phone as a "hot spot" we're able to connect to WiFi. We sit in the shade but have to move twice more as the sun rises higher. Luckily, today is a half-day and school is over by 10:05. I still have to feed the pups before I go to the gym. Well, at least they got walked on time.

All the flags are at half-mast today although my son says he thinks they're at half-mast almost all the time. It's a beautiful day with mostly clear skies, although the sky isn't the brilliant blue it was 19 years ago. We all remember where we were when we heard the news. But because of the pandemic, there will be no crowds. 

I'm solo today as the husband has a presentation to give. There's no one on the ellipticals so I do the Intervals Program. Later, I see Bandana Man except that he's now sporting an actual mask. Bandana Man no more. I'm sweating profusely but my mask isn't unusable yet. However, by the time I flop down on the mat in the Aerobic Room, the mask sticks to my face and I opt to swap it for the dry one in my gear bag. It's not brand new but it is less used. It's also dry. The first mask is so wet that the tissue I wrap it in is soaked within moments. Wicked wicking! 

I only do two weightlifting exercises after cardio and core: pushing and pulling. Lots of reps and moderate weight. I'm almost out of time. There's an unofficial two-hour limit at the gym in order to keep occupancy at a third or below. I doubt if it'll be enforced but best not to push limits too hard. Only 15 minutes of cardio to finish. It's so weird that the amount of steps is different every time I use that machine for 15 minutes even though the speed is the same. 

I still see a few people wearing their masks below their noses, mostly young men. I recognize another regular senior who waves to me from a few yards away. The locker room is empty but the shower water is no longer piping hot. Perhaps Gym Owner is cutting costs? At least he's allowed showering! 

I get home and read online that people who have contracted Covid-19 have been twice as likely to have visited a bar or restaurant. Ugh. We've been out to eat, mostly outdoor dining. We did go out last week to a local fish market/restaurant that doesn't have outdoor dining space. We were literally the only diners and we were seated close to the door. All the other customers came for pickups or to purchase fresh seafood. 

11Sept2020
Remembrance Friday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program Intervals
HR 149, 189, 96
Cal 321
Distance 2.88

Crunches x 2 x 60
50 Bicycles
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Pushups 25
Quick Mat Stretch

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 25
+20 x 15
+40 x 15, 15, 15

Seated Cable Row (light)
70 lbs x 15, 15, 15

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 15
HR 103
Cal 105
Steps 704
Floors 44

The Magic Number is Three

During the first 35 minutes of cardio today, my mask got so soggy that I had trouble keeping it out of my mouth when I inhaled. Breath is hot and wet. Mostly wet and the mask fabric holds a lot of moisture, like a washcloth. As I'm pedaling, I yawn several times to maneuver my nose toward drier spots inside the mask. Program 3 doesn't seem as intense as Program 2, and even though I pause at least 4 times to blow my nose, wipe my face, sip some water, I still manage to achieve the same distance or better.  

In the Aerobic Room, I swap the wet mask for a dry (albeit used) mask that I've tucked into my gear bag. Immediate relief! My abs are a tad sore when I do crunches and planks. Push-ups seem a little harder today. In the weight area, I recognize a few more regulars from before the pandemic. Slowly, people are trickling back to work out, see familiar faces, determine whether there's enough equipment to justify the monthly expense. 

I only do Reverse Grip BB Rows in the Smith and Walking Lunges in the Aerobic Room (because it's empty and I won't run the risk of bumping into someone). My lower back and hips are still stiff with a tingle of sciatica. But I'm too busy to make another appointment with the chiropractor. Today I have the fool's errand of finding an actual compass for my son's geometry class. School has opened online only but there have been no supply lists until today. Geometry requires a compass, and it is nearly impossible to find a store that actually carries one. 

I decide to finish my workout with a robust 15 minutes on the StepMill at speed setting 5. After 5 minutes, I've worked up a good sweat although the mask isn't so soggy as to stick to my mouth as I pant. However, after showering and changing into clean clothes, that damp mask is the last thing I want to put over my face. Luckily, I have another clean and dry mask in my bag. Yes, 3 is the magic number. 

At home, I try to find reliably decent washable masks that are breathable and won't suffocate you once they're soaked with sweat. A five-pack from Old Navy looks reasonable and economical. Otherwise, I'll continue to use the blue "medical" masks my husband received from his friend in Australia when it was all but impossible to find them here. Now, literally every store sells hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, masks and face shields.  

10Sept2020
Rainy Thursday
120.2 fully clothed dry

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 3
HR 155 h193 min 86
Cal 317
Distance 2.86

Crunches x 2 x 60
50 Bicycles
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Pushups 25
Quick Mat Stretch

Smith RG BB Rows
Bar x 25
+50 x 25 reps x 3 sets

Walking Lunges
20 x 2 (aerobic room)

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 15
HR 137
Cal 103
Steps 686
Floors 42

Like Self-Waterboarding

I woke up before the alarm went off, snoozed for 13 minutes and had an intense dream, then woke with 2 minutes to spare. It's the first day of school, and even though my son doesn't have to rush to meet the school bus, he does have to be awake enough to walk the dogs with me before online classes begin. He fixes himself a cup of coffee with milk and no sugar to keep alert through all the classes. Most of the teachers seem very chipper. They're all at the school building, as can be attested to by their classroom backgrounds as well as the school bell sounding between periods. Unexpectedly, the two science teachers (chemistry and engineering) seem the most at odds with the streaming technology the school is using. They are also older teachers, so perhaps that has something to do with it. 

My lower back and hips are still stiff but not nearly as incapacitating. I'm anxious to go to the gym but I have to wait for my husband to slip away from his online work. His car is also blocking mine in the driveway so it's not as if I can just leave without him, although today I am sorely tempted to. Especially since I feel rushed throughout my workout and don't actually get to finish what I want to do because he doesn't want to spend all day at the gym. Ugh. I skip stretching out or actually lifting any weights. Changing and showering also eat into my time, especially with long hair. I'm not at all happy about my workouts lately.

I'm on the other elliptical which doesn't clunk as much as I remember. However, the HR sensor is broken, not that I trusted it anyway. Program 2 feels harder than 1 or 3 even though after 35 minutes I've done the same amount of mileage and calories. The mask doesn't bother me too much even though I'm drenched with sweat. There are too many people in the Aerobic Room though. I recognize a few more regulars in the weightlifting area. 

The only time the mask really bothers me is when I lay on my face on the Inclined Bench to do Reverse Flys. It's then that I absolutely can't breathe. Nevermind that my face is pressed up against the hoodie draped over the bench. It's the wet mask sucking up against my nose and mouth that feels suffocating. Is this what water-boarding is like? I try to slow my breaths but only wind up gasping between reps. This really sucks. I don't have this problem with Bent Over Raises but I'm trying to baby my lower back and those do not. 

The only other time I really annoyed with my mask is when I'm trying to strip off my sweaty gym clothes before I shower. It's impossible to keep your mask on and with no one in the locker room, I take the soggy thing off and drape it over my shower caddy. I do wear it to the shower though, just in case I run into someone coming in to use the bathroom. The gym folk have moved their scale to a different corner near the showers. I'm not sure if that alone makes an impact on the scale's accuracy since now there's a 4 lb discrepancy between my home scale and theirs. My scale says I'm 116 lbs in underwear. Theirs says 120 fully attired. Regardless, it's still too much and my clothes are still too tight. 

When I get home, I take out the mask I've worn throughout my workout, and the mask I put on to go to the store, spray each one front and back until they're saturated with 70% isopropyl alcohol and loop them over a hanger in the hall to dry. Unfortunately, I'm now reading that dipping a mask in alcohol reduces its effectiveness because that alters the hydrostatic charge that traps viral particles. Apparently, the best way to disinfect and reuse a mask is to...do nothing. Let it dry out thoroughly and then reuse. Of course, there are limits to how often you can reuse your mask. Another method is to use dry heat, like a blow dryer or oven. But, let's face it: doing nothing is easier. 

Once the mask starts to disintegrate and I get fuzz in my mouth, it gets tossed into the trash. (Except now I have to cut the ear loops too because I don't want to be the one responsible for some poor entangled creature.) 

Still, one of the best investment my husband made (besides the several bottles of isopropyl) was the package of spray nozzle tops that fit the alcohol bottles. It makes deodorizing the masks really easy. He uses it when he travels and has to stay over in a hotel room because he doesn't quite trust hotel "sanitization" methods. From what I've read, they can't even be trusted to launder the sheets between guests! 

9Sepr2020

School Started Today

Precor elliptical

35 min

Program 2

HR n/a

Cal 312

Distance 2.82

Crunches x 2 x 60

50 Bicycles

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Plank 60s

Bird Dogs 60s x 2

Pushups 25

5 lbs DB raises supersets x 3 sets

x 15 lateral standing

x 20 reverse inclined flys

Tricep Extension 15 lb DB x 15

The Tuesday After

I've been rather incapacitated for the past few days due to injury. Fortunately, I don't think it's too serious, but it is very inconvenient. After I posted last, my hours spent in front of the computer bit me in the butt so to speak. I was so stiff and sore I could barely walk. Most of the problems seem to radiate from the lowest part of my back, my tailbone. I'm sure I cracked it in an icy fall over 30 years ago and every now and then it reminds me. Sitting in the car is absolutely the worst place my back doesn't want to be, but my husband had me see his chiropractor.

The doc made a few adjustments and used two different vibration massagers, one hand-held and the other was a long platform you stand on. The muscles in my lower back are inflamed and pressing on an assortment of nerves including my right sciatic. I spent the long weekend trying different seats in the house. Walking around to warm up the muscles helped as well as not being dragged by my crazed rescue pup, so the husband and son walked the dogs. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon standing in front of my computer or marching in place. I also took a few ibuprofens. This morning I went to the gym. Because moving is preferable to not. Moving is actually curative if done correctly.

It helped a lot. I also appreciated being able to walk into the gym shower instead of clambering over the tub in my house. The gym has raised their membership fees, but only for new members and those who canceled and then returned. I appreciate that they appreciate loyalty. 

I'm very frustrated though that my weight continues to creep up. It's hard for my husband to understand that I just can't eat like he does, even though he's eating to lose weight. Admittedly though, I have to fix my eating plan, especially since I can't count on the strenuous exercise I'm so used to. 

8Sept2020

The Tuesday After

Precor elliptical

35 min

Program 1

HR av156 h191 low 81

Cal 311

Distance 2.81

Crunches x 2 x 60

50 Bicycles

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Plank 60s

Bird Dogs 60s x 2

Pushups 25

Intimately Refreshed

Today I once again did a double cardio session, not that I had intended to skip out on the weight-pushing portion. But moments into the third set of fairly light deadlifts, my lower back and hips stiffened. Not painful but definitely not normal. That means not powering through the next set or even the next exercise, which should have been Seated Cable Rows. Instead, I opted for cardio to help warm everything up again. The Step Mill was vacant and it's not too stressful on the lower back or hips.

My mask is still soaking wet from the 35 minutes I spent on the elliptical. It makes breathing much harder because the wet material sticks to your nose and mouth as you try to inhale. I won't say it's akin to self-waterboarding, but this is definitely unpleasant. Today I don't see anyone wearing their mask under their nose which is good. I'd like the gym to stay open without incident. A good way to shut the facility is to flagrantly disregard all safety protocols. If you get sick, public health and local government will shut the gym down in spite of it being your own damn fault. 

One of the things I dislike even more than breathing through a sweat-soaked mask is that my nose runs whenever I get sweaty. Or eat hot foods and beverages, spicey or just steamy like tea. I always pack a few tissues in my hoodie pocket because my nose is guaranteed to run when I exercise. Wearing a mask makes this more complicated. And the last thing I want is nasal discharge on the inside of my already wet mask. So now there are two reasons to remove my mask while working out: sipping water and blowing my nose. But the benefits of cardio are too great to let annoyances like this stop me. 

Exercise-induced rhinitis is not a term I've heard before but apparently, it's common enough to be the subject of several online articles. Unfortunately, many view this condition as an allergic reaction because the runny nose is often accompanied by sneezing and watery eyes. But not me. The only sneezing allergic reaction I get is due to the pilocarpine drops I have to administer thrice daily to my eyes. (Those drops sting like a squirt of grapefruit juice, and they're often used as an anti-dilation drop in ophthalmology. Dilated pupils can increase internal eye pressure for some people. I'm one of them. But I digress.) Most exercise-induced rhinitis is attributed to running outdoors, as pollen, car exhaust, and other nasal irritants are to blame. 

In my case, it's my rising body temperature, constricting blood vessels, and an outpouring of adrenaline. This is also categorized as vasomotor-rhinitis. However, I'm not looking for treatments or abatement of symptoms because the cure is worse than the ailment. If the exercise-induced rhinitis were unbearable, I'd have to resort to antihistamines or other medications, and I'm not about to do that. I can deal with a runny nose. I just need to remember to carry a lot of tissues. 

Even though I've blown my nose several times, once I start climbing the StepMill, it starts all over again. I blot my face with my hoodie. It's impossible to inhale the drip back up the nostrils because the face mask sucks itself against my nose as I inhale. I've seen the newest comfort gadget for masks and that would solve this problem, except that I know it would be supremely uncomfortable against my face. It's a plastic frame cage that keeps the mask fabric off the skin. Hard edges cut into my delicate skin. Even this loose elastic mask leaves an impression line against my cheeks. 

After I shower and change, I realize that my nose, sinuses, and even my lungs feel really clean and clear, as if exertion has expelled all the sticky sliminess out of my system. It's refreshing. I've missed that! 

4Sept2020

Blazing Friday

Precor elliptical

35 min

Program 3

HR low109 av157 max192

Cal 312

Distance 2.82

Crunches x 2 x 60

50 Bicycles

50 Scissors

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Plank 60s

Bird Dogs 60s x 2

Pushups 25

Quick stretch

Smith Deadlifts

Bar (30) x 15

+50 x 12 reps x 2

Set 3 only 4 reps — hip/lower back!

Skip Seated Cable Rows

Matrix Step

Speed 5

Min 15

HR 99

Cal 1006

Steps 712

Floors 44 

Steamy Thursday

There are only two Precor ellipticals available and one of them clunks horribly, so really, there is only one good one. I don't get to the gym in time to claim it. Bandana Man is on it and I don't want to use the clunky one. I decide to do the StepMill again, but this time I'll increase the speed to 5 for the full 25 minutes. I lose track of time as I watch the Gym Owner give a quick tour of the facilities to a potential new member. The dashboard gives me a reading of 83 for my heart rate. Well, that can't be right, can it?

There are only six people in the gym today, and two of them can't keep their masks over their noses. I don't understand it. Having it over your mouth protects everyone else from your breath in case you're asymptomatically infected. A mask over your nose offers a bit of protection in case you walk into their wake since aerosols linger in the air. Why wouldn't you want to protect yourself? 

I've decided that pulling my mask down to sip water is worse than unhooking one ear loop. At least the mask suffers less wear that way and doesn't accumulate sweat from my chin and neck. But because I wear semi-wireless earbuds, there's the issue of which to loop over the ears first. I know... first-world problems! I find myself untangling my earbuds just to take my mask off to sip out of my bottle. When I switch to exercises where I have to remove my hair clip (to lie flat on a bench), then I usually switch my earbuds so that the connecting wire dangles in front of my neck. Otherwise, I hook it over my hair clip to keep it from sticking to my neck.

The hubby is in Boston today so I get to work out solo. It also means I don't have time constraints so I can jump on the elliptical for an additional 20 minutes after I push a few weights. Once again I'm drenched, but I feel pretty good. In the locker room, there are two women chatting through their masks. They haven't seen each other for months. I hear horror stories about other gyms and how they've reopened but not made any repairs or improvements to their facilities. The older, shorter woman tells the younger one that she's a trainer and recounts her adventures as a bodybuilder. Tanning, exfoliation, being too hairy, being the wrong shape, favoritism, and mercy wins (a competitor placed second because she had cancer). She's also 3 years younger than I am, but I swear, I think I look younger. Oh well. I'm entertained by their chatter while I shower and change. 

3Sept2020

Steamy Thursday

Matrix Step

Speed 5

Min 25

HR 83 (?!)

Cal 171

Steps 1137

Floors 71

Crunches x 2 x 60

50 Bicycles

50 Scissors

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Plank 60s

Bird Dogs 60s x 2

Pushups 25

Quick stretch

Smith inclined bench

Sticky Bar (30) x 15

+20 x 15

+40 x 15, 15, 25

15 lbs DB raises supersets x 3 sets

x 15 lateral standing

x 15 seated bent over

Rip Skulls

30 x 12, 12, 12

Precor elliptical

20 min

Intervals

HR max188 av 144 low 122

Cal 183

Distance 1.63

Best-laid Plans

I actually packed all the items I would need to shower at the gym after my workout. Unfortunately, halfway through my next-to-last exercise, my husband asks me when I'll be done because he's got to sort out a work-related issue at home. Ugh. This means that after hurrying through Seated Cable Rows where I upped the weight 15 lbs, I skipped Walking Lunges and only managed to splash water on my face before we left. 

He then suggested we also take care of the errands I had planned but I refuse to walk around in stores wearing stinky gym clothes. If I can smell them, I figure so can everyone else. And it doesn't take long for them to smell bad if they're soaked in perspiration no matter that they were freshly laundered when I put them on. No, I'll shower at home while he sorts through his work files, and then we're off to shop for paper towels and dog kibble. 

My hubby did graciously save me his spot on the elliptical as Bandana Man had the other one. We both agree that we don't like the LifeFitness Cross-trainer, but he doesn't suffer from numb toes from using it. He did that machine and I did Fitness Program 2 on the Precor, which I think is the hardest because of the series of peaks and dips. The bottom of my lungs burn during cardio, which only encourages me to pedal faster. At some point, my cardio endurance will improve and this won't be so unpleasant. 

The gym is a lot more crowded today with seniors and high school boys crawling out of bed. The seniors are the ones who don't understand social distancing while working out. My husband complained to me about a little old lady who insisted on using the plastic baby bells standing but a foot or two from him. Every time he moved away, she inched closer. Maybe she thought he was cute? Tomorrow's another day though. I'll keep my shower stuff packed just in case. 

1Sept2020 Tuesday

Precor elliptical

Program 2

HR low 81 max 194 av 161

Min 35

Cal 314

Distance 2.83

Crunches x 2 x 60

50 scissors

50 Bicycles

Plank 60s

Bird Dogs 60s x 2

Pushups 25

Quick stretch

Smith Deadlifts

Bar (30) x 15

+50 x 12 reps x 3 sets

Seated Cable Rows

70 x 12

85 x 12, 12