Another Rushed Workout

Going to the gym in the afternoon has pros and cons. Less crowded until the HS kids show up, but there are time constraints twice a week, like being home in time to take my son to his kung fu class. If I go in the morning, it's definitely more crowded and then I want to get home in time to take the pups to the park before the big dog arrives for his bit of run fun. 

I've sporadically taken melatonin inadvertently: there's a brand of black elderberry syrup (Zarbees) that contains 3 mg of it per dose. I don't particularly like this brand because it's actually too thick and viscous. (The Sambucol brand is definitely my favorite.) I've found that I tend to sleep more soundly and feel a bit more rested when I take the Zarbees a few hours before bedtime. I also have an unopened bottle of melatonin on the counter. That's probably my next stop after I finish the syrup. I had to stop the ZMA because I already take zinc and magnesium with breakfast, and I'm super sensitive to magnesium's laxative effects. 

No gym on Wednesday. The plumbers have a massive job replacing rotting cast iron waste line pipes, most of which are back-pitched. Not great. At least I had the foresight to take the pups to the park super early today for a quick 20-minute romp so they're calmer...

13 April 2021
Dreary Tuesday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5 cool down
Program 3
HR 84, 86, 150-188
Cal 318
Distance 2.86

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 50
Mat stretch w Pigeon Pose

The Inevitable April Rain

Rain has been in the forecast for several days but it hasn't actually rained until today. The dogs got to the park every day so far which is great because they tend to get depressed and a little crazy when they're cooped up in our tiny house for too long. Walks just aren't good enough when they have zoomies and need to gallop like stampeding mustangs. Especially when there's someone else to chase and wrestle with. Sometimes we're the only ones at the park but the dogs at least get run time. Most of their canine pals are a tad overweight. My pups are so picky about food that I can see ribs and sharp hips when the lighting is harsh. 

I get to the gym late but I still have time to do cardio, core, and some easy back exercises: a set of hammer-grip pull-ups and several sets of "light" seated cable rows. Of course, light is a relative term. After six sets, it's time to go, but I'm not necessarily "done." It's just that I don't have any time to do much else if I want to get home at a reasonable hour. Today I manage a decent set of hammer grip pull-ups as a warmup. Better than last time but not as many as I've done before. The six sets of seated cable rows aren't bad. (The Smith RG BB Rows were making my forearms sore so until I remember to bring my VGs, those are off the menu.) Tomorrow I'll know how I should change it up by how and where I'm sore. Or maybe I'll keep at six sets at this weight for a while, or until I get bored. And then I'll just add a 7.5 lb brick to the stack. I've pulled more, but I've also got lower back issues and quality of life is everything. 

12 April 2021
Dreary Monday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5 cool down
Program 2
HR 114, 189-148
Cal 316
Distance 2.84

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 50
Mat stretch w Pigeon Pose

Sneaky HGPU 15

EZ Seated Cable Rows
70lbs x 12 reps x 6 sets

At Least I Went

In order to actually get myself to the gym, I packed my gear into the car this morning so that I could go as soon as my son got on the school bus. I haven't exercised for the past two days although the dogs go to the park daily. I've been tired where I feel nauseous with a headache but napping is hard. Yesterday, I had an eye doc appointment where my left eye seems worse than my right, with pressures at 15 (vs 12 for the other eye), and last month's Visual Field was inconsistent. So I am scheduled for another VF in two months. Oddly, I score better on these tests in the morning than in the afternoon. My pressures also fluctuate wildly. I mean, 12 is great but 15 not so much. The left eye has the better vision at 20/20, while the right eye fades to 20/25. They've always been a little different. At least my blood pressure has been consistent at 110/70 (at last month's checkup). 

Because I want to take the dogs to the park by 9:30, I only have time to do cardio and core before showering and driving back home. I forgot how crowded it is in the morning! There are 4 other people in the Aerobics Room when I get there. Normally, I exercise after I've taken the pups to the park, but today I have back-to-back appointments this afternoon for me and my son. 

At the last minute, I've discovered that the baseboard heat is still on even though the weather is warm. In fact, I have the thermostat turned down to 50 and the room is 70F with the furnace kicking on for no apparent reason. So, now I have the boiler repair fellow coming between appointments today. Maybe. And then there is the massive plumbing project next week. I'm thinking I'll have to take the dogs to the park at 7 am just to get their zoomies out before the workmen arrive. 

Cardio is good although tough when I first start pedaling. I do Program 1 again because it was interrupted last time. I skip the Happy Baby stretch and only do 2 sets of Dead Bugs. But I do a full set of push-ups, and sneak in some pull-ups, although I'm 5 reps short. Still, better than nothing. 

9 April 2021
Bare Minimum Friday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5
Program 1
HR 114, 195-153
Cal 322
Distance 2.88

Crunches x 20 x 6
Piriformis Stretch
Skip Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 2
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 50
Mat stretch w Pigeon pose

HGPU 12

Mixed Feelings

People I haven't seen in over a year are back at the gym. I thought it was due to the wonderful bright warm weather but it's more likely that they've all been fully vaccinated. Our county has at least a quarter of the population protected with one of the three approved vaccines. 

While I am happy to see that these people aren't dead or have such covid-fright that they refuse to leave their homes, I'm not eager to see crowds. My plumber calls me right in the middle of my cardio routine and he's so hard to schedule that I immediately pull out my AirPods and stop pedaling. The kitchen sink is clogged and Electric Snake has advised me, after viewing the pipes in my basement, that they can't recommend snaking the waste pipes. They're too fragile because my water is so acidic. 

The fellow points to what I thought were gruesome cobwebs hanging from a section of cast iron and tells me that it's the pipe slowly disintegrating. The solution is to replace the line with plastic since that will remove the clog (probably a mini-fatberg) and be impervious to the caustic nature of our well water. Don't use drain cleaner, he advises me, but vinegar (and baking soda) is mild enough. The sink isn't completely clogged and allows a minuscule trickle to exit the waste line so washing dishes has become similar to camp cleaning: scrape as much food as possible into the trash and soap and rinse the dishes in a basin. Pour the basin water either down the toilet (because the waste line is clear there) or into the hedges outside. The plumber can fit me in next week. 

I'm not about to restart my cardio so I proceed to the Aerobics Room for the rest of my workout. My sciatica doesn't bother me until I return to the Weight Area and do a few sets of Inclined Presses on the Smith machine. I'm not pressing heavy but just the execution of the movement causes a lot of discomfort in my right leg. I have a follow-up appointment with my glaucoma doctor later this week so I've cut back on push-ups and even vaguely heavy weights. We're going to discuss the results of the latest visual field test. 

My leg hurts but I really don't want to return to the Aerobics Room to stretch again. Instead, I give myself 10 minutes on the stepper. The side panels of the other step machine are lying on the ground. Maybe it's being repaired? My leg feels better afterward. I hear one of the staff giving a tour of the facilities. Things seem to be approaching a new normal now. People are less afraid and we're all wearing our masks. 

6 April 2021
Brand New Tuesday

Precor elliptical
15 min interrupted
Program 1
HR 84,
Cal
Distance

Crunches x 20 x 6
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Mat stretch w Pigeon pose

Smith Inclined Press w big bench
Bar (30 lbs) x 20
+20 x 20
+40 x 20
+50 x 15

Matrix ClimbMill (steps)
10 minutes
Speed 5 (s/b 50 steps per min)
Real speed 48, 45, 52
Total Steps 465
Floors 29
Calories 69
HR 129

Sunny Monday

Today is bright and sunny and some people are walking about in shorts and flip-flops. No matter how tropical the weather, you will never catch me wearing flip-flops mostly because they're uncomfortable and non-supportive for my atypical physiology. 

The gym is more crowded than I've seen it in weeks. Perhaps more people have been vaccinated. I just got my husband an appointment for his first shot, and like mine, it was because someone else canceled and one, only one, spot opened up the day before. He was resistant to the idea until the CDC announced travel changes: fully vaccinated people do not have to quarantine if they travel. He has to travel occasionally for work and no company can afford to have their employees quarantine for over a week without symptoms of illness.

My sciatica has become chronic so I work around it. Cardio makes it feel better. Some stretches make it worse. I sneak in a quick set of hammer-grip pull-ups before doing my first set of Seated Cable Rows in over a month. Since I believe that going "heavy" (not really heavy) aggravated underlying issues in my lower back, I'm okay with doing a moderate weight. 

I feel a little silly doing only 70 lbs but it's not 30 lbs! (That's my ego talking there!) And 70 lbs is surprisingly heavy when I do my first set. I only feel it in my middle back from the lats inward, which is good. This says to me the exercise is isolated and not going to impact the sciatic nerves. 

Each set gets easier. I'm tempted to do more cardio or something else but I resist that little voice inside my head. Maybe tomorrow. I've been playing it by ear, listening to my body although sometimes it sounds like an excuse to be lazy. I do have a bunch of appointments later this week so my workout schedule is flexible. (I haven't seen the dentist in a year!) But it's hard to be satisfied with maintenance instead of making any sort of gains. 

5 April 2021
Brand New Monday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5 cool down
Program 3
HR 93, 195-148
Cal 320
Distance 2.87

Crunches x 20 x 6
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Mat stretch w Pigeon pose

Sneaky HGPU 16

EZ Seated Cable Rows
70lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

 

April Fools

It snowed a bit last night and it was unseasonably cold this morning. Fair enough since it was unseasonably warm last week. Spring weather is so fickle in the northeast, and lately, in general. This is the last day of Spring Break and my son has reverted to a nocturnal sleep cycle. Monday is going to be really difficult especially since we will be in school full-time. I'm toying with the idea of going to the gym at 7 am just to get the workout out of the way before I take dogs to the park. They do love the park regardless of the weather. Because they're dogs and galloping like horses is totally awesome. 

I get to the gym late and expect it to be crowded but it's not. The kids don't show up until after 2 pm. After doing the requisite cardio, I find that the gym owner and a trainer are measuring and affixing new Gold's Gym stickers to the floor of the Aerobics Room: six feet apart? At least a quarter of this county's population has been vaccinated. We have a lot of seniors and healthcare professionals, i.e., nurses living here so that's not surprising. 

I don't see vaccinations as an end to masking and social distancing though. Not with all the new variants floating about. I see vaccinations as just a way to put the odds in my favor that I won't die if I should somehow contract the damn virus. Because I have such a crappy immune system I've had shingles twice and I'm not old or "immunocompromised" and the two times I remember being horribly ill with the flu, they weren't the worst flu variants. 

So, I get an annual flu shot. I dose myself with black elderberry syrup every morning. I take zinc and vitamin D. Because I'd feel really stupid if I got sick and I hadn't taken reasonable precautions. And I try not to do stupid things. I might even get the shingles vaccine although that's on the back burner for now: it's annoying that protection only lasts for 3 years, the same as having had shingles. My three years are up so they could erupt again. Ugh. 

The Smith machine is available so I do Inclined Presses. The gym is filling up with skinny HS boys. I see a few regulars in the mix as well. I decide to end the session with some Rip Skulls but the 30 lb solid BB is being used by a lanky teen doing bench lunges. I grab the 20 and affix a pair of 2.5 lb magnetic disc weights to each side. Presto! It's now 30 lbs. I'm done for the week. At least it's not snowing. 

2 April 2021
Frigid Friday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5 cool down
Program 2
HR 92, 152-183
Cal 319
Distance 2.87

Crunches x 20 x 6
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 50
Mat stretch w Pigeon pose

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30 lbs) x 20
+20 x 20
+40 x 20
+50 x 12, 12, 15

Rip Skulls [20 + 4(2.5)]
30 lbs x 12, 12, 12

A Wonky Week

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. Today not so much. While pups had a few canine friends to frolic with yesterday, today there is no one at the park. But today I have time to go to the gym. Yesterday I drove my husband to his dermatology appointment to get a suspicious mole removed. They have such covid-fright that no one else is allowed in the waiting area and since this "surgery" might take a few hours, I'm advised to go home. I do and figure there's time for the Bark Park. 

We're only there for 20 minutes before I get a text telling me that everything is finished and done. Well, it's a 30-minute drive there so I give the pups a few more minutes of playtime before they have to go home because I'm not taking them to Connecticut. My husband has stitches that make his nose appear as if it's sewn onto his face. His nose is swollen but at least he's avoided the black eyes that sometimes accompany this procedure. I'm glad the surgery didn't take long as it means that there was very little spread of the basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer made memorable by President Ronald Reagan. 

I do a regular workout today. My sciatica still bothers me but it's not crippling. I spend a lot of time doing sciatic-relief stretches in the Aerobics Room. I sneak in a set of Hammer Grip Pull-Ups. When I return to the Free Weight area, I decide to do the one body part I've skipped for the past few weeks: shoulders. There's not a lot of people at the gym today, probably because school is out and people are on holiday. My son has reverted to the nocturnal teenage sleep cycle, so I imagine most of his friends have as well. 

Next week our school district returns to full-time in-person instruction and none of us are happy about it. Students will have to wear face masks AND clear plastic face shields. While teachers and other staff might be vaccinated, students will not have been. I'd be okay with a continuation of the hybrid model until more of the population is immunized. 

31 March 2021
Dreary Wednesday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5 cool down
Program 1
HR 106, 142-193
Cal 321
Distance 2.88

Crunches x 20 x 6
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 50
Mat stretch w Pigeon pose

Sneaky HGPU 17

DB raises supersets
lateral standing 15 lbs x 15 x 4
reverse inclined flys 15 lbs x 20 x 1
20lbs x 20 x 3