Posted onDecember 13, 2022|Comments Off on Not Starting My Week Off On The Best Note (or When It Rains It Pours)
I knew that yesterday was likely to be a rough day for me. I had been dealing with pain and nausea over the weekend and I knew it would only get worse as this week went on. And I know that my worst day for side effects from my injections has been either Monday or Tuesday since I started them. So I had mentally prepared myself for how I would deal with those things.
Getting prepared usually means making sure I have foods I can tolerate and won’t make me feel worse as well as starting to take medications as soon as I might have any symptoms to stay on top of things. I don’t like to medicate when I don’t need to, but when my nausea gets really bad I usually need to take something before it gets to that point in order for them to help. If I feel horrible and then take them, they usually just take the edge off of things. But if I’m smart and take them early, then I can sometimes make it so I don’t feel things too much. Or maybe I’m just getting used to feeling rotten so I’m getting better and tolerating things. But over the weekend, I wasn’t feeling too horrible so I didn’t think I needed to worry about taking medication just yet. But of course, I should have known better when I had that thought.
When I woke up yesterday, I was pretty nauseous and that was before I had done my injection. But what made things worse was the extra pain that I was in. We’ve had a bit of rain lately and I thought it was done by yesterday. But when I got up, it was pouring outside. I’m not great about checking the weather and I don’t watch the news that often, so I was definitely unprepared. I’m lucky that I don’t have to be outside too much. And yesterday I only had to drive to go to my workout. But the bigger issue for me with the rain is how much pain I’m in during that type of weather.
My hip always does horribly in the rain or when the pressure in the air is different. I know this is something that a lot of people deal with. Typically, I think people who have broken a bone have this issue. For me, my hip surgery shaved off the top of a bone, so the way it healed was very similar to what a broken bone does. I’m guessing that’s why I have this issue. It’s not something that any doctor has been able to confirm with me, but it’s common enough that I feel certain that I’ve figured out why. But just because I figured out why doesn’t mean I know how to make it better. And often when I have this weather-related pain, it’s not helped by painkillers.
So yesterday was a triple-issue day for me. And that just made the day pretty miserable for the entire day. I did whatever I could to try to feel better, but things just weren’t helping. I hate when I feel so uncomfortable in my body and there’s nothing I can really do. I’m just lucky I work from home and can move around while I’m working. So if things feel better if I’m sitting on the ground, I do that. If I feel better laying in bed, I bring my laptop into my room and I can work just fine from bed. Ideally, I’m working at my desk, but that’s not always the best option for me to be productive.
I’m hoping this was just a one-day thing for me. I know the weather is getting better, so I won’t have to deal with the extra hip pain. And having that not affecting me will take the edge off of things a bit. But I know the pain and nausea are likely to get worse during the week and I have no idea what my side effects will do. So I just have to wait and see what happens and try to manage whatever issues come up as I figure it out. But even though the rest of the week could be worse, this really was an annoying way to start my week when I was expecting things to be rough but not this rough.
Posted onDecember 12, 2022|Comments Off on A Week Of New Workout Challenges (or Almost Earning My Swag)
This past week, all the workouts were a part of the 12 Days Of Fitness. Like I said before, these typically are harder than normal workouts but they aren’t quite as bad as Hell Week is. I had the added challenge of not always feeling so great, so I think that made it feel a bit more like Hell Week to me. But as always, I tried to find a good balance between pushing myself in a challenge and going easy on myself when I needed to.
Monday’s workout was one of my better ones since I work out before doing my injection. So I’m not feeling really any side effects going into class, which I like as a way to kick off my week when I know that I might be struggling later in the week.
For cardio, we had 3 blocks. The first and third blocks were the same with 1-minute intervals between a base pace with an incline and a base pace without an incline. And in the second block, we had a 2-minute decreasing hill where the incline/resistance level went down every 30 seconds and we ended with an all-out. The resistance levels weren’t too high, so it was a good challenge but nothing that I struggled with too much.
On the rower, we started with 3 rounds of a 100-meter row. After each of those 3 rows, we could rest as long as we needed to in order to feel like we could match or beat our time the next time. After doing 3 rounds, we got off of the rowers and did lunges. Then we repeated that pattern with rounds of a 150-meter row and 200-meter row before working our way back down. The goal was to get back to the rounds of the 100-meter row, but I didn’t quite make it to that.
And on the floor, we had 3 blocks. The first and third blocks were the same and started with kneeling squats to jumps, which I had to do as regular squats with calf raises. We also had pull-ups on the straps and tricep push-ups. The push-ups decreased in reps each time and the goal in the block was to get as far down as possible. I did get further through it in the third block than I did in the first since I was used to what we had to do. And the second block had close-grip chest presses and pullovers.
On Tuesday, I was really feeling the side effects so I just had to do what I could. It was weird with the side effects this time because the nausea was different from what I had experienced before. But I just took breaks when I needed to so I didn’t make myself feel worse.
For cardio, we had 2 blocks that both had 6-minute distance challenges. But in the first block, we were supposed to increase our speed every 75 seconds for 15 seconds. And in the second block, we were supposed to increase our speed every 45 seconds for 15 seconds. For those increases, I took it between my push and all-out resistance levels and kept it around my push level for the rest of it. Since I needed to take breaks, it wasn’t like I spent all 6 minutes at my push pace which helped.
On the rower, the first block matched cardio. I did need to take more breaks than I would have liked during that, but rowing for 6 minutes is tough even when I’m feeling ok. In the second block, we had stroke drills for 15 strokes each time. I did much better with those since I was able to get through them quickly and take a break between each one.
The floor was one long block that had 2 mini-blocks in it. In the first mini-block, we started with hammer curls for 6 reps and then repeated it for as many reps as possible. We also had seated torso rotations. In the second mini-block, we repeated that pattern with doing deadlifts twice and then upright rows.
I was feeling a little better on Wednesday, but I was still dealing with nausea. But I was glad I could at least do a little bit more than I did on Tuesday.
The first cardio block had rounds of a 90-second push pace and a 30-second base pace. And the second block had rounds of a 2-minute push pace with a 30-second recovery. We didn’t have an all-out at the end of either block which was unusual for our cardio blocks, but I didn’t mind it. I was able to do something closer to my normal push pace because of the recovery and the lack of the all-out which was nice.
For the rower, the first block was all about 90-second crew rows where we were partnered with one or two people and we had to stay together while rowing. I was in a group of 3 and we each took a turn being the leader. The second block started with crew rows again but they were for 30 seconds each which was much easier to match the other people in my group.
On the floor, we had 2 blocks. The first block had step-ups and plank steps. I lowered the bench so I was able to do the step-ups, but I did have a few balance issues so I had to go very slowly. But I’m always happy when I try to do the step-ups since they weren’t something I could do for a long tie. In the second block, we were timed for the entire thing with 30 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. We had cleans with weights, alligators on the straps, and plank toe taps. 30 seconds doesn’t seem like it’s that long, but after a few rounds, it feels so much longer.
I was almost done dealing with side effects on Thursday, which gives me hope that maybe I’ll be doing better each week and won’t be affected as long going forward. I still had some moments when I had nausea hit me hard, but since I’m starting to deal with nausea anyway I wasn’t sure which thing was causing it. But it doesn’t matter since I manage it the same either way.
For cardio, we had 2 blocks. The first block was 5 minutes long and everyone on the treadmills was power walkers. Every 30 seconds, they had to increase the incline by 1% so they got very high up in the incline. For the bike, every minute I was supposed to increase the resistance level. But I didn’t hear that instruction at first so I did it every 30 seconds a few times and then I did it every minute. But I got very high up in the resistance levels so I was barely moving by the end of the block. In the second block, we had rounds of a 30-second all-out and then a walking recovery. The recoveries started at 30 seconds and increased by 15 seconds each time so at the end, we had a 90-second recovery before the last all-out. I tried to pedal harder and faster each time since we had more recovery time, but there is a limit to how fast my legs will move.
On the rower, the first block was just rounds of 150-meter rows and we rested as long as we needed to each time. In the second block, we had 100-meter rows and after each row, we had tricep extensions with a medicine ball. I was really pushing myself hard on the rower and I finally got below 20 seconds for my 100-meter row! It wasn’t a PR, but I can’t remember the last time I had been below 20 seconds.
On the floor, the first block was interesting. We had a few different exercises but between each one, we were supposed to have bench hop overs. I did these as lateral lunges instead. Between the rounds of the hop overs, we had lunges, bicep curls, front squats, and shoulder presses. And in the second block, we were supposed to put these exercises into a single movement. We started with plank knee drives and we were supposed to do a lunge to a bicep curl to a squat to a shoulder press. I can’t hold weights while doing lunges, so I did the lunges separately and then the rest as a single movement. And we had a 30-second finisher doing any of the exercises we wanted to do and I picked bicep curls.
Even though these workouts were more challenging than normal, I really enjoyed the challenge we had each day. I didn’t always do what I wanted to be able to do, but I had to work around my other issues and I think I did the best I could do. And this week, this challenge ends and I will be getting my swag for it! And I think knowing I will earn awesome swag will help me get through whatever side effects and other nausea I have to get through this week.
Posted onDecember 9, 2022|Comments Off on This Month Feels Like It’s Already Done (or I’m Not Going To Get All The Things Done)
I know that December just started, but at the same time, it feels like it’s almost done. I had a lot of things that I wanted to get accomplished this month and I’m already starting to wonder if I’ll have the time to get them done. I’m sure I’m overreacting and I’ll be able to get things done, but since some are time sensitive I know that I probably will have to accept that some things will either need to be done later than normal or just not done at all.
I think part of the problem for me has been that I haven’t been feeling well except for a few days. This is mainly due to the side effects of my medication, but I do think it’s getting better. I’m still having a lot of side effects most of the week, but at least this week it seems like the end of the week is better than it was last week. It could just be in my imagination, but I’m trying to believe that I’m going to not have to deal with side effects as long as some people have. I know it will still affect part of my week each week for a while, but if things do get better that will help me to find some more free time to get things done.
I also have an unexpectedly crazy week with work next week. I can’t get into too many details, but I’m helping to cover some work that needs to be done that normally isn’t a part of my tasks. And this work will require extra hours and potentially working at odd hours. I am going to be paid more because this will require me to work more hours than I do right now, but I know that the limited free time I have now will be even more limited next week and possibly the week after. Fortunately, this will be a one-time thing, so I won’t have to worry about this being a part of my regular life.
And with the holidays coming up, I feel like that limits when things can be done because I have to work around things being closed on days that I would typically go to do them. Also, some of the things I want to get done are connected to the holidays and I don’t want to send things to people late. I have had something I needed to mail for 2 weeks and I just haven’t had the free time during the hours the post office is open to go and do it. I’m hoping I can find some time this weekend after work, but it depends on how crazy things get since the post office has limited Saturday hours.
I have a feeling that the week between Christmas and New Year’s will feel like it’s not as fast since it’s always a weird week. But if I want to do things like get holiday cards out, I try to do them before the holidays start. But this year, I think that’s going to have to be something that is late since I haven’t even started to design the postcards that I want to send out. I know it’s not a big deal if they are mailed in January versus December, but I really thought until this week that I had plenty of time to get it done, and then I realized that I really don’t.
I don’t want to end this year feeling stressed about getting everything done, so I’m really going to work on prioritizing things and seeing what I feel better about putting off a bit longer. And I might end up surprising myself and actually getting more done than I expected. I have 3 weeks left this month and I know that means that so much can happen and change. But at the same time, I do need to recognize that the last 3 weeks have potential issues with me being able to do everything that I planned and I want to be prepared for that so I’m not disappointed if that ends up being my reality.
Posted onDecember 8, 2022|Comments Off on 2 Years In (or Still Grateful For My Job)
Yesterday was my 2-year anniversary at my job. Just like everything else in life lately, it seems like it hasn’t been that long but at the same time, it seems like I’ve been at this job for longer. And it’s been a pretty crazy journey so far.
Before the pandemic, I had been saying for a while that I should look for a new job. I was doing ok with the work that I had at the time, but I also knew that I wasn’t making enough and I was going to continue to have financial issues if I didn’t make a change. But I also know I wasn’t motivated because I was comfortable in the situation I was in. But then the pandemic hit and my hours started to decrease until I was officially out of work in August 2020. I had already applied for unemployment, so I knew that could hold me over for a while since unemployment was paying more than normal. But I also knew I couldn’t just wait and see and I had to be productive in finding something else.
I spent a few months applying for jobs every day, but everyone was doing that so I wasn’t getting any interviews. And I also didn’t want to find a job where I had to go into an office so that limited my search even more. But I kept applying and hoping for the best. I also would occasionally post on social media that I was looking for a job in case someone knew of something. And eventually, my friend responded saying there was an opening at the company he worked for. I interviewed with him and the person who would be my manager, and I really felt good about how things went. And a few days after that interview, I had my first day.
When I started at my job, I was hired to do customer service work part-time as well as another side project part-time. I actually didn’t know I had gotten the job on my first day. I was told to join in for the all-team call so I could meet everyone, and after that call, I got a call from the CEO offering me the job. I didn’t want to assume that I had gotten the job after my interview, but I felt really good about my chances. And I’m glad that I was right.
For a while, I worked those two part-time positions until I realized that I could only really devote time to the customer service one. And a few months after I started, I was offered my old job back. I made it work by doing the new job in the morning and the old job for the hours after. It worked out really well and I felt like I was really back to what I had before everything shut down.
After about 8 months at my new job, I was offered the opportunity to go full-time. I let them know about the other job, and they were ok with me essentially doing both for those few limited hours a week because my old job only needed my attention when we had customer calls. I was so grateful I was able to make that work, and I was doing full-time customer service at one job and then part-time customer service at the other.
I’ve been doing both jobs ever since, and it’s never been an issue for either job (and both jobs are very aware of what is happening). So my hours have been steady ever since I went full-time. But my job title and responsibilities have shifted a lot.
After doing customer service at my new job for a few months, I noticed things that either didn’t make sense or seem efficient to me. I’m very lucky that whenever I brought up an idea like that, they were heard and often acted upon. But by doing that, I think my job realized that I had some skill sets that weren’t being used while doing customer service. They had to hire additional customer service employees as our client base grew, and I started to transition more away from what I had been doing. And eventually, I stopped doing direct work with our clients and only focused on doing administrative work as well as helping to design work systems and procedures.
This is very different from a lot of day jobs I’ve had before. I have mainly done customer service work, and even though I’m still doing work that could be considered under the customer service umbrella, I’m really doing a lot more with my skills and abilities than I have been able to do before. It is still a day job, but it’s a job where I actually see my work making changes besides just answering customer questions. I have different projects that I work on and even though some of them can be challenging, it’s so much better than being bored. At my old job, I spent so many days just reading or watching videos online waiting for someone to call in. Now, I’m usually pretty busy most of the time doing a variety of things.
And yes, I’m making more money than I did before. This isn’t the most important thing, but it’s a big deal to not have to be stressed about money the same way I used to. I still have to budget and save, but I’m not feeling like my bank account is getting dangerously low anymore. I can pay my bills and not worry about how much is in my account. Not having that sort of stress on my mind anymore has been so great for my life.
In the past two years, I have been able to really grow into my job and find my place within this company. That’s something I’ve never been able to do before and now I understand why I felt so stuck in jobs before. I’m so lucky that I get to work with some awesome people and that everyone seems to enjoy their work and have fun. And I know that I was so lucky to get a job when so many others were in the same spot as me and there was a lot of competition for every single job opening. But I feel like this was the way it was meant to happen. I wasn’t supposed to find another job sooner because it wouldn’t have been this job. And I was the one meant for this job because I have been able to go from working in customer service to being a senior staff member helping to make the company better. Things fell into place the way they were supposed to. And all of this has been in just 2 years, so I can’t wait to see what will come next.
Posted onDecember 7, 2022|Comments Off on Another Virtual Union Meeting (Hearing What’s Happening With The LA Local)
I think union meetings will continue to be virtual meetings for a while, but I’m glad that they are starting to pick up a bit more recently. I know there are still a lot of union meetings that won’t be done virtually where everyone can attend the way that they could attend in person, but I also know that the union is trying hard to make it possible for as many people as possible to participate in different events.
A big union meeting I used to attend in person was the LA Local Membership meeting. I loved this meeting because it was almost like going to the National Convention. You would see so many members that you usually didn’t get to see. And it always felt like a bit of a reunion or party because everyone was excited to see each other. I also loved the expo that they had at the meeting because I always seemed to learn about a new program or part of the union that I didn’t know before.
As much as I wished they could have made this meeting an in-person event, I understand why they can’t. Especially right now with the cases on the rise again, it’s just not smart to have a big event. And there are advantages to having a virtual event compared to something in-person. I like being able to be a bit more comfortable while listening to a long event. I could walk around, get a snack, and do other things than just sitting while being a part of the meeting. Also, during the Q&A section, it was much easier to raise a hand through Zoom than to stand in line for a microphone.
I don’t know how much I’m allowed to share about what was discussed in the meeting, but I know I can talk about some general terms. It was run and hosted by the LA Local leadership and the main person who was running the meeting was the LA Local President. Different officers and staff members took turns sharing their updates about what has been going on with different aspects of the union or the industry. For example, there was discussion about different committees that are having events coming up or how certain things are returning to in-person events. I’m hoping that the local board meetings return to either in-person again or they have the ability to be an observer in a virtual meeting because I miss the opportunity to do that. But there are other things coming up that I might try to sign up for since I feel like I haven’t had a chance to do much over the past few years.
During the Q&A, I was lucky to be one of the earlier members who could ask a question since the virtual line for it got pretty long. My question was about something that was brought up during the meeting and I wanted some clarification about it (I know I am being vague, but that’s how it has to be until things are officially announced). But a lot of other members brought up questions regarding keeping sets safe. That’s been a huge concern since the beginning of the pandemic. For a lot of people on set, they can keep a mask on while working or try to be spread out a bit more. But for actors, unless the show has a storyline where the characters are wearing masks, we have to be without a mask on set. There were different sides to the argument about how we’ve been doing with keeping actors safe brought up in the Q&A. I know some people feel like we need to do more and some people feel like we have been doing too much. But also, a lot of the guidelines that have been created aren’t just with our union but with other unions that are on set as well. We can’t make major changes on our own, but I know that the agreement with the various unions is going to be discussed and figured out again soon, so we should have some updates on what the plan is.
The meeting was only supposed to be about 3 hours long, but it went a bit longer than 4 hours to allow for all the members who wanted to ask a question to do so. I know that having a meeting run long can be frustrating, but I was just glad that everyone had their chance since that’s not something that always gets to happen with in-person events when we might have to be out of a room by a certain time. And I’m glad I stayed through the entire meeting so I could hear what my fellow members wanted to bring up. I know that it will be election season again soon before we know it and this will help me to know what concerns are the priority for members.
Because things aren’t fully back yet, I’m not sure what my next union meeting will be. It might be another communications committee meeting or maybe there will be a way for me to be an observer at a local board meeting. But I just know that I’m really trying my best to stay involved when I can and I’m glad I had the opportunity to be a part of the LA Local Membership meeting again.
Posted onDecember 6, 2022|Comments Off on Finding Fun In Regular Errands (or Having A Friend Tag Along Makes Things More Interesting)
I saw something on social media a few months ago about how someone was going to start suggesting doing mundane errands with friends as hangouts instead of going to do something like get dinner or drinks. I didn’t think too much about it at the time. Still, I did remember seeing how many people commented about being single and missing the companionship of a significant other when doing things like grocery shopping and how they used to feel more like outings than errands. Because I usually do my errands at random times or without much planning ahead of time, I didn’t think about trying to do something like that.
But a friend of mine had mentioned wanting to go to Costco and they didn’t have a Costco card. I have one and I go every few months or so. I don’t usually get food items at Costco unless I’m getting something special, but I like to see what other goods they have there. I have gotten a lot of random and cool things for my place like storage baskets, dishes, and kitchen gadgets. So I made sure that I let my friend know when I was planning on going to Costco again so they could come with me.
We ended up going this past weekend after I was done with work, and I have to admit that the idea on social media about having friends come to do errands was right. It was one of the more fun times I’ve gone to Costco. I had a few things on my list, but I usually also make a loop through the store to see if there is anything else that I like because there are always new items in stock. I normally go through the store the same way each time, just because it makes sense for me to go in that order. And my friend and I were just having fun looking at all the random stuff we kept finding.
I was showing them some things that I had purchased before, like my new dishes since they were still selling those. And in the cookware area, we saw they were selling a set of dutch ovens for a pretty good price. I did need a dutch oven, but I didn’t need two. So my friend suggested we buy the set and we could each take one. That was perfect and I never would have been able to do that if I had gone shopping alone. We also ended up splitting up some food things that we saw since neither of us needed the full amount and things had individual servings.
And it was nice to have someone to show things I was looking at and get a second opinion. There was a blanket I had seen online that I thought would be nice for my couch, and I was able to show them and they helped me decide what color would be best. When I saw something I wasn’t expecting to find, like some really nice fleece PJs, they also could give an opinion on the impulse purchases.
And since they hadn’t been to Costco before, it was fun showing them around and having them be excited about what we found. We found a really cool Harry Potter cookbook in the book section and a Lego advent calendar in the holiday section. Both of those were things they wouldn’t have found at other stores but they were perfect things to get on their shopping outing with me.
Even though I was going through the store with a friend, I wasn’t there much longer than when I go alone. I think that normally, I spend a lot of time looking at stuff and trying to decide if I want them since I don’t have a friend there as a sounding board. So the extra time we spend having fun was balanced with the time I saved not having to make decisions on my own. And it was seriously so much more fun than when I go alone.
I know that I can’t do this with all my boring errands since I can’t plan when I might have to do them, but it did remind me that I could spend time with my friends doing things that don’t feel as extravagant. And that there are ways to have more fun with the things I have to do when I have the opportunity. And I think unless going to Costco in the future is a spur-of-the-moment decision, I’m going to keep trying to find friends to go with me to make it more of an adventure than an errand.
Posted onDecember 5, 2022|Comments Off on A Tough Week And A New Challenge (or Starting Off The Last Month Of Workouts For 2022)
This past week of workouts was another mixed bag. I was feeling much better at the start of the week, but then I dealt with the side effects of my medication for the rest of the week which really affected me more than I expected. But I ended the week starting a new workout challenge and I think that really motivated me to keep going.
Monday was the day I was feeling my best. I don’t take my medication until after my workout, so I wasn’t dealing with any side effects at that point. I was a bit off because I was nervous about doing my shot again, but that’s not that bad compared to how I can feel from other issues.
For cardio, we had 2 blocks. Both blocks had the same things, but the second block reversed the order. In the first block, we started with a 4-minute distance challenge followed by a 1-minute recovery. Then we had 30-second intervals of a base, push, and all-out. The second block started with the 30-second intervals and ended with the 4-minute challenge.
On the rower, we had similar blocks to cardio. The first block started with a 4-minute crew row where we had to match the speed and cadence of everyone else on the rower and then ended that block with the 30-second intervals. And in the second block, we reversed the order so we ended with the crew row. I don’t love crew rows, but I tried my best to keep up with everyone.
And on the floor, we had one block. We had shoulder presses, single-leg deadlifts, bicep curls, and bird dogs. Nothing was too crazy on the floor, so I was able to go a bit heavier than normal and also focus on my form which was nice compared to trying to get everything in.
Tuesday was probably the worst day for me with side effects, so I just tried to manage it the same way I manage nausea. However, I also had to deal with some lightheadedness, so that was a bit more of a challenge. But just like I’ve been doing before, I just took breaks when I needed to.
For cardio, we had 2 blocks. Both blocks had push paces with inclines followed by recoveries. In the first block, we had 45-second push paces and 1-minute recoveries and in the second block we had 1-minute push paces and 45-second recoveries. And the incline/resistance levels were higher in the first block than in the second. This wasn’t too bad for me since there was always recovery coming up, but I did have some moments when I was really feeling off.
The rower matched up with cardio. So in the first block we had 45-second of work and 1-minute of recovery and in the second block we had 1-minute of work and 45-seconds of recovery. And the goal was to try to get at least the same distance each time within a block and not start off strong and then get too tired. I’m glad that I was pretty consistent with my distances each time.
On the floor, we focused on cluster sets so we did 12-16 reps of an exercise, took 10 seconds to rest, and then did the exercise again as many times as possible. In the first block the cluster sets were with chest presses and in the second block they were with squats. And after doing 2 rounds of the cluster sets, we had sit-ups and plank reaches for the rest of the block. It was a little tough to do the chest presses because I was feeling weak, but I just did what I could each time.
I was feeling a bit more like myself by Wednesday, but I still had to take it a bit easy from time to time.
For cardio, we had the same block each time with the goal to try to go a bit faster each block. We had 1-minute intervals with a base to push pace, a push pace, a push pace to all-out, and an all-out. I used the same resistance levels each time, but I did try my best to pedal faster each block. I wasn’t always successful, but at least I tried.
On the rower, we did the same block each time and it was a real challenge for me. For each 1-minute interval, we had an exercise with a medicine ball first and then finished the minute with rowing until we had to get up again. But because getting on and off the rower takes time for me, I really didn’t have much rowing time. I did modify the exercises and did them over the rower so I didn’t have to do much more than just unstrap and stand up. In the first block, we had front presses before each row. In the second block, we had squat to presses before each row. And in the last block, we had front presses to overhead presses before each block.
On the floor, the first two blocks had 2 exercises for each block for the first 3 minutes and then a variation on a burpee for the last minute. I did regular burpees using the bench for each block since I couldn’t do the different variations. And the exercises we had were upper cuts and deadlifts for the first block and chest presses and goblet squats for the second block. And in the last block, we had all 4 exercises.
And on Thursday, it was the first day of the 12 Days of Fitness. This is a challenge that requires attending a specific number of classes in order to win swag. It’s similar to Hell Week, but the workouts aren’t quite as hard. This year, we have to make it to 6 classes in the first 12 days of the month to win socks and shoelaces. And since I will do that just having my regular schedule, I knew I needed to sign up.
For cardio, we started with a 2-minute push pace followed by a 1-minute recovery. Then we had a 90-second push pace to all-out followed by a 1-minute recovery. And then we had a 1-minute all-out to end that block. And we repeated that again for the second block.
On the rower, we started with 3 rounds of a 200-meter row. Between each row, we could recovery as long as we needed. After completing all 3 rows, we had squats to shoulder presses with a medicine ball before doing 3 rounds of a 150-meter row. We did the exercises again and then had 3 rounds of a 100-meter row. I was feeling better on the rower so I challenged myself to try to improve each round and I was able to do that!
And on the floor, we had 1 block with 3 mini-blocks. And we did each mini-block twice before moving on. We had low rows with weights and tricep extensions on the straps, lunges and rollouts on the straps, and shoulder presses and lateral leg lifts with the straps. I don’t know why I ended up going so slowly, but I never made it to the last exercise in the last mini-block. But I do know I was doing heavy weights so that might have been it.
I’m glad I ended my week on a good note. This pattern might repeat this week with taking my next injection after my workout on Monday. But maybe my body will be more used to it so it won’t be as bad. I’ll just have to wait and see. But at least I’ll get more of my workouts done for 12 Days of Fitness so I can make sure I earn my swag!
Posted onDecember 2, 2022|Comments Off on Back To A Medication Routine (or Getting Some More Side Effects)
A few weeks ago, I discovered that one of the medications that I’m taking is having a shortage and I was unable to get a refill for it. I waited until I was late for taking that medication and then I emailed my doctor to see what she would like me to do. I was given a few options by the pharmacist, but the one that my doctor felt would be best for me would be to increase my dosage early since the higher dosage was available.
I was ok with this plan since I had been doing ok with the injections so far. I have had some side effects, but none of them were too bad or unmanageable. Normally, you have about 10 weeks of smaller doses before getting to the therapeutic dosage to get used to how you might feel. I had the first 4 weeks of the first step, but only 2 weeks of the second step before I couldn’t get a refill. So I skipped 4 weeks of the second step because the injection pen I was able to get could not do that lower dose.
Because of this shortage, it’s unknown if I’ll run into an issue getting an injection pen again, but hopefully, that shortage will be resolved soon. And I know that some people take this medication for much more serious reasons than I do, and they need these. While I want to take something that has been helping me, I can wait if I have to. But I’m glad that I had the option to increase my dosage early so I didn’t have to wait too long.
I’ve read online that the medication stays in your body for a few weeks, so I shouldn’t have felt a difference after missing a week. But I think because I was on a low dose that isn’t really supposed to work (mainly you do those to get used to the side effects), I did notice a difference from a week off. I also have noticed a difference from day to day and always felt like it worked more right after the injection and it faded away through the week. So I was glad I was able to start back up again after missing just one week.
I had prepared myself for having side effects again because I had the week off and because I was going to be taking a much higher dose. Technically, this was going to be double what I was taking before and 4 times what I started with, so it was a big difference. And I probably should have expected the side effects to increase more because that’s exactly what happened.
Some of the side effects were things that should happen because the side effects are what help me. But they were a bit more extreme than they were on the lower doses. Eating on Monday and Tuesday was very difficult for me. I was having a different type of nausea than I’m used to. This was a weird, uneasy, and queasy feeling. I felt really unsettled and couldn’t figure out how to feel better. So I just tried to be gentle on myself and I’m glad that toward the end of the week that feeling was starting to go away.
I also continued to have issues with low blood sugar and feeling lightheaded. This was to be expected and I’m still figuring out the best ways to manage those feelings. The biggest one that has helped has been to make sure I eat something before my workout. I still am having chocolate milk before working out since I don’t want real food in my stomach, but having something with some protein and calories has made a big difference. I also have been having some moments when I feel shaky, which I dealt with before, but it’s a bit more frequent now.
All of these side effects could be things that only happen for a few weeks before my body gets used to this medication. If it’s something that starts to affect my life, then I can discuss with my doctor what the best plan is moving forward. But I am still seeing positive effects from this injection, even just being back on it for this week. And I’m glad that I was able to get my prescription filled when there was a chance I could have to wait a few months to get it again. And now I have another 3 weeks of taking it before I have to see if I can get a refill again.
Posted onDecember 1, 2022|Comments Off on Getting Ready For The New Year (or Trying To Set Myself Up For Good Things)
Happy December! Again, I feel like last month flew by. I don’t know how November is over when it feels like it was just Halloween. Maybe doing Fake Thanksgiving threw things off a bit for me? But it still feels like November was a month that wasn’t there. And I’m ready to have one last monthly challenge for 2022.
For November, I challenged myself to be more efficient and to be more open to asking for help. When I set that challenge, I really thought it would be more about my work than about my personal life. And of course, I didn’t have too many things going on with work that would have required help or that were different from what I had done before. But I did try to be more efficient in my workflow each day. I tried to do some planning with which tasks need to be done immediately and which tasks could wait so I could do them in batches. And I think I’ve gotten off to a good start with this because I have noticed that I’m not struggling as much to get through my work each day.
But I did have the chance to ask for help with a non-work thing. I’m pretty short and sometimes things at the grocery store are either on the tallest shelves or they are at the back of the shelf so I can’t reach them. I’m used to standing on the lowest shelves to reach things because they normally aren’t that out of my reach. But a few weeks ago, I couldn’t reach something I wanted and instead of climbing to reach it, I asked someone who was also in that aisle to help me. I don’t love asking for help because I feel like I need to prove to myself that I can do things on my own. But it was nice not having to worry about my balance or struggling to grab the things I wanted. And the person who helped me didn’t seem to be too bothered to help and they even asked if there was anything else on that aisle I couldn’t reach. I still think that I won’t always ask for help because I can usually do things on my own, but it was a good reminder that it’s not a huge task to ask for help.
And for my December challenge, I want to do things that will help me make 2023 another successful year. I have some things on my list that I haven’t done since the move that I need to stop putting off. I want to start next year off feeling organized and settled. I also want to get things ready like my new planner so I need to spend time planning out my goals for the year and maybe also making a list of potential monthly challenges. And I want to do some of the usual things people do when getting ready for a new year like going through my clothes again to see what I don’t need and making sure that I don’t have any expired food (I recently found expired spices so I’ve been working on going through those). I know everything won’t be perfect, but I know it will be nice to kick off a new year feeling like I have a clean slate and I’m ready for whatever the year will bring.
I have a feeling that December is going to fly by faster than other months this year and I don’t want the end of the year to be here before I’m ready for it! So hopefully what I can accomplish this month will really help me get set up and I can start 2023 feeling ready for whatever the year will bring my way!
Posted onNovember 30, 2022|Comments Off on “Mindplay” (or An Evening Of Mental Magic)
Between being a season ticket holder at the Pantages and being on mailing lists for other theaters, I find out about a lot of shows that are going on around LA. I don’t see as many shows as I should, and I tend to get tickets for things that aren’t exactly normal plays or musicals outside of my season tickets. For example, I saw the virtual show “Inside The Box” and then went to the in-person show “The Enigmatist”, both of which were puzzle-type shows. But those shows were so fun because I had no idea what I was in for and I loved how they were set up with a storyline to go through the various games and tricks.
So when I got an email about the show “Mindplay” and read that it was a one-man show with a mentalist, I knew it would be an amazing show to check out. I know being a mentalist and being a magician isn’t exactly the same, but they have similar elements so I felt certain that I would enjoy the show. And even better than getting the email about the show, they were offering a discount on tickets, so my friend Jane and I were able to get incredible seats for the same price as the cheapest seats (although the theater is small so I think all seats would be amazing).
The show was created and performed by Vinny DePonto, and the theme and storyline throughout the evening was about memories and mental manipulation. There was a lot of story about how we keep memories and how things like dementia can make us forget our memories and then sometimes they can resurface. I loved that storyline and message because that’s something I witnessed through my grandma. In the last few years of her life, she had moments of clarity where she was able to share memories with us that none of us had heard before. And those moments were really special to me because I was able to see the person that I remembered from my childhood.
I don’t want to give away a lot about the show because I think it was so good and everyone should check it out. And I think the less you know about the show, the better. But I can share that there is a lot of audience participation (I wasn’t called on so I just watched) and that there are lots of mind-reading moments. The way he was able to find out information had me speechless. None of these moments felt like a gimmick or a trick. They were seamless within the story and felt like this was a normal experience we were watching and not something special and incredible. I think that made it even better!
It wasn’t a long show and there isn’t an intermission, so the evening flew by. I wish it was longer because I was enjoying it so much. And I know that Jane felt the same way as we kept saying after the show was done that we had no idea how he could do the things he did but that it was so much fun to watch everyone in the room in awe the same way that we were. And there was a surprise at the end of the show (that I won’t spoil) that was just the best way to end the night!
After the show was done, we had a quick chance to meet Vinny and I let him know how much I enjoyed the evening.
Even though this show wasn’t about puzzles like the other ones I had seen recently, it had a lot of the same elements with mystery and improvisation. I would love to see another show that he does because it really was the perfect thing to watch that combined my love of shows and my nerdy side that enjoys puzzles and magic.
I know I’m so lucky that there are a lot of opportunities to see shows like this very close to my house. I know I won’t see every show that I’m told about because I do have to be a bit selective with my time and money, but I’m so glad that this was a show that I had the chance to see because I had the best time and got to have an evening that felt like I was witnessing something magical.