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Since I did the Ironman back in 2010 I've struggled to figure out what the heck I want to do, exercise wise. I didn't have a good plan for post-race recovery for the body, and the intensity of it was also very limiting socially, so I just sort of fell apart. Fast forward to 2021 post-marriage, post-move-to-the-suburbs, post-several-exercise-related-injuries and I've been struggling to get back into an exercise routine that doesn't involve injuring myself. I've gotten much better at mobility work to keep everything in better moving shape, but little nagging injuries seem to bother me much more than in the past. Yay aging. Running and jumping rope have been most recently on the menu, and I enjoy both for different reasons. Adding some bodyweight exercise to the mix as well for some strength building, with the result that this week I am just sore. A new Hypervolt II I picked up about a month ago on sale is definitely helping, as is making sure I move more, but man, if you're not used to using your arms a lot for exercise (as I am not - legs are great, given my exercise history; arms, not so much), starting up can be rough. But, sticking with it, because I know it will fade.
Mobilizations & What Not
Jun. 9th, 2022 10:25 pmDoing a two-week squat mobilization challenge with the Ready State, and I'm actually keeping up with it this time. It helps that a bunch of the early stuff has been things I already do on a daily basis now (27 squats, hip warm up, couch stretch). My squat technique isn't bad, but we can always improve, no?
Jumping rope is going okay. Almost done with the beginner course (for the second time; thank you injures last year), have scoped out more reasonable workouts after that's done in the next few days. Haven't run because I wanted to get up to speed on jumping first, but definitely still want to run as part of my normal fitness routine. It's just so much of how I see myself and think about my fitness, that not to be able to run for a good distance just seems wrong.
Finally started the books I got from the library, after picking up a little book light from Amazon. I do a lot of my reading in bed at night, and I go to bed after the husband is, so I'm used to reading on my Kindle with the screen on dark mode so as not to wake him (and the bedside lamp wouldn't work). So far so good on the light, using it on the amber mode on the dimmest setting (which is still brighter than the kindle).
Got rid of one work headache, now onto another. Whee. Still haven't caught up on email from being out the week before last because last week had an insane amount of new shit tossed my way. I know we're not doing it any time soon, but we cannot hire another attorney in my area fast enough.
Jumping rope is going okay. Almost done with the beginner course (for the second time; thank you injures last year), have scoped out more reasonable workouts after that's done in the next few days. Haven't run because I wanted to get up to speed on jumping first, but definitely still want to run as part of my normal fitness routine. It's just so much of how I see myself and think about my fitness, that not to be able to run for a good distance just seems wrong.
Finally started the books I got from the library, after picking up a little book light from Amazon. I do a lot of my reading in bed at night, and I go to bed after the husband is, so I'm used to reading on my Kindle with the screen on dark mode so as not to wake him (and the bedside lamp wouldn't work). So far so good on the light, using it on the amber mode on the dimmest setting (which is still brighter than the kindle).
Got rid of one work headache, now onto another. Whee. Still haven't caught up on email from being out the week before last because last week had an insane amount of new shit tossed my way. I know we're not doing it any time soon, but we cannot hire another attorney in my area fast enough.
Running away
Apr. 8th, 2022 08:55 pmThe running, with the 2/4 run/walk ratio for half an hour (plus 5ish minutes walking on either side), is going well. I did just pop in a Ready State video to scrub and roll my shins and calves, though, as those are definitely tight from the new activity. One more day tomorrow at 2/4, then it's on to 3/3 next week.
Back again?
Apr. 3rd, 2022 05:04 pmWent on a run/walk this afternoon, for the first time since last June. I had been dealing with some achilles & turf toe issues (both on the same foot!), and after 'resting' them for what seemed like forever, I finally got more aggressive about treating both a month or so ago. Gua sha, voodoo flossing, lots of stretching and manipulation, basically, which seems to have helped a hell of a lot more than 'rest' did. I started walking after lunch the last two weeks, prepping myself to move for half an hour after the long down time. And yesterday did a couple pick up running bits to se how it felt. Felt fine, so this afternoon I geared up and did 30 minutes of 2 minutes running, 4 minutes walking, with a 5 minute warm up and cool down walk at either end. And so far the foot is tolerating it just fine. Thank heavens.
Aside from the delightful news this morning that the local football team has a new name (Go Commies!), it was a fairly quiet and productive day. The gut stayed calm, I got several things done off my work to-do list, and it was just generally more pleasant. Thank you random day off yesterday.
Starting to be a bit more aggressive at mobilizing my foot to help with the turf toe. Resting it isn't doing squat, or isn't doing squat fast enough, and I'm still getting twinges. Mobilizing the up stream and neighboring tissues, on the other hand, does seem to be reducing the number of twinges, so I shall continue to more aggressively mobilize it in the hopes it'll finally get over itself so I can run again sometime this century.
Starting to be a bit more aggressive at mobilizing my foot to help with the turf toe. Resting it isn't doing squat, or isn't doing squat fast enough, and I'm still getting twinges. Mobilizing the up stream and neighboring tissues, on the other hand, does seem to be reducing the number of twinges, so I shall continue to more aggressively mobilize it in the hopes it'll finally get over itself so I can run again sometime this century.
Warming up
Jun. 6th, 2021 12:11 pmFinally up in the 90s here, yesterday and the next couple days. Got up late yesterday and ran around noonish, which kicked my butt. I did a 5k for the first time in a while, with a lot of walking (and, because I frequently wear DC Tri Club gear, a short discussion with a cyclist about the old Nation's triathlon), but I finished it. Was looking at numbers this morning (VO2max, etc.) and the extended down time has definitely affected that. On the plus side, it's getting better, despite killing myself in the heat yesterday. Next time I think I'll just go ahead and get up at 6:30 to run, and then napping in the afternoon, instead of going back to sleep and getting stuck out in the heat.
But anyway, the coating we had put on our top floor windows is definitely, definitely helping the temperatures up there. The husband realized late that we should have done the little window at the top of our staircase, too, as he reports a definitely change in the temps when you walk from his office/sitting area (where the windows are coated) to the stairway. Even though the translucent blinds are always closed on that window it would probably benefit from the coating. Something to add to the to-do list.
The runner's knee is pretty much gone now, and I'm still following up with mobility drills to help keep that area working correctly. The 27 Squats drill is my current favorite, short but effective at helping you dial in stability in unstable positions. Now if I could just get rid of the damned knot on my left shoulder blade I'd be set.
But anyway, the coating we had put on our top floor windows is definitely, definitely helping the temperatures up there. The husband realized late that we should have done the little window at the top of our staircase, too, as he reports a definitely change in the temps when you walk from his office/sitting area (where the windows are coated) to the stairway. Even though the translucent blinds are always closed on that window it would probably benefit from the coating. Something to add to the to-do list.
The runner's knee is pretty much gone now, and I'm still following up with mobility drills to help keep that area working correctly. The 27 Squats drill is my current favorite, short but effective at helping you dial in stability in unstable positions. Now if I could just get rid of the damned knot on my left shoulder blade I'd be set.
Knotty boy
May. 14th, 2021 10:30 pmWhile doing some extra foam rolling around my knee, to "scrub" the tissues there and work out any stiffness that might be contributing to the runner's knee, I managed to find the mother of all knots on my lower right quadriceps. Yowch! Definitely one of those "yikes! found it!" moments when I settled on it and started the contract/relax process to try and de-knot it. Didn't get it all, even after working on it for several minutes, but I didn't want it to be too sore before bed. Definitely will be something I'll have to work on for a bit yet. Glad I found it, though, even if it's a mess to work through.
Was dealing with a case of runner's knee the past week or so, probably brought on by increased running and adding jumping rope to my routine, and perhaps exacerbated by wall squats (which I think may have irritated some already unbalanced muscles in ye olde legs). Rested, added some stabilization exercises specifically to address runners knee (clamshells, fire hydrants, and donkey kicks), and did a bunch of foam rolling, and today it finally felt normal. May attempt a run in the morning, depends on how I'm feeling when I wake up.
