Katja

Awesome work - congratulations!

anonplz

Yes, congratulations, AZTIMM! Very nice accomplishment.

Separately, I had a recent appointment with my doctor, and asked him about that area on my back upper right arm, and he said it's nothing to worry about. And I'm not, though I am concerned that, over time, it could develop into something. I may make an appointment with a sports specialist, because I also have developed some mild pain in my right hip, which I think oddly is related to the fact that my left leg is slightly longer than my right one (I mean, you can't tell just by looking, and I haven't actually measured it, but I can tell from my jog, and how my gait compensates when I am trying to keep time with my workout music).

aztimm

Do you get massages?

With the frequency and duration of your workouts, I'd highly recommend getting a deep tissue at least every month.

I go about every 2-4 weeks (depending on work and travel), and I have to say that it helps dramatically. The gal I go to is about 5'2", 110#, but she certainly packs quite a punch
My appointments are about an hour, and I don't think I could take much more. She puts hot rocks on my back (sometimes elsewhere), digs deep into my back, as well as any other problem spots.

One thing she constantly harps on me about is sleeping on my back. After years of sleeping on a side (I vary which one), it is tough switching to my back, but I've certainly been trying. This helps with my hip issues.

Also--do you have a foam roller, or access to one at your gym? I'd highly suggest using it, all over. I roll on my legs, get my IT bands and all the way up into my hip. It can be a little painful while doing it, but again, it can pay dividends in the long run.

anonplz

That may make a terrific reward, if I can find someone who knows what they are doing. ^

Oh, yeah. Sleeping on my back is VERY helpful to me in terms of back issues - I try to keep on my back, but I do sometimes sleep on my left side.

As to a gym, I don't currently belong to one. I dislike the gym scene, and I find it difficult to concentrate on my workout in public.

VickiSoCal

OK, I'm going to do GTD in 2014 Thanks for the inspiration.

SkiAdcock

Well I've been getting a lot of shoveling done as exercise , but not as much else.

Weirdly enough I'm still having problems w/ the ankle (not the knee, although I can't really do squats right now). I can walk a few miles but I'm hobbling around like an old person after that. Ortho seems to think the ankle bone is fine (although I wish he had done another x-ray). I wonder if there's still a bone chip as it's painful on that side. But am having ligament or tendon issues on the inside/pain, which is also what prevents me from running (or wearing heels, not that I wear them often). I try & I make it just a few steps before going owie. I don't know if it's due to the fracture earlier or some residual thing due to the blood clot. I'm still on blood thinners for another month. I can swim, but again pain on both sides of the ankle.

I'm pretty discouraged. Also had a client go out of bizness/my already low income just dropped, so no health club for me in the near future.

So my work-around is (on days when the weather truly sucks) to 'walk in my house'. I can do a loop from the front door down the hallway to the kitchen to the dining room to the living room around the coffee table, rinse & repeat. I actually thought of this over the Thanksgiving holiday. I was calling family & friends on Turkey Day & I decided that rather than sit on the sofa to talk that I would 'walk & talk' in the house. I walked for 90 minutes inside the house that day! So now, whenever I get or make a phone call when I'm in the house I 'walk/talk'. I figure every little bit helps.

Re: sleeping on my back. It may be better for me than my side sleeping, but it's not gonna happen. Every time I've had to sleep on my back I've either been injured or recovering from surgery, so I totally associate sleeping on my back w/ pain or something being wrong.

Cheers.

anonplz

I've somehow slacked off on my diet so that I can see I've gained a couple lb. in my mid-section. Won't take long to get myself back in form, and resolving, as part of my NY resolutions, to lengthen and intensify my workout - I might also be able to add in a squat cycle, mid-day, but I'd need to join a gym to do that, and I'm not sure I'm ready to do that.

At any rate, I'm still thinking about a reward for next summer.

aztimm

Maybe I'll start a swimming thread here (similar to the cycling one), so we can concentrate on swimming, swimming events, and GTD!!!


Is your team doing a 100 x 100's? That's a quick way to knock out 6+ miles (but certainly not easy).

I'm thinking of doing 1 day of the SCAR swim locally:
http://www.teamunify.com/TabGeneric....13&team=amsmac
(have to look at my work calendar to make sure)

I also want to do a few Splash & Dash events again. They're tons of fun, and even more so when I don't feel like I want to simply skip the run. My goal for the next few months is to get in decent running shape. Nothing like the 15+ mile runs I was doing a few years ago, but just get to a comfortable pace for ~8 miles.

I got out to run early this morning. Temp was brisk, upper 30s. I still felt warm when I first got outside, then the cold hit me. Then after 3 min of running, I was plenty warm, and unzipping my top after a mile.
I only ran 2.2 miles, but it is a good start.
Oh, and this was with my dog, Holly (some may remember her from my prior running...her longest run with me was about 11 miles). If not for her, I probably would have stopped and walked, but tough to do that when she was pulling the leash so much

VickiSoCal

I don't think I could do a 100x100 I think the most I've done in a workout was 3000. My typical hour workout is around 2500.

A splash and dash would be fun. I don't really cycle, so tri's are not for me. My longest run to date (I only started running in April of this year, ever) is 5.5 miles.

annerj

Air squats (fast and high rep) work well without gym
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIAeBcVBI2I I'd go a bit deeper than this guy. I end a lot of my leg workouts with this move. 50 reps each leg, 40 reps each leg, 30 reps each leg, 20 reps each leg, 10 reps each leg...no rest!

If you have a swiss ball you can place that against a wall and get good squats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXeGVtV06Dw

Dumbbells are easy to pick up and keep at home (start with them by your sides during the squat exercise and move them up around your shoulders as step 2 and above your head as step 3).


No need for a gym unless you are going to be squatting heavy....and while heavier squats have their place they are not all that necessary.

annerj

Deep tissue is the key! I find that 1 out of every 5-7 therapists are worth much in the deep tissue range. Make take trying out several to find on that works for you.


Every 3-4 is also what I try to do.


My current is a small framed lady also....thinking back some of my best, deepest massages were from little ladies.



Foam roller is all the rage. I do like mine and think it not only helps with soreness but seems to help my flexibility a little bit.

annerj

Very nice! I'm not a swimmer....500 seems like a great accomplishment!

annerj

A good sports med doc, much like a good massage therapist, is worth their weight in gold. I've had many issues through the years that my general doc thought were nothing ( had no advice for) that a sports specialist was able to resolve quickly.

annerj

Adding to the sleeping on the back. a couple years ago I bought an adjustable bed and sleep with my feet elevated. It really seems to take some pressure off my lower back (2 back surgeries) and my wife says it does the same for her hips.

I'm to the point that when at a hotel I steal a couch cushion to get my feet up....while not the same or as comfortable is seems to work for me.

aztimm

went for another short run after I got home from work tonight. my lungs are taking a while to adjust to running...I'll have to carry an inhaler with me, and take it after a mile or so I think.
I don't remember having to do this when I ran before, but maybe because it is cooler now my lungs are taking a while to adjust.