I am a Skier.

Today is Day 6.  This has been a crazy week.
Days 2 & 3 were spent in Ski School.  We rode the magic carpet and learned how to turn and the pizza wedge.  We left the bowl and went up Chickadee.  It's not bad for a bunny slope.  Supposedly the steepest beginner slope in the nation.  I was doing well with the turns but I didn't have any control.  So I picked up speed a lot because my traverse was more of a downhill than an angle.  I'm directionally challenged sometimes.  I knew it was going to get me in trouble at some point.
After lunch I was doing great, my other 2 classmates got spooked or something.  When we got back all of a sudden they couldn't do anything.  They couldn't turn correctly, they were afraid of falling and of course all they did was fall.  We regrouped on Day 3 and for the most part they figured turning out and stopped freaking out over the lose of control feelings they were having.  I was getting bored but there were some things for me to work on.  Boy did I ever find that out.
Day 4.  This was a day of setbacks.
I had to give the Ski School equipment back and rent other stuff.  The change in equipment was screwing with my confidence a bit.  Then I couldn't get the feel going in the boots I had.  I struggled down Chickadee a few times and nothing was working.  I couldn't get a grip (literally) and was completely out of control.  Ended up in powder a couple of times.  Once it slowed me down enough to stop.  The other I fell down because I still couldn't stop.  I got the boots adjusted but that still didn't help.  After about 2.5 hours of just fighting to hang on and not having any fun at all I gave up and called it a day.  Decided it was better to punt while I was ahead because the way I was going I was definitely going to kill myself.
Day 5.  Thanks God for Day 5.
I regrouped, got different boots and took an afternoon lesson.  I was fortunate enough to get the same instructor that taught me the in the first place.  As I explained my dilemma from the day before, he stopped me and told me Don't worry about about it,I know what you can do and you can do this.  So we started up Chickadee once more.  After he checked my boots of course.
This day was so much better.  I found the flex I needed and we went to work on building my confidence.  By the end of the day, I was in much better control and could follow him through almost any turn.  There were a few times that I had to bail but I was able to find my balance and get back into the groove.
Supposedly, I am now ready for another trail.  More on that later.

Skiing - Day 1

Before I get started I have to send a shout out to John the Trainer.  Dude thank you so much for the months of strange exercises you put me through so that I would be "ready" for skiing.  Without you my body would not of held up at all.  Thanks so much for encouraging and supporting me through all of my adventures.
So I decided to go skiing.  You might as well say this was my first time.  The last time I tried to ski was 25 years ago. 
This woman I know was going and she needed a roommate and I guess I needed something to look forward to so I told her if John the Trainer said it was OK I'd go.  When I asked him I was half expecting him to so look at me and ask me if I lost my mind.  It hadn't been that long since he told me I could try to play tennis.  But no all he said was he was going to have fun getting my body ready for skiing.
Little did I know what was really in store for me.  John the trainer had me doing a lot of squats and balancing exercises.  Then there were the Hip Airplanes.  Basically you balance on one leg, kind of lay yourself flat like you are trying to fly while still balancing on one leg and rotate your hip to move your body open and closed.  OUCH.
Well now I so understand the benefits of moving your lower body while keeping the upper body stable.
I am in Snowbird, Utah and there is snow everywhere.  It's the first day of "Never Ever" class.  Never Ever is 3 days of ski instruction for people who have never ever done this before. 
You can take skiing or snowboarding lessons.  My instructors name is Dwayne and I'm in class with 5 women from Charlotte.
We start in what they call the bowl.  It's this isolated area where all of the ski lessons begin.  So on the first day they start you out in small groups and take a part of the bowl.  There are people everywhere.  Skiers ( or want to be skiers) and snow boarders take up space.
We start with the wedge and understanding how to move our weight between the skis.  We progress to trying to walk and then move a bit.  You learn that you hate walking in ski boots really early on.  Finally you get to the point on sliding down a very small incline.  You think you are all that because you went less than 5 feet and you didn't fall down.  By the end of day one you have made it to the magic carpet.  This is major because it means you don't have to walk up the little hill to slide down.  The conveyor belt glides you up the incline.  This is suppose to help you with getting off the ski lift (it really doesn't but I get why they try).  I'm just happy that I no longer have to walk.
Once we get up the hill we are suppose to be in control and go slowly down the incline.  Yeah not so much.  I can do the turn thing.  I figured out turning before we were taught because I was going to fast and if I didn't do something I was going to mow down a 3 year old.  I managed to move out of the way and not fall down thank you very much.  The rest of the day was more of the same.  Ski school is about 4.5 hours.
By the end of the day I was exhausted but grinning my ass off.  It felt like I was rode hard and put up wet. I knew the training was paying off because people in my class were complaining about there legs and hips were hurting really bad.  Nothing hurt on me, I was just tired.
Nice shower and stretching and I was oh so ready for a good nap or sleep for a week.  The only thing that hurt on me was my shins.  All no amount of exercise would have prepared me for that.
This was a great day.  Next is Day 2 - The Ski Lift.

Life goes on, back to exercise

This week has been very eventful so far.
I ran with TBO on Sunday.  We went further than the plan said but we were feeling pretty good so we kept going.  I know this isn't what I'm suppose to say but since I have already confessed my sins to John the Trainer all is good and I can post it.  Ran about 1.5 miles and did about half a mile of rolling hills.  All together we went 2.5 miles.  I think the time was 43 minutes but I had some watch issues so I'm not sure.  User error does happen every now and then.
Monday I had a special treat and took a Yoga class with 60sChild.  That was extra special for me.  First because I hadn't spent any quality time with her in over 6 months and second because this was my first Yoga class in about 8 or 9 months.  It's been a long time.
We had an instructor that I've never had before.  Her name was Molly.  I like her style a lot and during the corpse pose portion of the class she played a guitar.  Corpse portion is the last 15 minutes where you lay like a dead corpse and absorb all that you have done to your body.  It's a restorative moment you give yourself for surviving class.  The main objective is to not snore if you fall asleep.  No this class was pretty mild.  Mild is what I needed since it was like starting over.  At the beginning of class we discussed what injuries we had and how we were feeling.  Molly would then remind you of alignment and suggest alternatives when you did poses that might effect your condition.  My knee held up pretty good.  I only had problems with Child's Pose.  She gave me modifications and that helped a lot.  Towards the end we did Bow Pose.  You are lying on your stomach and bend your knees, reach behind and grab your ankles.   Then pull up your upper body and your lower body all from you center.  It's a great stretch for the quads but you have to really listen to your body and not over do it.  I didn't pull to far up with the legs since it's been a while.  I had forgotten the stretch your body gets from a good Yoga class.  I really enjoyed it.
On to Tuesday and time with John the Trainer.
He found a new use for the torture ball - shoulders!  Yes I said shoulders.  You know that spot in the back just outside of your shoulder blade that dips in a little bit at the joint.  Yeah that one.  Well stick the torture ball right there and roll around on it.  OMG is the only thing I have to say.  So after you've numb it to death.  Yeah that's the feeling when you hit the right spot, your arm goes numb.  You now get to try exercises with it. I say try because some of the stuff hurt so bad and all I was doing was lifting my arms.  It's not suppose to hurt when you lift your arms.
It seems there are more areas of my body that have issues.  He tells me that he has always wanted to do something with my shoulders but my legs were such a mess he had to wait.  Now the wait it over.  Lucky me.
If you see me in the next few days and I can't move my arms you will know why.  

...Now for a word from our sponsors

I want to thank all of you for the amazing encouragement you have provided me since I started this journey.  This is the time of year to think about all you are thankful for and reflect on the year or years.  Last week I had a pretty major birthday and it's got me to thinking.
 I have known some of you for short time (like John the Trainer) and known others for more than half my life. Half is starting to become a significant number all be itself (like DC Man who tells me how much he likes my writing).  The thing you all share is that I can't imagine my life without you being a part of it.  Thanks so much for the friendship and the kind kicks in the butt when I need them.
You guys mean a lot to me.  Thanks for being there.

Name that torture device

Today was mostly a good day.  I ran a little this morning.  Didn't go over so well.
Anyway, I worked out with John the Trainer this afternoon.  That went much better. Well for a while anyway.  He decided that I needed to stretch my ass.  Stretching is not your friend.  Yes I know it's good for you but it is not your friend.
He goes and gets this tool.  It's looks like a cross between a softball and a golf ball.  It's hard with just a little give.  Take said thing, roll your body over so the side of your butt cheek is on the ball.  Then take your left foot and put it across your right knee.  If you manage to not fall off, your prize is you get to roll around on the ball until you find the spot that is going to make you cry.  You will know the spot and it hits you quickly.  I was told people either laugh or cry.  On the left side I laughed or the right side it was somewhere between screaming and crying.  It hurts so much.  A pain shot through my leg and my toes went numb.  I have done some crazy stretches before but this one was by far the worse.  I was more tired doing this stretch than I was during the whole workout.
Now it's is my new best friend.  I took it home with me.  Lucky me.
Since this thing is now a part of my existence it needs a name.  Therefore I name thee torture ball.

This is going to be more challenging than I thought

Everyone is worried about whether I can safely train for this race.  It seems that I'm not the one they should be worried about.  TBO is having hamstring issues that she has decided to ignore.  I told her to take the rest of the week off and ice it and stretch it but she is determined to ignore me.  So here is my plea.
TallBlondeOne please take some time and listen to your body.  I need you for the long haul.  This is just one of many races that I plan for us to enjoy.  I don't want to lose my running partners again.  I just got you back.  Slow down for just a little bit.  There is still time to get back on the wagon and still make the race.
On another note, I ran yesterday and felt great.  I am finally starting to understand how the strength training will help my running.  It was cool to feel the difference in my hips running now vs in the past.  I am more stable with my upper body and there is a balance that I never had before.  It's like I'm holding up my body weight myself and freeing my legs to do their thing.  Instead of before my legs had to carry and load and try to move at the same time.  It felt lighter or something.
It's amazing how it's all connected.  I know that sounds lame it's your body of course it's all connected but it's different when you realize and can feel the parts working together instead of against each other. 
This TBO is why you NEED to listen!

And we begin...

Today TBO and I started our 10K training.  It was a gorgeous day about 50 degrees in the morning and not a cloud in the sky.  We walked about 1/2 mile when we got to the flat part.  The neighborhood is very hilly so finding flat ground was very important.
The actual running part went pretty well.  We did a 1/1 since we are both starting over.  We kept the pace slow and steady.  It's what everybody needed and we were able to keep a conversation going the whole time.  We ran a mile and the walked the rest of the way.  In total we did 2.6 miles in about 49 minutes.  You won't win with these times but it was a very respectful first showing.
After the run we did some Yoga and I showed TBO and the girls a few exercises that I learned from John the Trainer.  TBO will need to workout some to remember how to use her core.  That will help with the main goal which is learn to run again WITHOUT getting injured.
We are pretty well matched in the "I suck" category so this should be really good.  It was good to be outside with my running buddy again.

Here is the run.
 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/55935079

It's that time of year again

Race season is upon us. So of course the running bug has been losing it's mind screaming in my head. Then TBO (Tall Blond One for those that don't remember) starts trying to get me to train for the half marathon. I haven't run in almost 2 years and she wants my return to be 13.2 miles! IS SHE CRAZY? The answer to that is no, but at the time I did have to wonder.
This dilemma seriously put me in problem solving mode. I know it was an imagined problem but a problem none the less. And I do love a good problem. It's what I do. Who am I kidding, it's WHO I AM!
Anyway, I came up with the perfect solution. Train to run Austin's Cap 10K. It's March 27, 2011. That's 20 weeks from now. The half training is only 13 weeks. I should be able to run 6 miles in 5 months. Piece of cake right.
TBO was on board, now all I had to do was convince John the Trainer. He wasn't as happy about the idea. Although he accepted it better than I thought.
Now that I have his blessing (I'm stretching that bit but he didn't say no) all I have to do is create the plan. That was part of the deal. I had to create the plan and he gets to make modifications. He also has veto power. I agreed that if he told me to slow down or stop I would. No questions asked.
So now that I have a new training project I guess you will be hearing from me more often. It was hard to write when I wasn't do to much. I felt like all I was doing was whining. And I didn't think any wanted to hear me whine. If you can't tell I'm excited about getting into this. We'll see how it goes. I'll let you know all about the adventure as it unfolds.

I have definitely turned a corner!
Earlier this week when I met with John the Trainer he decided it was time we up'd the workouts. So now most of my workouts will be really exercises instead of mostly just stretching. It's time to try and get my metabolism jump started. My thoughts were woohoo and good luck. By time I left the gym I just wanted to curse him and cry. My legs were shaking.
Some of the exercises were fun. I could see my progress from a year ago. Others were just pure evil. I never thought standing up against the wall would be so hard. Well if you do it right it is pure torture.
Today I am doing to exercises on my own. We'll see how it goes. I went for a walk this morning to warm up and stretch out a little before I tried the new stuff. Walked about 2 miles in a little over 30 minutes. Wasn't trying really hard so that time was pretty good for me.
I lost my nerve with the exercises and decided to put my thoughts down first. It should be fine but I am a little chicken at this moment. I know it will go great. OK it will be really hard but I'll feel better afterward.
Wish me luck.

Slow and Steady but coming back strong

I know it's been a long time since you heard from me. My journey to recovery has been slow and steady. Steady is the good part, slow has been driving me crazy. My reward for sticking with it was that I got to run for the first time a few weeks ago.
I went to the beach and got to hang out with some of my favorite people. Anyway, John the trainer decided that the beach was a good time to test out running. The catch was I had to run on dry sand barefoot. Do you know how hard that is?
Of course that was part of his evil plan. Make it so difficult that there was no way I could.... In my mind the way the end goes is there is no way I could succeed. In reality it was so I wouldn't go too fast and hurt myself.
Either way I had a ball. It was difficult just trying to keep my footing so there was no way I was going to go fast. Also, I hadn't even tried to run since July '09 and completely suck so I couldn't go too fast or too far. But I was cheesing anyway.
It felt so good to be able to move in that way. I didn't realized how much I missed it until that day. I had blocked that out because it was possible that I might not ever get to the point of running again. I didn't want to think about that or deal with that as a reality so I kind of ignored it.
Of course, I had to take very long walk breaks and wasn't allowed to run for more than 2 minutes stretches. None of the restrictions mattered. For a few minutes, I was a runner once again.
That got me all excited so of course when I got home I asked when could I run again. Unfortunately, John the trainer was having none of that. I wined and told him that he couldn't let me have a taste and then completely take it away from me. He decided to let me walk/run for 30 minutes one day on a soft surface. If I didn't have major issues maybe I could do it again. I choose a park near my house and went out early one morning. I weather was great. It had rained the night before and was coolish that morning (it is summer time in Texas so you are only going to get so cool). My plan was going great until I realized that they paved the trail. Oops, so much for soft surface. I was determined to make this work so I walked on the pavement and ran on the side in the grass and gravel. It worked great although I got some strange looks from the other people out on trail. The pounding was a little harder than the beach but still it was great to be moving. I'm still waiting for the verdict, will I be allowed to run again on a more consistent basis?
Now you are somewhat caught up. I should say that I have been working hard doing the exercises and building my strength with the workouts. I never thought about how far I had come until today.
Today I played tennis. Well Bob and I hit balls for about 45 minutes. The last time I tried to play was before I stopped running last year and it was awful. My stamina was nonexistent and I couldn't move because of my knee.
Today is was beautiful, I was moving and had energy. Now remember I still suck but having a chance to try and run for a ball is so much better than the only way we could keep playing was if he hit the balls right at me. This was a world of improvement.
I didn't realize that even though I haven't been doing the things that I use to do for exercise and I wasn't sweating up a storm, I was still doing great things for my body. Building that base is so important and I has lost track of that.
There is a reason slow and steady wins the race.

Boxing, the Return

Last week I was able to return to Boxing. There were a lot of restrictions but I was allowed to attend class again. I was so happy, I smiled through the entire class. Class kicked my butt in so many ways but I didn't care I was just so happy to be there.
Some of my restrictions were because of my knee, like no running or jumping rope. Other restrictions were because of the way my body overuses quads and hamstrings. So I wasn't allowed to do the sit-up where you throw the muscle ball. That exercise uses hip flexors more than abs. For me hip flexors are a big no no. Before I was allowed to attend class. Me and my trainer (someone once called him the Evil Genius) had this long discussion where I had to explain all of the things that happen in class. We went over all aspects of class. Then he decided what I was allowed to do. Even though I was allowed to attend, it was still on a trial basis. So that meant I also had to report on what we did, how I modified it and how I felt (during and after).
But with all of that I was still smiling. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was there. One of the modifications was since I couldn't do the sit-ups the class did planks instead. Now I'm not sure if you have ever done a plank before but they are pure torture rolled into a nice flat looking package. You suck everything in and try to hold yourself up on your forearms and toes. The key is to embrace the pain and smile. Yes, I did say smile. It does help to get you through. Well of course I couldn't last for the whole time. Then Julia (the boxer woman) had the nerve to have us do side planks. Haha, what a joke. I did better on one side vs the other. I don't remember which one. I needed to block out the pain of the whole experience. We finally got to my favorite part. The actual hitting. This was sweet. It so kicked my butt but just going through the motions was awesome. I seemed to have forgotten what to do with my thumbs (yes there is a specific way you have to hold your hands). I paid for that the next day. My thumbs were very sore. No you don't use your thumbs but if you don't hold your hands right your thumbs take a lot of the shock. My rhythm was way off and I kept trying to swing harder than I was fit for. My body tried to do what I used to do. It had been 6 months since I was in a class.
After class I wrote my report for my trainer and the good news is I can go back. I'm still restricted but I'm back.
Now I just have to stay off the road long enough to go back to class...One hurdle at a time.

Sometimes you just need to sleep

Sleeping in your own bed provides a much better outlook on things. I am doing much better than this time yesterday. A good night's sleep will do that for you I guess. This past week I was kind of a slacker with my exercises. I know you wonder how can that be when I'm not doing that much to start with but believe me it is possible. I flew to both coasts and that is going to be my excuse. It's lame but that's my story and I'm sticking with it. Anyway, today is a new day and I see the trainer today. The plan is to confess my sins and wipe the slate clean. I will do better this coming week. I get to stay in the same place for a few days (and no that is not home). Staying put makes exercising easier.
Here's to a much better exercise week!

Everyone is entitled to a bad day

Depression and grief hit people in various ways.
I'm so tired of being tired it's not even funny. Most of my "exercise" is relegated to stretching. I know it's important and when I do it on a regular basis I can see that it's helping. Honestly I just want one day where I can really just work myself to exhaustion and just sweat. I guess we always want what we can't have.
Now that I got that out I feel much better. Every now and then it's good to let the bad feelings out into the ether. Thanks for listening.

WTF - Pain in the ass, really???

So how do I say this. I found out last week that my quads are really the only muscles in my body that I use. The hamstrings really just come along for the ride because they have no choice. I know that doesn't make sense but I even use my quads to stand. The rest of the muscles (big or small) really don't get used. So quads are over developed and the butt, back or abs really aren't used at all. How sad is that?
Please explain to me how this is possible! I guess I know this is true but WTF. So my exercises for the week have been centered around not using my quads and trying to engage other muscles that normal people use. Apparently, that's not as easy as it sounds and I strained something. Basically I got a pain in my ass (literally).
This is time I didn't wait months before I did something about it. I went to the Torture Lady and then had a therapeutic massage. Massage lady also agreed with the diagnosis and then she laughed and called me quite unique.
Anyway, that's what's going on with me.

I thought it was time to make an appreance

It's been a long time since I took the time to talk to you. Mostly I've been working a lot but the main reason I haven't written anything is because I was hurt and wasn't able to exercise much myself. I am still recovering but I have been doing physical therapy and working with a personal trainer to get me to a point that I can enjoy exercise again.
Turns out my knee was the problem. Actually it was the muscles around my knee not the knee itself. Muscle imbalance although slow to build up is a much better problem to have instead of direct knee issues. Like I said, I have been doing physical therapy and also realized that this type of injury takes a long time to get back in working order. That meant I was going to need help doing the right thing and not injuring myself again. I enlisted the help of a friend who's trainer had done amazing things with her all while keeping her injury-free. Yes I said keeping her injury-free! If you knew her you would understand how amazing that statement really is. Anyway, I started working with him about a month ago and so far so good.
This being injured thing has been really hard on me. I never thought about how exercise plays such a big part in keeping me sane. Like they say, you never know what you got until it's gone. I've had to totally scale back to the point where I wasn't allowed to even walk. Who can't walk. Walking is a fundamental part of being human. And I had to refrain from even that.
I was finally allowed to walk last week. So far the mileage and intensity is very light but I can do it. The other thing is the trainer has me exercising in my hotel room. I have 3 different kinds of bands. Small one, big ones, you name it and I have a band for it. It's not exactly like the thrill you get from running but it's not a bad workout.
So the good news is I'm back sort of. Well I'm bad to writing and one day I will even be back to serious exercise.