Day ??? - Who's Counting?

Okay, so I'm changing a few things with my blog.  For starters, I'm abandoning my original countdown.

When I started my blog, I had this hair brained "goal date" of when I would be returning to my normal activities.  I've come to realize that you can't set a date for your body to realize (DUH!).  My brain is FAR more ready to resume my normal fitness levels than my body is.  And guess what?  That's OKAY.  So now, no more counting down the days until I can return.  Instead, I will be taking things one day at a time.
Will I gain weight during my recovery?  Yes, probably.  And I already have.  But that's okay.  Right now I am focused on staying healthy and getting recooperated.  There are SO many more important things to worry about and I don't want to spend anymore time worrying about myself. 

I'm giving myself permission to rest on all fronts.  I will continue to exercise carefully.  That means, I probably won't be doing any major calorie-burning sessions at the gym any time soon, but I will continue to stay active and keep my habit of working out.

My shoulder is still bothering me and it's been 10 days since I swam (oh, but who's counting, right!?!?), but I have still been going to the gym. Yesterday I even climbed aboard the recumbent bike for FIVE WHOLE MINUTES.  Hey, it's a start and I'm really trying to follow the doctor's orders.  Really.  Like, for serious.

When you're injured, it's very easy to fall into some sort of a depressed state.  Today is a new day.  Today I will rest, I will enjoy my family and I will look forward to going to the gym tomorrow for another light, but effective, workout.  Side note:  I joke about only being able to do leg lifts at the gym. You know, the inner/outer thigh 80's style workout?  But MAN those suckers are HARD!  Move over thighmaster!!  Now get down on the floor and lift your leg 100 times!  Go on, try it! 

The next thing to look forward to is my doctor appointment in early April.  I'm determined to have a better appointment than this month's. 

It's time to start honing in on my willpower.  It's time to stop eating as though I'm burning 800 extra calories a day.  I CAN do this but I know it takes more than that.  You really have to WANT something in order to make the change and I WANT it.  Like, for serious.

And you, dear reader, what do YOU want?  Don't just say you're doing to do something.  Come on!  JUST DO IT (thanks to Nike for the most incredible catch phrase ever).

Day 31 - Attitude Adjustment

Are you like me?  Do you workout even when you're injured, ignoring slight pain just to get your workout in?  Are you a crazed fitness fanatic that will stop at NOTHING (almost) to get a workout in?  It's a DRAG not being able to workout to my full potential, but I have been trying.  PEOPLE, I have been TRYING!  Somehow, however, I still manage to stay injured or ... the latest ... exacerbate an old injury.

I am not sure what I ever did to my right shoulder, but I have a reoccuring issue that becomes inflamed every now and then if I am not careful.  After several sessions with the lovely Jennifer Nevala, my favorite Physical Therapist, I was armed with some simple shoulder strenthening exercises.  They are wonderful to pull out of my arsenal if ever I feel the pain coming on. 

Today I'm taking another rest day.  My last workout was on Wednesday and it was an amazing swim.  I beat my time by 5 minutes, and decided to stay in the pool for an extra 10 laps.  I was feeling awesome! 
(side note:  I TOTALLY beat that woman swimming laps next to me!!  Plus, I could see underwater that she was putting her feet down during her breast stroke.  Cheater!!  Really, I'm just joking... ;)  Also, I had lifted heavy on Tuesday.  I did the same routine this past Saturday plus a swim on the same day.  My right shoulder had been bugging me for a while, but did I stop and do my physical therapy exercises before continuing to push through the pain?  NO, I did not.  I did, to my credit, THINK about doing it.  "Hmmm, my shoulder is starting to bother me again.  Maybe I should take this week off shoulders (including swimming) and just do my physical therapy exercises for a week."  That was a thought I had recurringly throughout this past month.  Hard headed as I can be, I did not rest my shoulders.  I was getting SO excited about swimming, that I didn't want to lose my stride. 

So now, here I sit, shoulder in excruitiating pain.  One nice thing about my shoulder bothering me is that I haven't noticed any foot pain in the last 2 days!  This is what I have decided to do:  This week I will continue to stay out of the gym and work on floor legs and abs at home, as well as my shoulder strengthening exercises.  That is going to have to be enough for this week.  AND, I am wrapping my head around aligning my eating with my decrease in activity.  I simply can not eat as much as I like if I am not able to workout as hard as I like.  That's the simple truth.

Today is the day I stop feeling sorry for myself, stop pushing myself unnecessarily, and start paying better attention to my body.  I will stop comparing myself to others (why is that 50 year old ultra marathon runner injury free!?!?!?!?  Why is the woman who created Turbo Kick 10 years older than me and doesn't have any of the issues I do!?!?!?) and start taking more pride in myself. 

We are all made differently.  Our bones and bodies are each unique.  Some of us are just simply more prone to injury for some reason or another.  It doesn't make you or me a weak person.  It doesn't even mean we have to stop all activity and become lazy.  It just means that we, as athletes, have to take a little extra care when doing our favorite sports or activities. 

So I'll keep taking my Vitamin D and Calcium supplements, as well as my Shakeology, and start exercising more gently until there is no more pain.

What about you?  What will you do to better yourself or your outlook today?  Do you have something going on in your life that is bringing you (and your attitude) down?  Let's figure out a way to turn it around.  We're in this together, dear reader!

Day 22 - Hand Bike and the Blues

So I have had some really great workouts this week, but I'm pretty depressed.  On Monday, I felt so great.  I did 25 minutes of core and floor legs.  Then I set out to do 20 min on the recumbent bike.  I kept it at a low resistance of 3 (I think that's low!!!  I'm trying SOOOO hard to follow directions!)  After 20 minutes, my tunes were so kickin', that I thought I'd shoot for 10 miles instead of watching the time.  I kept my RPM at 100 the whole time, and I was consciously trying to put most of the pressure on my right foot.  I must've been favoring the outer part of my left foot, however, because by that evening I was in a lot of pain.  Woke on Tuesday to the same pain.  I decided to swim on Tuesday and that felt amazing, but the foot was still sore.  ARGH!!!  GETTING SO FRUSTRATED!!

I have to say, it's really hard to stay positive when my foot hurts each and every day.  I have been keeping my shoes on all day everyday, but I do a lot of standing and walking.  I hope that's okay, because that is my life.  There is very little sitting down and I don't know how to change that, unless I hire a nanny and live in house keeper!!

Side note:  I am obsessed with all things "Real Housewives of..." on Bravo.  They just started a new crew of ninnies from Miami.  These women are so beautiful and perfect, and some have had more than 2 kids!!!  If I had nannies for each child, plus a personal chef, then I'd have no excuse not be in tip top shape!  Although the show is so silly, I'm still totally obsessed with it.  Just love all of those crazy broads for some reason. 

So even though my last 2 workouts were really great, I did not start off my week very well.  I know it's because of the foot.  It's getting hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

I woke up this morning and thought, here we go... each day is a fresh start.  I did an awesome biceps and triceps circuit (3 times through), then abs and 10 minutes on the hand bike.  That thing is harder than it looks!!!  I had to make myself stay on for 10 minutes and at the end, my arms were burning.  I had, however, just lifted pretty heavy, so I'd like to try it BEFORE my lifting next time just to see how it feels.  I actually got a teeny little sweat out of it, but the readout said I only burned 20 calories.  I guess that's my coffee creamer.  Woo-hoo!!!  I'm going to be skinny now!!!  haha

Okay - send me some positive thoughts.  I'm heading to my orthopedic doctor this afternoon and we'll see what he says.  I hope he says that this is all normal and that it's just a long and slow progression and that I just have to be patient.  PLEASE pray that no surgery will be required...

Man, this was a bummer post!  Gotta go hug my little guy and get some happiness vibin' through my bod.  Cheers!