2015 Exercise Log/Challenge

[Crankin]

I had a terrible night, but my stomach is better today. However, the sinus stuff is horrible, so I have an appointment with my doctor Wednesday AM. I felt it wasn't bad enough to cancel my clients, since I see the majority on Monday and Tuesday. I did not go to boot camp and I will decide in the AM if I will go to spin, where I have more control over how much I exert myself.

[Catrin]

Feel better soon Crankin! It doesn't sound like fun, there are just so many things going around right now.

Today is a rest day, but I just spent 30 minutes with some intentional dynamic joint mobility work. My shoulders and bicep tendons were thanking me, I think they are still feeling the combination of last Thursday and Saturday a bit.

[Catrin]

Had a great group workout tonight. There was only 3 of us, and it was a very glute-centered KB workout. My shoulders appreciated the change and we will see if my glutes are sore tomorrow. I hope so, my hammies tend to take over for my glutes as much as possible.

I spoke with my coach and while I am NOT stopping competition training (I love the mental/physical challenge of it all), I do not HAVE to compete. At my age, with my shoulders, I need to focus on what is healthy for me and what I can sustain for life. This doesn't mean I won't ever compete again, but my main focus MUST be on what is healthy and sustainable. I am the kind who will allow injury to meet a goal - I can't do that any more.

[Crankin]

That is a wise decision, Catrin. I sure won't meet my 125 hour goal now, with 3 days off. I am better, but I am still going to the doctor, as the headache/sinus stuff is not gone. As soon as I get active, I'd feel awful. I am sick of this! Like you, I am trying to do what's best.
Tomorrow afternoon I am going for a walk/jog with a friend in her neighborhood. This friend is much less fit than me, so it will be perfect. OK, she's just slower, she is pretty fit. She doesn't really push herself, she could do more. Best thing is, it will be 55 degrees. I am itching to ride, but the melting and potholes are scaring me. This will be my latest start ever. We may go up north for our last cross country ski next weekend, so it may be the last weekend of March before I get out there.

[Crankin]

OK, I got my antibiotic and it only took a couple of hours before I started feeling better. I was finally able to log some outdoor time, about an hour, walking and a bit of jogging with my friend. It was just perfect to go at her pace. I usually take Thursdays off, but I think I will at least spend some time on the trainer tomorrow.
It was 55 and sunny today, but there is so much melting. Saw a couple of riders out there, not as many as I thought I would.

[Catrin]

Glad to hear you are feeling better Crankin! I think it actually broke 60 today, and sunshine this afternoon after horrible fog this morning. Most of the snow is gone now, and I've been seeing more bikes out all week :-)

I do hope that I can compete again later this year or next spring. Unless we can somehow unfreeze my scapula, however, I won't be able to go up in weight - and it is hard to justify the expense of formally competing when I can't even attempt a higher rank. We will see how it goes. Regardless I am still doing both competition specific training AND general KB fitness training. I just have to be smart. I've already had to give up mountain bike and regular cycling due to the neck injury from the mtb crash, my bad knee keeps me from trail running (but not hiking), my shoulder problem prevents me from doing more traditional bilateral lifting - so if I allow my ego to push me to where I've got to give up kettlebell lifting I honestly do not know what I could replace it with. It is an incentive to stay healthy

Hopefully I am the only one here who has been known to injure herself to reach a goal - but I suspect that I am not. My coach is very much like me however, which makes it easier to listen to him.

[Crankin]

Yes, even the little bit of jogging, not even running, sent my hip into spasms.But, my friend couldn't last long and eventually we just walked. Slowly. Her running was at a speed that I could walk at, but I still felt pain. Not worth it. Also, since I have been pretty much lying around for 3 days, muscles were not primed. I am ready to get back in shape. My weight is up, but more than that, the muffin top is worse than I usually get at the end of winter. I know it will be gone by June and I intend to focus on on both longer, endurance rides, and some shorter spadework on the bike. Our trip to France is June 21st. That is not that much time to prepare.
You are doing the right thing, not competing.

[Crankin]

I got on the trainer, despite feeling tired, and did a 35 minute ladder drill, with ascending and descending intervals, followed by 10 minutes of stretching. You were supposed to do another 30 minutes of the drills, essentially repeating the whole thing, but there is no way I can stay on the trainer for an hour.

[Crankin]

I went to boot camp, but I felt really awful. It was mostly from the antibiotic taken before class, with only half a banana. Won't do that again. But, I am concerned as my endurance is way lower than normal. I guess I was sicker than I thought. I felt better after eating breakfast and tomorrow I will do something very light at home. It's going to be a rainy weekend, so Sunday I can go to spin. The cycling doesn't seem to bother me as much.
I really thought I was going to puke and actually left class for a bit. But, I am at work, still living.

[Helene2013]

I keep training (when not shoveling snow! Argh!) about 5x a week. It is intense, but fun.

Yesterday had my monthly visit with my trainer and she told me to take it easy this weekend, especially on muscle training before I go for my SynviscOne injection in the knee. She does not want me to get there with a "tired" knee. And next week was going to be a light training week as we normally have on schedule 3 hard weeks followed by 1 recovery week. Timing could be good as I'm sure once the injection is done, we are going to slow it down anyway for that week.

We also added some yoga move at the end of my daily training. Not that I need the flexibility as I'm pretty flexible but I needed it for my "mind". hihi So she added some moves so I can feel good stretches.

It's been a verrrrry hard winter for us. Snow, and mostly that soooo deep freezing cold that never seemed to let go. I love winter but this year I hated it. We feel tired all the time, lack of energy and even the training sometimes we really have to push ourselves to get on the trainers or equipment. At least it is sunny today, but cold. Rain and freezing rain tomorrow, then snow again for Sunday. When is Spring again????

[Crankin]

Today I did 15 minutes of my PT exercises, followed by a 45 minute yoga/spin DVD that is part of the winter training series I've used on and off (the other rides in this program are just printed in a book). It's basically a yoga warm up, followed by a cycling warm up and then 5 three minute intervals (sitting), in increasingly higher gears. I don't use the hardest gears he uses, mostly because it hurts my knees and my cadence is so low, it's crazy. There's a one minute rest between intervals, a 2 minute cool down. Then you get off of the bike and do a 12 minute power yoga segment. I like this work out, as it's not too long in any one part, but it's challenging. I felt much better than yesterday. The only thing that hurt were my sit bones (ouch!). I think that was a function of Thursday being my first time on the trainer in at least 3 weeks and my new saddle. But, by the end of the ride, I was fine.
I've targeted March 25-27 as the dates for my first outdoor ride. Looking at the extended forecast, this is realistic. No real snow, just snow showers predicted, some warmer weather in between colder.

[Catrin]

Thank goodness for signs of spring!

This morning was the first time I've done my competition lifts for volume since our competition last month. We did a 20 minute set - switching hands every minute, and it felt good! It would have felt better if I had a decent nights sleep last night, but for some reason I couldn't get to sleep. Tomorrow morning I won't have an alarm, I can go to a later church service if I need to do so. Cardio work planned at the gym tomorrow after church.

[Crankin]

I needed to get outside today, so despite the light rain, I put on my soft shell and took a 3 mile walk, and then my stretching. It seemed rather quiet out on the road, with the exception of a group of runners who came by just as we were turning back onto my street, for the final part of the loop. The sun is actually trying to peek out now, but we are supposed to have snow showers later.
Hopefully, I feel better at boot camp tomorrow morning. There may be black ice early in the AM, so I won't go if it's dicey driving, but I can do my functional fitness DVD.

[Catrin]

Today I had my weekly cardio gym trip - I was relatively good with 45 minutes spent between the ArcTrainer and the treadmill. I've learned that if I stay on any machine for longer than 15 minutes then I tend to turn it into a race and that isn't necessary, or good for me. 15 minute changes seems to be the right balance, and the ArcTrainer is really the only one that NEVER tweaks my broken bits. Then, I felt so good, I went and did a couple sets of somewhat heavier than body weight trap-bar deadlifts. I wasn't supposed to do any lifting today after yesterday's 20 minute Long Cycle, but at least this doesn't really impact the upper body

Rest day tomorrow, though since it is supposed to be 70 degrees and the nicest day over the next week I may take my walking shoes and find some place to walk between work and home.

[Crankin]

I went to boot camp this morning and I realized I am better! I feel fine. I woke up on time, no dizziness or muscle aches and yesterday was the firstday I didn't feel tired in the afternoon.
I may be able to get outside and ride this Saturday, as the weather looks like 46-50 and no wet precip. This is a week earlier than I had thought, so I am excited, but tempered by the thought of the craters in the roads.