100 things: health, fitness, getting back on the horse

[labelleizzy]

for the benefit of new friends who are joining this story already in progress,
somewhere around 20 months ago, I adopted a meme from... somewhere, and the challenge was to write 100 public blog posts about something that you chose. I chose to examine my relationship with fitness and building strength, and my problematic headspace around my childhood as a female geek-before-geeks-were-cool, and physical activity.

 

it turns out that it just took about 22 years to find "my sport", which is DANCING. *grin*

 

for awhile, nearly 3 years in my late 20's, my "sports" were country dance (English and Irish) and taekwondo. Unfortunately (and of course there is a story there) I injured my knee trying for the blue-belt test (the fourth full-belt level out of seven in that system) when I injured my knee very badly on a particular jumping sidekick. my ACL was damaged, and failed utterly about ten years after I damaged it.

 

So I walked and danced without a major structure in my knee for about five years before I finally asked for a surgical consult. Found a remarkable surgeon who'd replaced THREE tendons in my friend Brian's knee (motorcycle accident), had my surgical replacement of my ACL 11\1\11 (Nov. 1 of the year I'd turn 42.)

 

I started doing pre-hab, joined a gym some months before the surgery, and have been pretty consistent in my exercise since that time... Largely because the body HURTS now if I DONT move enough.

 

eh boring. But I do the work so I can do the fun stuff: dance, go hiking, do yoga, lift stuff up over my head around the new place, take care of things on my own without hurting myself.

 

Three weeks without a workout, and without going dancing... I've been sick with cold or allergies and am finally breathing reliably, my ear has finally cleared up (I was half-deaf in one ear for over two weeks) and OW. Body is complaining. 

 

Time to get back on the horse. Anyone want to share details of their fitness efforts? I am a student of Health At Every Size, I don't allow anyone to shit-talk their body or their efforts or anyone else's, and I tend to use other measurements than a scale to track my progress.

 

to start, I plan on trying a double lap walk around the block tomorrow to warm up before running myself through a few quick and gentle yoga routines, because one of my goals is to get back to being able to do shoulder stands, head stands, and hand stands. I loved being upside down when I was a kid, and its a fun, achievable goal in my current state of fitness (even as crunchy and inflexible as my muscles currently feel).

 

Done anything fun in YOUR body recently? =)

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Comments

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

Six mile hike on Sunday.

Determined my single rep max for squats - .65 of my bodyweight.

Pyramid with 10x 50% max weight, 8x 60%, and 6x 70% maw weight. Followed with overhead squats.

Assisted chin up with 40 lbs assist.

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

I recently got to try assisted pull ups. They were fun!

Also, I wonder whether I know Pyramid by some other name or if it is new to me.

[delphid]

Um. Yeah. :)

Oh, and also a bunch of scrambling around in a creek bed last week looking for stages of a geocaching puzzle (before the rains really started). Slipped on a rock and dunked myself. Still had a blast.

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

Both of those sound like fun.

[meri-sielu.livejournal.com]

I haven't as yet but I am planning to do a 26mile sponsored walk for a cancer charity between Stonehenge and Avebury in August which I'll need to start training for soon. Plus I really want to pick up a belly dancing class at some point. :)

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

Oh you lucky! I've never made it to Stonehenge OR Avebury! I lived in the UK for the '90-91 school year and have made several trips back, often to visit the college sweetheart...

And 26 miles of walking would be quite the achievement!

And I love belly dancing.

[i-am-dsh.livejournal.com]

healing plantar fasciitis, and going to weekly physical therapy.

Therapist is kindly helping me with core strength, and we found that I have weakness in my lower back and right hip (that probably contributed to the foot problem.) So I have a bunch of exercises to do, many on a big ball,

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

I love the big ball! And I have similar situation wrt foot pain. I also saw a chiropractor for care and he adjusted a place ... Sacroiliac joint, that has made quite a bit of difference.

Mall walking with good headphones FTW

[capybyra.livejournal.com]

Dancing is a work in slow process.

[grltalk.livejournal.com]

I can deadlift 110 pounds for 10 reps. That is exciting to me. :)

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

Oooh. I have done very little deadlifting. That does sound exciting!