Friday, August 30, 2013

Pedestrian



 Last night was much better than the night before although still had a decent sized headache in the AM. It's probably the meds. I took 4 yesterday and will try to get down to 3 today. Ditching the ice machine helped too as far as keep the knee less stiff. Still have to ice, just going to use ice bags.

Did that twice last nice and worked well. As soon as I get up and moving the head feels better. It's probably this head forward position I am in more than ever sitting in bed and chairs so much. I can take the knee pain better than I can headache. Hate headache.:)

Sweated twice last night as well but less than before, another fun side effect of Oxy. Yea!

 Got up stretched out the hamstring and foot and go into the CPM machine. Didn't use it yesterday and might as  well get as much out of it as I can while it's here. Started at 87 and went up a degree each rotation til I got to 100 and then did 10 reps there. It was not easy. Need to push this up to 115 asap. Then right into the walk.

Nice overcast morning and I took another route. One of the things I remember well about my running walking days is that I always ran by time, not distance, so I could go anywhere I wanted which was very 'freeing'.

In fact today reminded me very much of my old days as a runner/ walker.Just as I am student of physical culture now I was then as well and the 'old guys' in the endurance world were called "pedestrians". Basically long distance movers who ran, walked, jogged and sprinted huge distances on foot.

There was a freedom attached to that ability that I found mesmerizing.The ability to just walk out your door under your own power and GO. For almost as far and long as you wanted to. I used to  run/walk twice a day, seven days a week for more than a few years training for ultra distance racers, which I never competed in but didn't matter. The training was the thing; the freedom was the thing. Getting into the flow and getting lost there for hours was the thing. Nothing made me feel more at peace than that.

And even my little walk this morning brought that back to me full force.

I walked 1.12 miles this morning 2641 steps and they were all glorious. I finished, as is my habit, faster than I started and it was smoother than I have walked in eons. I made a habit of going up and down each curb to work the steps and that was way easier already too. Even going down.

Plus, lets not forget NO PAIN while walking. I can't hardly believe it. Just 13 days ago the same walk would have seriously hurt and I would have had to spend a few hours untangling the knots it created. Now I feel just fine.Tired overall but fine.

Next up will be some high steps, heel slides stability ball knee slides and some other stuff. Super happy. Now, if I can really sleep at night.....

EDIT

11 am work
on the floor with lacrosse ball under piriformis and all i can say is  YEOOOWWWW!!! Man those are tight! doing in the bed with the supernova ball isnt the same. they lit up like the fourth of July. notice as I was trying to get to the floor ( frog squat) that there was lots of tension in external rotation- usually NOT the problem. so I went to the hip rotators. good idea lots of work to be done there. as well as the lower hammies with the lacrosse ball as well, on the floor :)

also, doing toe point pike sit now is completely different for the same reason. left leg used to externally rotate SO much couldn't internally rotate much at all. now it's basically even.and straight, as are my knees :)
my L sit will look much better now

couple bouts of ice bags, foam roller and LOTS of thumper on calves and hammies and IT. TFL and top quads still too sensitive for it yet. but helping a lot

2 comments:

Diana said...

Frozen peas make great ice packs! They form just how they need to form and can be used over and over!
Reading your thoughts on running/walking makes me think of my running days! How sad that I may not ever embrace the freedom of opening my door and going~
Continued prayers and well wishes for a great recovery!

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks diana we have a stock of peas and fake frozen peas( from the drugstore) I like them better than the ice machine, actually

as far as running vs walking I can get to the same place walking as running, it just takes a little longer.

we are the best walkers in the animal kingdom by far. not so much in the running dept.
embrace the walk.

155 x 3 x 5, 160 x 3 x 5, 20 kg swings 5 x 8/8, floor pushups 40, 35

 Thought about going back to 5x5 for a hot second then my left shoulder  reminded me why I stopped doing them before. It doesn't seem to...