32 kg Presses, lunges, crawls

Figured that doing heavy singles in the press today would make me less sore than the reps have done and I'm tired of having shoulders AND leg sore :)

So it was 32 kg since last workouts 28's was pretty strong. And it was strong today too; on my RIGHT side not my left, which pretty much sucked.

Clean and press 
16 kg x 5/5
         x 3/3
20 kg x 3/3
24 kg x 2/2
28 kg x 1/1
32 kg x miss left/1
         x miss/1
         x miss/ 1
         x miss/ 1
28 kg x 2/2 x 2
24 kg x 2/2 x 2
28 kg x 1/1

left side was totally out of it. I mean NOTHING. Bell didn't budge and elbow flew up! Went down in weight to try to figure out a groove and it helped a lot. My left side clean position didn't feel right all workout so that's what I focused on. Have to get the elbow under the bell much more than on the right.

Standing lunges Superset with bike
5 sets of 10/10 and 1.5 min

these went GREAT, the new closer stance repeated the success of last week. and ROM wa smuch better. Same on the bike where I was doing reps for all of Glenn's set as well. At the end took the height down to normal and it was fine. this was good although I am already at the limit of the tension for the bike :)

Back press
double strands x 10 x 3 sets!!!

don't know where THIS came from but it was the strongest it's ever been since I purchased them!

Crawl
2 x 50 ft. PR length
1 x 30 feet

this kicked my ass but is also getting much smoother and easier although it it still wicked hard.

Sunday walk

A pretty hard one today after yesterdays heavy work but good nonetheless. I drove to the Campbell Park trail to do compete a full loop and another goal accomplished. Wasn't bad at all but I think I like doing my laps around my park even better.

hate driving there, no parking and only decent dirt on the return route; just asphalt on the way out.
Took 30 minutes for my legs to warmup as well. NO stretchout first; an experiment. Calves, shins and knees were not as happy. Lesson learned, stretch out the feet and the calves before a long walk.

5,436 steps
2.31 miles
2.6 mph
53 minutes

Getting there but the hardest part is fitting in all the extra recovery work I need to do to help with the extra PT work I have to do :)

36 kg one arm swings

COLD morning so it was slow getting started.Had 36 kg swings on  my mind but wasn't sure if my grip would be good. Arms were still a bit tender from Wed 24 kg snatches :)

I was thinking of sets of five when I started but it felt strong so I laddered up

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5
36 kg x 5/5,6/6,7/7 x 3 rungs
108 reps
8532 lb

very very decent. Usually this is the weight where my grip starts to talk back to me but it was fine. better than fine/ STRONG! It's a a trip how having TWO sides that actually work makes the whole body SO much stronger but it seems to be the case and I never really realized just how much not having left lower body support was killing me :)

Two hand swings, ballistic
40 kg x  10
         x 12
         x 14
         x 10
         x 12
these were tough too and just a few extra reps made a good difference. The guys were using JS bands on their bell and I'm not ready for that but a few extra reps made it a wee bit harder

Two hand CB arm cast
20 x 10/10
25 x 10/10
35 x 6/6

nice! the arm casts, as opposed to the shields don't bother my wrists and lower forearms as much and they will help bring back some upper body mass

SS Cycle : alternate arm casts with a  few minutes on the bike.  easy spinning now.

Bar curl
45 x 5
65 x 5
75 x 4
     x 3

arms now showing fatigue from Wed and all today. that's enough. solid work though. Energy good all the way through workout

Bodyweight: 150.6  :(

datsit.
Sisu/

Snatch,lunges sled, bike and curls

Back to snatching today. LONG ass day and was tired at the start but as usual once I got going I felt tons better. Knee is improving daily still although ankle and foot are very tired from all this extra work and in a new position. Lots of stretching, massage and correctives to help that too.
Tracy's foot and calf massages are making an incredible difference :)

Snatch
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 5/5 x 5 sets
50 reps

Not a bad start at all. First time I've snatched in probably 6-7 weeks too. ever move feels different now that I have a totally different left leg and this is no exception. Felt good although I am a special kind of tight overhead! Not even close to enough focus and work on that area but I can only do so much

Stationary lunges

8 sets of 8-12 reps bodyweight SS Bike rotations 40-50 reps

got this figured out how to work it for maximum knee flexion and ROM . a CLOSE stance. basically try to touch the back knee to the front heel! crazy but it feels very good right now and front knee translation just happens, which is what I want.Very much an old bodybuilder Lunge ,lol.

Sled pulls
50 lbs x 200 ft x 5 laps
1000 ft no problem!

superset with more lunges

barbell curls SS with bike reps
45 x 10
55 x 8, 7, 7

curls were good and the extra bike reps were solid. decent ankle dorsiflexion today during the stroke and almost no shifting. semblances of ankling as well.

body weight is up 152.4  eating early mid and late and everything that appeals :) can't wait to stop this nonsense but it's what I have to do for now.

datsit

28kg long cycle press

SOLID workout but started slow. Good sleep last night and down to just 1/4 ocy before bed. Energy and pain levels were fine at work til my last client then things crashed a bit. Got a ten minute nap and a hot shower before training but things were dicey til I got started.

Can't wait to get this oxy shit out of my system for real, it's playing havoc with so many things in my body I can't believe it. From body temperature regulation, to sleep, to anxiety and agaitation, etc., etc.Thank goodness the pain is dissipating quickly and the healing is going well. Great to have done so well after yesterday's big workload.

One arm swing warmup; 16 kg x 5/5 x 2 sets

Long cycle clean and press
16 kg x 5/5
         x 3/3
20 kg x 4/4
24 kg x 3/3
28 kg x 2/2 x 5 sets
24 kg x 5/5
         x 4/4
         x 3/3

the 28's were all over the place although very strong. I was trying to push out and up and it kept swinging wide, especially left. then I went back to the 24 and basically pushed straight up and it worked great.

haven't been thinking or stretching my shoulders and lats much this last month and I can tell.hasn't been a high priority and it's been very cool that the shoulders haven't hurt. but time to get going on them again.

Belt squat
 24 kg x 12, 12, 10, 10

these were ok and deeper than prior tkr( Glenn says 3-4 "). felt ok but I think I'm going to go to box squats to work the depth more. just have to figure out how to load it a bit.

Crawls
 4 laps  of 30 feet with some rocking at the end of each lap

the best these have felt yet.

3 rounds of 50 reps on the exercise bike. rotations were much smoother than Sat and could do them in my vibrams which I couldn't sat. nice. even got some ankle dorsiflexion going. :)

back press
4 sets of 10 with blue band

suprsingly hard :(

BODYWEIGHT this AM = 150
mid day 152

getting back up there finally


datsit.
SISU

32 kg one arm swings, 44 kg power swings

cut back on the meds last night and slept poorly. it's so weird. once I get up and move around the calf/ leg feels ok but I can't find a position where it's good for more than a few hours. Got to fix that. No sleep sucks.

But strength was ok and was good as soon as I got going:

One arm swings
16kg x 5/5 x2
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
32 kg x 5/5 x 8sets
          x 10/10 
100 reps
7000 lbs

no problem felt square and solid and my left leg tracked really well

44 kg Power swings
44 kg x 5 x 5 sets
25 reps
2425 lbs

these were surprisingly strong as well although the groove was hard to find for the first few sets. definitely different with this knee and the closer stance that I am taking in everything now

Alternate
stationary cycling ( 50-100 reps)

Barbell curls
45 x 10
55 x 5,6,7,8

Got the full revolution on first attempt, a very good improvement.

Curls felt strong too. wanted some higher reps

Six Point rocking 20-30 reps
Four point rocking 20-30 reps

both with neck nods.REALLY like these and crawling again. Really.

datsit
Sisu/

Four weeks post op

Good day. Slept well and long. Took my 1/2 oxy at midnight just because I knew I should but it wasn't that bad. Got a good stretchout this am and knee and ankle felt pretty solid. Lots of tight of course but definitely going in the right direction.

Lowered pad on half kneeling lunge stretch to folded yoga mat. No problem but lots of stretch.Myo ball and IT band work.

Break around 8 and did prone quad stretch against wall and that was painful. things just started to light up.Isolated static stretches seem to really create pain and tension. then did prone quad stretch with strap and this has lots of potential .Need to tie in dorsiflexion with knee flexion and that's the toughie. Knee flexion with plantar flexion not so hard but it doesn't seem like it will translate

Lots of food. Coffee with cream and honey, bagel with cream cheese and oj milk and protein powder shake all before 7. felt good.

1/4 oxy at 10 and this helps immediately so more dynamic mobility for squatting movements and more half kneel stretches.

walking feels solid

1:30
CB swipes
10 lbs x 3  x 10
15 lbs x 12
          x 12
          x 14
          x 16
          x 18
          x  20

strong and easy but like last time I'm not sure my shoulders like these. back to snatches next week


Bodyweight lunges


these were good and tough at the same time. started off with the staff as a cane and switched to the squat rack position after one set. this challenged my balance more but activated the stabilizers more and that made it easier than the supported stance

4 sets of 8/8

Sled drag


these were great. just last week I bailed half way through these from sheer fatigue. today was strong but I can still see  I need more hip flexion and toe off. pleased as punch though. my leg is straight and tracking right and I don't have to think about it

4 laps of 200 ft with 45 lbs
1 of 200 with 55 lbs

supersetted with standing marching as Glenn did his set. these felt really really good.Definitely will help hip and knee flexion

Upright bike
about 100 revolutions!!!!

Once I got warmed up it was pretty much no problem and almost no side shift! still have to get the ankle dorsi flexed but one thing at a time

datsit
sisu

Short cycle presses, kb deadlifts and crawls

not the best day. A bit overworked and trying to hard to turn revolutions on the bike. working through too much pain and not getting a quality result. Pushing reset, literally. I did the recumbent today and although I could sit without the airex pad seat it wasn't good. I will stick with the upright bike and work on increasing ROM much more gently. I'm done forcing it. Walking, stairs stretching, crawling. marching( high knees) squats etc seem to do more to increase ROM than trying to force through reps on the bike.

Short cycle press
16 kg x 5/5 x2
20 kg x 3/3
24 kg x 3/3 x 8 sets

these were surprisingly strong and fast.wasn't feeling more hip work.

Kb deadlifts
28 kg x 5
32 kg x 5
36 kg x 5
40 kg x 5
48 kg x 8 x 2

these worked my quads well. next week stand on two plates increase depth and ROM

Crawls

4 passes of 20 feet.

done very slowly trying not to lift the left hip and the knee came under.these felt very right. complete extension and as much flexion as possible

Rocking
2 sets of 10 reps - done on knees, toes plantar flexed
Rocking in crawl 1 sets of 10

these have EXCELLENT potential for increasing knee , hip and ankle ROM!

AM training
recumbent bike
stair work up and down ( made it down 2 flights with just one hand hold on railing!)
stability ball wall squats  - close stance, these felt great!
foam roller
half kneeling hip stretch

datsit
sisu

28 kg One arm swings

Making my way back. Strength feels good but conditioning still has quite a ways to go. Sleep is much better although I am still up at 2:45 or 3 am instead of being able sleep in til 4 :) Calf pain is down, ROM is better, walking is even better and I bought an upright bike to keep the ROM inproving and start putting some meat on my legs

And my body. I was a huge 148.8 this morning despite eating more and more each day. Not happy about that but I'm sure it will catch up soon.Able to work most of my shift without crashing and that's good too.

Just the beginning but I am way ahead of schedule, truth be told.

One arm swings
16 kg x 5/5 x 2
20 kg  x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
28 kg x 5/5
         x 6/6
         x 7/7
         x 8/8
         x 9/9
         x 10/10
         x 5/5
         x 6/6
         x 7/7
126 reps
7938 lbs

Two hand swings
32 kg x 10 x 6 sets

these were solid too although my lack of stamina started to catch up with me here

Clubbell shield casts
20 lbs x 10/10 x 2
25 lbs x 8/8

Barbell curls
45 x 10
55 x 10 x 3

all good

datsit
Sisu

Solid day of rehab,work and training

It didn't seem like I slept well but awoke with good energy and less pain than the day before. The knee and the leg is feeling more normal than ever and I am trusting more and more that when I put weight on my left foot my knee won't hurt and buckle. It's cool :)

Doc told me yesterday to spend more time on the bike and doing revolutions so that's what I focused on this morning.
Had to use airex pads to raise the seat and it was tough( up on toe, hip shift) to get even one revolution but after a few it started oiling up and the reps got easier. I need an upright as I don't like shifting the hip so much.
Worried about my back.

Lots of stretch work all morning today with squatting opening up , half kneeling getting better, back over ball, and seated heel slides.

No mid morning crash and only one oxy yesterday!

Training:
Clubbell swipes
2 10s x 10 x 3
2 15s x 10, 12, 14 x 2 rounds


these felt great! the close stance really let me work ankle flexion as well as knee flexion. it didn't hurt at all and felt very "right". weight felt light. this has always been a strong, natural movement for me.


Bodyweight lunges:
5,6,7,8

using a stick for balance but these felt GREAT! NO knee pain at all and also felt very "right". Excellent stretch on the rear leg for rectus femoris and of course knee ROM, great ankle and toe dorsi flexion( which is sorely needed) and of course all the great quad glute and calf work on the lead leg.
Way better than expected.

Crawling
4 sets of 4 feet( 20 each way)
these also went very well and will definitely be in my tool box forever. Lots going on here that needs improvement but the main thing is that I can do it at all and it didn't hurt. I don't think there will be ramifications tomorrow for it either.


this would a great day. finished strong with a 'wee' bit left in the tank for the first time since the surgery.
Tomorrow is a low intensity, longer walk when I get home from work. Can't neglect that but man, there's a lot of stuff I have to do everyday :)

datsit
sisu

First day back to work, stairs, clean and presses and figuring out this schedule :)

First day back was not that bad. Slept very well again, even though I was up an hour early at 3 am I felt rested and ready. Forgot to put on the compression calf sleeve but still no cramps! excellent. Work was not that hard and being able to move around a lot and continually stretch and experiment with PT type work was good.

I also added in one flight of stairs, up and down each time I took a potty break so I ended up with three trip and 30 stairs. Again, up was no issue at all( !!!!) no pain in the knee( crazy!) and down was decent; two hand rails close enough to use, not too high of a stair and I held each step for 2-3 seconds to stretch out.

Just half an oxy when I got to work and it was fine. Lots of stability ball rocking, regular walking, walking holding kbs, squat work and even got my left leg almost down to half knee on  an airex pad.

BUT I was bone tired when it came time to train and barely made it through:Needed more food, too.

Clean and press
one arm swing warmup 16 kg x 5/5 x 2
C/P
16 kg x 5/5
         x 4/4
20 kg x 3/3
24 kg x 2/2
         x 3/3
         x 4/4 x  2 rounds.



it was freakin hot in there today and I was gassed at the end of this. Strength is good but stamina has a long way to comeback

KB deads
16 kg x 5
20 kg x 5
24 kg x 5
28 kg x 5
32 kg x 5

using these instead of squat to help the knee bend. not ready for anything weighted in the squat. These were good.

Sled drag
25 lb x 100 ft fwd and 100 ft back ( too light)
45 lbs x "              " x 3 trips
600 ft of work

now I'm beat. off to ice, nap and eat.


datsit.
sisu/

Leaving "Mommy Mode"

I used to train. Really train. I mean really, really train. I lived for it. Breathed it, slept it, dreamt it,lived it.Planned my life around it for many many years.
Even after I was injured pretty badly twice in a short amount of time I found something else to train for, something else that I could do to my limit. To my potential. Or at least go down reaching for my potential.
It was the process that I was so enthralled with; the flow state that I lived to immerse myself in as much as possible. It was my preferred state of being.

But in 2000, after my last back injury I gave in, gave up to training and went into survival mode, or what I call "mommy mode". Basically I stopped trying to make progress in my physical training and just 'try not to hurt yourself son" mode. Or mommy mode.

It was a wise choice. The only choice really.Everything was broken in one way or another and had been for  a long time. I was lucky that I could move at all. Especially lucky that I could swing. That saved me.

But it's been a long 13 years of mommy mode and now I'm done with it. I can do all kinds of things I haven't been able to forever and that's empowering on a a huge scale. Especially now that I can walk. That is bringing of sense of freedom and security I hadn't really planned on.But it's realy and it's great.

And now I have a serious goal that I can train for; the two weeks of traveling and teaching coming up in just about 6 weeks from now in Croatia and Italy. I will have to walk and walk and walk alot for that trip and then turn around 4 weeks after that and travel to Israel and walk stand and teach again.

This time only for one week but it's a big trip nonetheless.

And part of me getting ready for it will be my walking training and today I hit the first important goal: One Hour of Continuous walking!  It's a bit hard to believe that is was just a little less that two weeks ago that I was amazed I could walk around my block without stopping with just a cane!

Sunday walk:
4345 steps
1.8 miles
1:02 time
1.8 mph

that seems a little short on distance but I don't really care. I just care that I walked at a decent pace for 60 minute straight with no problem then did these ; my first crawls


wasn't sure I could do them at all and they were very herky jerky but they got done ( 3 sets of 30 feet or so) and I can really feel all the potential this has for my knee rehab and ROM. Very cool.

so the goal has been met, and the first workout of the day is over. Some breakfast and some more squat position mobility/flexibility work!

datsit.
Sisu/

Rebuilding strength and condition

Weird night last night. Slept well until 1:30 then woke with some serious calf and hamstring pain. Tried to find a good position but it was not to be. Tracy  helped me out with a great massage. that really helps but it make the days very long when you get up this early :) Took 1/2 less oxy yesterday and I don't think that caused it but it was not fun.

Can't wait til I sleep through the nights again. No sweats though and that's progress

Warmup: 30 minute walking, easy pace and no mobility work,just kept the solid pace and gait.

8 am
One arm swings
12 kg x 5/5
16 kg x 5/5
20 kg x 5/5
24 kg x 5/5
         x 6/6
         x 7/7
         x 8/8
         x 9/9
         x 10/10
 these went well although it took awhile to adjust to all the new alignments. No pain though just have to conciously BEND the left knee more.Weight felt light

Two hand swings
16 kg x 10
24 kg x 10 x 4 sets


getting tired now. these felt light and easy too.

Clubbell arm casts
15 x 10/10
25 x 5/5
    x 8/8
    x 10/10

Barbell Curls
45 x 5
55 x 5 x 3 sets

Now this felt like a real workout, sweating and everything,lol. SO nice to be able to start with a mile long walk and have it be nothing. bodes well.

have a lot of work to do to get my endurance and stamina back to where they were; I think my strength will come back faster than that but we'll see.

The goal is my walking ability in Croatia and Italy. not the Beast yet. Soon enough

datsit
Sisu

" The legs are the first to go"

So says the old adage about how to tell when people start getting old  and I think it's true.People's legs get weak very quickly as they age through disuse, injury or a combination of both.Keeping one's legs strong is neither fun nor easy.They are big, tough muscles and demand a lot of work to maintain much less improve strength and endurance.

It's a stereotype and running joke in most gyms about how busy it is on chest and arm day and how deadly quiet it is on leg day.That was always the hallmark for me if someone was going to be a good training partner or now as to whether he always made it to 'leg day'. G-d forbid he skip it without calling. If they did miss it someone better be bleeding and or in the emergency room.

Leaving me without a spot on squat day was a terminal offense. Meaning your ass got terminated as  "training partner" immediately. Legs are hard but they also have a big payback. Injury your knee or your ankle and see how complicated, hard and heavy life gets. And how quickly.

I've been living, and operating on basically one leg for most of my life and now that I have two working legs it's pretty eye opening just how imbalanced and out of square I was. Didn't really have much choice when one side of the body won't hold you up but it was a revelation.

I immediately felt a strong sense of security and freedom, of all things.When you only have one working leg you literally can't " stand on your own two feet", or run away from danger, hell I couldn't even WALK away. " Carry your own weight" or "stand your ground"." He doesn't have a leg to stand on" describes weakness at it's worst.

I could barely stand up at all,really. Now I know I will be able to walk as far as I need to to accomplish whatever goal that occurs. I will be able to run to, or from a situation that requires speed of action. And, most importantly,  I will be able to stand up On my own two feet, for whatever life throws at me :)

So many of our elders are too weak to get out of chair, or get off the floor if they fall. That is tragic but it will never be me .

Light day today walking, focus on technique, multiple terrains, speeds, some marching, backwards walking and high steps

3842 steps
1.636 mile
44 min
2.2 ave speed

Sleep was good, up at 3 am with tight leg but slept mostly through the night. Foam roll and floor work started the day

Deload walk and some stairs, first walk no cane.

Took it easier today and walked 2864 steps about two miles in about 40 minutes Went slower worked on technique and de loaded a bit.But I did it with NO CANE at all. Didn't even put it in the car.I felt I was ready.
 At the end did these stairs twice



Man, I have literally FORGOTTEN how to walk down stairs correctly. I haven't done it in so long I have completely lost the pattern! This was good start to re learning.

afterwards ice, foam roller, stretching and knee rocks on the stability ball.

Morning surprise. I could hang my left leg completely down to the floor, to 90 degrees with no pain first thing,which I couldn't do yesterday.

Not a great nights sleep, calf cramps, Diana suggested compression stockings so I wrapped my calf slightly with an ace bandage ( lightly) to create some compression and see if it helps tonight. the stockings are coming saturday


weight up a bit to 151.5 appetite much better. feel more normal than sick. No night sweats last night thank G-d, those suck.

lots of little work all day long today. a good deload day. tomorrow to the studio to play on the recumbent bike, elliptical and treadmill. this should be interesting.

Two week anniversary workout

 

After yesterdays smaller volume I decided that I would try to do a longer walk today to celebrate my two week post TKR anniversary. I was pretty knackered all afternoon though, don't know why, but I was just tired. Knee was ok and calf was less tight but I took more than a few naps.:)

I DID manage to get through the night with just one oxy which is HUGE! Woke up at 1:30 am and used the roller, stick and lacrosse ball to open things up rather than take another pill and this time it worked! Back up at 3 and that was enough time to wait.

Big walk! 
6:30 am
7,361 steps
3.13 miles
53 minutes
3.5 mph

PLUS most of it was without the cane. Just carried it. Did use it the last 12 minutes or so as I was fatiguing and didn't want to let my gait get too wonky.
some fun on the pbars:


Then stair practice:
UP 15 steps- no problem 
DOWN 15 VERY slowly letting the rear leg stretch on each rep. not too bad, but man have I forgotten how to do this :)


 11 am
One arm swings
12 kg x 10/10 x 5 sets
100 reps!!



Olympic bar curls
4 x 7 

easy :) should have added weight

Gripper
Trainer x 3
#1 x 3 singles
# 1.5 x 3 almost singles
#1 x 3 singles
#1.5 x 2 almosts

great stuff.like a real workout.

what a blessing. what a privilege it is to be able to move and work and suffer with the effort of good work. I am very lucky to have this chance to start over again. very lucky. and I will not male a mess of it or ever take it for granted. This, I swear.

datsit
Sisu

An odd vacation

Seemed to have figured something out last night, or I am just healing,but I actually slept very well, with only one night sweat tshirt change and pretty much pain free until 2 am when the left calf wanted to get up. that was 6 hours of decent rest. Took an oxy right before bed at 8, seemed to have worked well but I had 4 overall yesterday.

Not going to worry about it this week. I'm on vacation.

I never take vacations. I have nothing against them but I just never have. It seems only when I get hurt do I get a chance to take time out and take care of myself. It's an odd way to get to 'relax' but it's something.
I have 6 days, including today  until I have to go back to work and then won't be able to focus on myself from the start , when I am most rested and have the best energy.So I am going to enjiy every day of this week. and if the calf pain would let go it bit it would make it easier.

The calf pain feels 'nervy', very much like sciatica, and it very well may be sciatica. I got up, got on the floor and rolled out, did some up and down dogs and stretched out the hammies. got to sleep for another hour.

as per usual once up I felt much better

Walk
6:15 am sun just coming up, so beautiful and fresh air.

2748 steps
1.17 mile
1.8 mph
39 min total

This was exactly what I needed, a down day, stepping back but still challenging the walk in different ways.
started off purposely slow , concentrating on toe off. Stop at a Church a couple blocks in and practiced some stair work  5 stairs x 3 times. then back into the walk

at the part used the bleacher stair to do  lunge type stretch.plant the foot and lean in. good knee and calf stretch.

as per Pavel's advice I did a one foot static calf stretch off the bleacher. hold for about a minute. need to do this one lots more. a long static calf stretch.

varied the terrain I was walking on. From dirt path to wet grass, to dry grass, tan bark,back to dirt,etc, Also played with walking on the curb as if it were a balance beam. excellent for everything especially balance and stability training. one the way home did 3 blocks of walking backwards!

Now this is really felt was important. TONS of quad work as well as ankle and calf. Once I got back to the house did two more 200 ft sections backwards. Love it.

So this one was slower, shorter and less intense but incorporated all kinds of great rehab and PT movements. Oh, also did my first supported squats, holding onto a tree, with a medium width stance. Not much depth but it didn't hurt much either.

Took the cane with but didn't use it much at all except on the varied terrain and at the end of the walk, when I felt the leg fatigue.


Afterwards, ice and LOTS of myo ball and rollering and thumping. This was great and it's just the start of the day.

More walking and still no sleep

Even with more oxy sleep is poor. I get no more than a few hours( if i'm lucky) before  tightening calf, hammy and IT band wake me up. Searching for a leg position that doesn't do this ( and believe me I've tried everything twice) and it's a bit frustrating.

It's one thing to deal with pain, another to deal with pain in the night, and quite another to ( try) to deal with pain in the night when you're exhausted from no sleep and tons of day pain and no solution in sight.

Ack.

But as exhausted as I may be as soon as I actually get up, instead of trying to eke out a few more minutes of "sleep" , have a coffee I start to feel pretty good.

For today's walk Tracy and I went to the Campbell Park and walked around the parcourse.
And, of course, since she was with me I went too far and too fast. Not drastically just a  bit too much

6004 steps
2.56 mile
45 min
3.4 mile mph

this is more than what the mile markers said at the park but I'm going with the data from the pedometer. This is a solid pr and perhaps the most I've walked continuously in 20+ years :)
Tracy helped me a lot in my gait pattern, she is developing a very good coaches eye.

Worked on getting my ankles to actually bend as I go through the ROM. Cues were to lift the heel instead of toe off and lift the foot in swing phase instead of lift the knee. All good although I had to ice and stretch as soon as I got home

Bodyweight: 150 lbs  ouch. not sleeping ,eating or training will do that to a guy. No worries it will come back soon enough.

11am Grip work
Trainer
x 3,4,5 x 3 rounds

#1 ordered.

back to sitting on the stability ball and doing tons of knee rocks to get the knee to bend more. a very easy way to get LOTS of flexion reps in without even  thinking about it.

Also, can tolerate the foam roller ( blue only) now and that helps.

datsit.
Sisu/

Walking practice

6:30 am walking practice:

4,968 steps
2.15 mile
ave speed 3.0
total time 42:12

this free pedometer app is great. really working on all parts of gait mechanics: full extension at contact point, straight leg in support phase,full stretch into toe off in rear phase, bend then lift the knee in swing phase. Rinse and repeat.

Very interesting what muscles are actually working on their own ( glutes, calves) now that the unstable wonky knee is gone.

Also did block long marching drills focusing on high ( as possible without losing back position) knees and cross body pattern.

9 more days left of my 'vacation' and I'm going to make the most of it 

Not a great nights sleep. tried to minimize the meds and it didn't work well. got some sleep but achy leg muscles made the rest of the night miserable. Todays strategy: take the oxy RIGHT before I go to bed and work backwards on the rest of the day, splitting pills as necessary now.

Otherwise than that great day yesterday. The walk got slower at the end and I could feel fatigue but not pain. make great point NOT to change gait mechanics to compensate for fatigue. This is great. So love being out before the sun comes up and the world starts to get noisy, smelly and hot :)

Just the first workout; have stretching, mobility, cpm machine and myofascial work to do later
Now ice.