Workout 120702: Relief

Monday's Workout:

15min Treadmill - Random level 5
10 Squats with 10 lbs
10 Side Lunges each side with 10 lbs
On Swiss Ball with 5 lb weights:

• 10 bicep curls
• 10 front raise
• 10 side raise
• 10 shoulder press

20 Crunches on Swiss Ball
15 Hip Adbuctors with  3 sec hold
Stretch

I promised myself that I would return to the gym this week.  I kept that promise.  What an amazing feeling!  I'm so relieved to have set a goal again and taken the steps to accomplish it.  This is a start to getting back on track.  Everyday I follow through is another day I have to feel good about this process.

*exhale*

This workout took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.  I took it easy on the treadmill because I want to see how my feet do with my new shoes and plantar fasciitis.  I'm pretty much pain free the last week, so I'm hopeful that this is clearing up.  The workout was a good start.

Plantar Fasciitis

The doctor says Plantar Fasciitis which is an inflammation of the plantar fascia which runs long the bottom of the foot.  The treatment prescribed is not something I'm happy with.  Expensive shoes.  Limitations on the machines I can use at the gym.  Stretching.  Icing.  More expensive shoes.  And time.

I'm not particular happy with this diagnosis.  While it might be accurate, Plantar Fasciitis sounds like the thing they diagnose when nothing else is wrong.  There is no heel spur.  No bone spur.  No fracture.  No torn anything.  I have fallen arches, flat feet, heavy pronation, but I knew all that.  I will cling to the fact that there is nothing structurally wrong with my feet.  Much like the work I've done to be reintroduced to my gluts, I must get to know my feet.

I started last night by purchasing new sneakers.  I'm completely freaked out about how much money I spent, but so far they are feeling pretty good.  By pretty good I can say that they are like a breath of fresh air after wearing the old beat up pair I've been getting by with.  I tend to put up with bad shoes for way longer than anyone should.  I simply forget over time how good a new pair that is fitted for my feet feels, so I wait and wait and wait.  When I finally try on a new pair, I just about swoon over how good my feet feel..

Another part of pretty good is how these shoes don't let me stand like I'm used to standing.  I spend an incredible amount of time standing on the sides of my feet to make up for having flat feet.  These shoes don't let me roll my feet in (pronate) or out (supinate).  It's a very strange sensation.  My gut impression is that when I find myself standing on the sides of my feet again while wearing these shoes, it will be time to get new shoes.

These new shoes are Brooks Ariel.  I wore a Brooks brand shoe a few years ago to survive the havoc that my first pregnancy wreaked on my feet.  They were good shoes, but I remember them taking a long time to get use to.  I can feel that in these as well.  Maybe it is that they make me stand different than I used to.  I'm not really sure why they feel strange today.  Thankfully there is a return policy if I don't adjust to them over the next week.

So that is my foot story.  I'm not thrilled with the diagnosis, but I'm happy that nothing is truly wrong with my feet.  I'm spending today adjusting to my shoes.  Tomorrow is my weigh-in.  We'll see if I can get myself together enough to get to the gym.  Or workout at home tonight.  Wish me luck!

Reality Check

Yesterday I had to head home early from work.  My foot hurt enough that all I could think about was getting home and resting it.  So that's what I did.  I also made an appointment to see a doctor in the sports medicine practice I've been going to for my knee.  They can't see me until June 18th.  My only hope at an earlier appointment is to call back in every couple of days to see if they have a cancellation.  I will be trying that.

In the meantime, I'm attempting to stay off my feet and not feel sorry for myself.  That second part is kind of hard.  I'm not great at switching gears and this pain is causing a massive downshift in my plans.  Until yesterday afternoon, I was still pushing.  I kept thinking that the pain would just pass.  Sometimes pain does that.  Today I'm not pushing so hard anymore.  I'm not a doctor and until the doctor can tell me why this is hurting, I'm going to do my best to stay off it.

What does that mean for my workouts?

First off, no stairs.  By that I mean no climbing flights of stairs at work right now.  I have stairs in my house which are functionally necessary for me living there.  Just no extra stairs.  I'll erase my count and start again after I'm either cleared by the doc or the pain goes away.  Now I just have to believe that this isn't a failure.

Secondly, cardio will be done in the pool.  I'm planning two swim workouts each week.  This afternoon I'm going to go purchase some swim goggles (did I already say that yesterday?).  I'm also spending some time on the internet tonight to pick out a new swimsuit.  Mine is embarrassingly loose (Eek!!!) and over 10 years old.  The time has come.  And gone.  And come again.

Third coping mechanism, strength workouts will be done at home.  I'm compiling a list of PT exercises that I've done and focusing on the ones which don't require standing.  Thankfully there are more than a few.  Also, I have the arm/shoulder work that the personal trainer went over with me.  I'll plan on 40 minutes of strength training twice a week, the length of time it takes to make it through one episode of Buffy (don't judge).  If I find Buffy too distracting, I'll switch to the radio.  :)

And finally...  I promise to be kind to myself.  I promise to try to be patient.  My biggest hope is that I'm making all these plans which will be deemed unnecessary tomorrow when my foot magically stops hurting.  My reality is that I have lots of things I can keep doing while my foot heals.  Now I just need to do them.

Workout 120606: Flipper

I'm still concerned about my heel.  It still hurts.  But I don't want to ruin my gym habit, so to the gym I headed this morning.  My workout?

20 min Swimming

That looks to inadequate to me.  However those 20 minutes were hard!  I know how to swim, but I'm not a smooth swimmer.  I'm not overly coordinated at anything.  Keeping my breathing regular and timing my breaths for when my face wasn't underwater was HARD.  Plus there is the whole propelling myself through water.

This week I'll be doing a little research on how to exercise in a pool when you aren't going to drown, but are really uncoordinated.  I'm not quite sure how I'll phrase that for Google, but I'll share any particularly enlightening searches.  Also, I need to purchase a pair of swim goggles.  In addition to breathing while swimming, seeing would be useful so I don't run into things.  Thankfully there are ropes and walls to keep me from running into other swimmers.  And I guess I'm past worrying about looking like a dork at the pool...  Anyone who is really worried about it isn't working out hard enough.  Shame on them!

Also, yesterday marked my first full day elevator free after my momentary relapse on Monday.  At the encouragement of one of my co-workers I tried the stairs with my heel.  It didn't hurt more than just walking does, so I'm going to keep taking the stairs.  The added per there?  I noticed that I can take three consecutive flights of stairs without dying now!  How cool is that?  I am still a little out of breath when I get to the top, but not so much so that I would be embarrassed to walk up along side a co-worker.  That is super and I'm thankful someone convinced me not to give up.  Woohoo!

As such, I'm also making a note on my white board.  It will document my success in this area.  Here you can see it for yourself.

Workout 020604: Fighting Discouragement

Yesterday my physical therapist advised me to not come in and take it easy.  After no workout in the morning and no PT I determined that I needed to do something at home.  Here's what I did:

5 min Bike
15 Hip Abductors each side
15 Crunches on a Swiss Ball
10 Bicep Curls*
10 Front Raise*
10 Side Raise*
10 Shoulder Press*
15 Swiss Ball Bridges
15 Reverse Curls
Repeat all above one more time
Stretch

*All the arm exercises were done while sitting on a Swiss Ball with a 5 lb weight in each hand.

I'll start by saying I'm exceedingly happy that I did my exercises despite it being 8pm and my heel hurting me.  Given that, I will also say that nothing felt quite right.  My exercise ball didn't have enough air in it.  My coccyx started to hurt.  My foot was not better (but no worse, thankfully) from the exercising.  And I couldn't find my stick to roll out my legs.

This is why I go to the gym.

That said, I'm not sure how much I can do at the gym right now.  This morning I stopped by to drop off the gift certificate for my training sessions, but I didn't work out.  It occurred to me half way through the morning that I can swim at the gym even if my foot is hurting.  That's what I'll do tomorrow.  I'm happy to have a plan of attack to keep moving through this foot thing.  It's only been hurting me for 2 full days, but it making me very nervous.  I've made so much progress and I'm very worried about derailing it now.

I told myself I would wait until Wednesday to make an appointment for my foot, but I think I'm going to get the appointment scheduled today.  Am I being a big baby about this foot?  I'm not sure.  But I'm so tired of being in pain.  I love that I was achieving entire days pain free.  Now that I know that is possible I find this pain to be intolerable.  I also worry that I'll just get used to it like I did with the hip and knee stuff.  Then years go by and I end up a ball of disjointed mess again.  Bleck.

So that's enough wallowing for today.  Call doctor to make appointment for foot.  Swim at gym tomorrow.  The plan of action has been determined.  Moving on!