I am Jester. Hear me whimper.

[Cat]

I did take today off....will probably hit the gym again and take the weekend off (crappy wx is on our way!)

Usually I just do the treadmill at the gym...all the machines are usually taken up and I hate waiting. I have dumbbells* at home to use.


*actually dumbbells, not my stupid cat

[Sapphire Silk]

Panacea, I'm glad you're going to the ER. In my experience, sprains are worse than breaks because with a break, you know you're out for 6 weeks and you feel better at the end of it. Sprains are tougher to have a finite deadline on when they'll be better and people tend to reinjure themselves by pushing too far too fast. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Thanks. I did go to the ER, and it is a very bad sprain. The doc said it could take up to six weeks to heal. By the time I got seen, it was very swollen. She said she was suprised I had actually not broken it based on the swelling alone. They gave me an ace wrap, a stirrup splint, crutches, and a script for Tylenol #3. My ankle is still very, very sore, but the T3 takes the edge off, and the crutches make it possible for me to get around.

I had a horrible experience in the ER, which I'll relate in Sickbay.

I think I'll renew my Y membership so I can use their pool. That should give me a decent enough work out until my ankle heals and I can return to TKD. I'll have to talk to the Master of the school to see if there is some way I can practice my forms and one step sparring solo from time to time with the goal of testing for my next belt at the end of May on schedule (I really don't want to get stuck waiting until June).

[ArcticChicken]

She said she was suprised I had actually not broken it based on the swelling alone.

OTOH, when I broke my foot it didn't swell at all. It took my parents most of a week to believe I'd seriously fucked it up get me in for x-rays.

[Jester]

Today I got out of work later than I would have wanted, and didn't get home till after 7:30. My gym closes at 9. Of course, I sat down and started diddling on the computer, but finally got up off my ass and got to the gym by about 10 after 8. Did a good 30 minutes on the elliptical, and then decided to change things up and did a sprint at 7.0 (no incline) on the treadmill to see how long I could do it. Sadly, only 2 minutes, but I am going to be doing this from time to time and seeing how I fare.

Fridays my gym closest at 8, so if I don't manage to get home from work by 7 or so, I may just jog the five mile Loop. I hate jogging. Bleh.

23/30, Jester. 23/30.

Now that I have a routine...

My problem is I have a routine, but it is not always the same routine. Working as I do at the bar, my shift can be over at 5 (when the second bartender comes in), or at 7 (when the closer comes in), or anywhere in between, depending on business. So some days I'll be able to go bicycling after work (before the sun goes down), some days I'll be able to hit the gym, some days I won't have that long in the gym at all. (Tomorrow night is a perfect example of this. It being a Friday, it is unlikely they will cut me until the closer gets there. This happened tonight, as we were busy, and once I was done closing or transferring all my tabs and finishing up the work I had to do, it was 7:35 before I got into my truck and on my way home. Which left me some time to get a decent workout in, as detailed above. However, tomorrow my gym closes at 8, so if I don't get cut until 7, the gym is not a real option. I can go jogging, though...I just really don't LIKE jogging.)

I also took an anti-infammatory (the aspirin in Excedrin) even though I'm not supposed to (my doctor thinks overuse of nsaids is the cause of my high blood pressure)

If nsaids are an issue, remember that ibuprofen (Advil and its clones) is an anti-inflammatory and, if I recall correctly, not an nsaid. However, don't let my opinions interfere with anything your doctor says, since I see he prescribed you Tylenol 3. This is just a general piece of information for everyone for future reference.

I'll have to figure out a way to do some kind of workout on my upper body until my ankle heals.

If you have access to a gym, there are plenty of machines and weights you can use to exercise your arms, shoulders, chest, back, etc. If you don't have such access, there are many exercises you can improvise with stuff around the house. Hell, you could actually do push-ups, as long as you don't put any weight on the injured foot. (If it were me, I'd use the single healthy foot as the pivot point, resting the injured foot on the back of the healthy one. A bit awkward, perhaps, but definitely doable.)

How many days do you guys/gals take as "rest" days?

Too many, lately!

She said she was suprised I had actually not broken it based on the swelling alone.

Reading this made me realize that I cannot remember ever swelling up from a broken bone.
Broken bone #1: a toe when I was 3. No memory of it, really, so can't comment.
Broken bone #2: right middle finger, age 10, from falling over a bicycle on the sidewalk while playing catch with a friend and his father. No swelling.
Broken bone #3: jaw, at 16, from a bicycle crash. No swelling. Lots of PAIN!!!, but no actual noticeable swelling of the region.
Broken bone #4: left wrist, age 23 or 24, while playing a pickup football game. No noticeable swelling.

Now that I think about it, I don't swell up much from injuries. I know the first time I twisted my ankle badly a few years ago, it swelled up some, but not as bad as I have seen some people swell up.

And this may relate to one of my secrets: I think I'm at least partially made of rubber.

Seriously, though, I have found that I am rather resilient, and bounce back quickly from my injuries. I have only broken four bones in my life (not bad), none of them large or long bones, and none requiring a cast. (My wrist should have been casted, but my doctor at the time was an idiot, so I only got a splint.) I have never pulled a muscle. I have never torn a tendon, ligament, or muscle. I have never dislocated anything. The one really bad ankle twist I had that I mentioned above, I was fine to finish work that night...then as the night went on and I was out at the bars, I found it harder and harder to walk, until I couldn't anymore (getting into my apartment was fun!), but yet, just two days later, I was perfectly fine, with no swelling, no gimpiness, no sign I had had any injury.

[Cat]

Well, its def a back to the gym day to use the tread mill. Taking a break form weights....I figure I won't much cardio this weekend, so I'll concentrate on weights.


Panacea....I hope your ankle heals fast!

[Sapphire Silk]

If nsaids are an issue, remember that ibuprofen (Advil and its clones) is an anti-inflammatory and, if I recall correctly, not an nsaid. However, don't let my opinions interfere with anything your doctor says, since I see he prescribed you Tylenol 3. This is just a general piece of information for everyone for future reference.

Ibuprofen is an nsaid, unfortunately I used to take a lot of it for different kinds of chronic pain: neck, back, PMS, headaches, toothaches, etc. Now I'm down to plain old Tylenol (though for some things it works very well). The T3 has a narcotic (codeine) which is pretty mild for most people, but can make me pretty drowsy if I take more than 1 tablet, or if I take more than 1 a day.

Yesterday the pain was pretty bad. The T3 only took the edge off the pain. Today I'm a lot better. My foot is still pretty sore, but only when I flex it or try to bear weight on it. I figure I'll be on crutches for a few more days at least.

If you have access to a gym, there are plenty of machines and weights you can use to exercise your arms, shoulders, chest, back, etc. If you don't have such access, there are many exercises you can improvise with stuff around the house. Hell, you could actually do push-ups, as long as you don't put any weight on the injured foot. (If it were me, I'd use the single healthy foot as the pivot point, resting the injured foot on the back of the healthy one. A bit awkward, perhaps, but definitely doable.)

There's a couple of gyms near me I can join, including the Y. I just didn't want to spend the money since the TKD classes are kinda expensive. But it would be worth it for a couple of months to keep my program going until my foot heals enough for me to go back to class. I'm hoping 2-3 weeks I'll be able to go back wearing a brace, but I"m not going to rush it--if I'm not ready I'm not ready. I already have an appointment with my ortho next week anyway, so I'll have him look at it when I follow up on my knees.

But it might be worth it to rejoin the Y anyway: I can use the pool (that should be OK on my ankle), AND I can use the weights to help out both my upper body (which needs some attention, it's been neglected) and continue work on my knees.

Reading this made me realize that I cannot remember ever swelling up from a broken bone.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I had much swelling when I broke my foot (the only bone I've ever broken). But that was 10 years ago.

Seriously, though, I have found that I am rather resilient, and bounce back quickly from my injuries. I have only broken four bones in my life (not bad), none of them large or long bones, and none requiring a cast. (My wrist should have been casted, but my doctor at the time was an idiot, so I only got a splint.) I have never pulled a muscle. I have never torn a tendon, ligament, or muscle. I have never dislocated anything. The one really bad ankle twist I had that I mentioned above, I was fine to finish work that night...then as the night went on and I was out at the bars, I found it harder and harder to walk, until I couldn't anymore (getting into my apartment was fun!), but yet, just two days later, I was perfectly fine, with no swelling, no gimpiness, no sign I had had any injury.

I've had many, many sprains: both ankles repeatedly, and both knees. I wouldn't be surprised if I tore ligaments in my knees. I dislocated my left kneecap once, as well. That was excruciating.

[Jester]

Today I got out of work earlier than I expected, so I did get a chance to get to the gym. Thought about doing the stationary bikes, but I knew I'd be doing a lot of bike work this weekend, so I returned to the elliptical, doing a hard 30 minutes. And I was tired. I don't know why, but it was harder than yesterday's, and I really wanted to quit after 18 minutes. I kept going, but I had to coax myself constantly to keep it going and not quit, and actually used you folks as part of that motivation. (Thank you, by the way.)

Then I tried something different on the treadmill. Rather than repeat yesterday's full-on sprint, I started the treadmill on a slow 2.0 speed (no incline), and slowly walked for 2 minutes. Then I upped it to 3.0, walking slightly faster for 1 minute. And I kept increasing the speed every minute. 4.0 was a brisk walk. 5.0 a slow jog. 6.0 a slow run/fast jog. 7.0 a full-on run (though not quite a sprint). I only went a minute on 7.0, and was not able to up it to 8.0, but I look forward to the day when the times and speeds increase.

Amusing side story: I always wear a bandanna as a do-rag on my head. Not for any fashion statement, but because it keeps a lot of sweat out of my eyes, which is a good thing. Well, the other day, the guy at the front desk of the gym asked me if I were a surgeon, due to my particular headgear, admitting as he said it that he was probably stereotyping. (Somehow it struck me as amusing that a black guy would be using that word when talking to a white dude. But my life has always been a bit odd.) I explained my reasoning for the bandanna (just as I explained it to my niece one day when she said I looked "stupid"), and we laughed about it, especially once I told him that I have seven cousins who are doctors. Anyway, when running on the treadmill today, I looked in the mirror and had to admit to myself that, with my glasses and my "surgeon's cap" do-rag, I did kind of look like a doctor! I also looked oddly....bald. Since very little of my hair pokes out from under it. And I was VERY amused when, on leaving the gym today, I took the bandanna off, and got to see the very shocked expression on the same dude's face when he saw that I did, indeed, have plenty of hair under there!

In other news, I still have abstained from beer (other than a quick swallow the other day at work when I had to test a line, and wasn't thinking about it), and have been going very low carb.....and feeling the low energy "carb crash" people have told me about. At least, I think that's what it is. But I think I'm going to try to stay from beer until at least Wednesday, so I can get a better picture of what's going on with me on the scale when I weigh myself Tuesday at the gym. Of course, since the Taste of Key West is on Monday, I am just going to have to stick to wine that night, instead of beer (though I make no vows to that effect). Oh, the sacrifices I make for fitness!

Ibuprofen is an nsaid, unfortunately

As Mr. B. said, you learn something knew every day. And that I most certainly did not know.

I used to take a lot of it for different kinds of chronic pain: neck, back, PMS, headaches, toothaches, etc.

I always have a good supply of it handy due to the jaw I broke when I was 16. I still sometimes have issues with it. And the ibuprofen is the only thing that really works for me. And it's pretty handy for hangovers, too!

The T3 has a narcotic (codeine) which is pretty mild for most people, but can make me pretty drowsy if I take more than 1 tablet, or if I take more than 1 a day.

I am quite familiar with Tylenol 3. When I broke my jaw way back when, after they wired it shut, they gave me T3 (with the codeine, of course), for the pain.

And it did precisely nothing for me. (I have mentioned before my rather high tolerance for drugs.) So they upped me to vicodin. Which did the trick...I remember almost nothing of the next three days.

But it might be worth it to rejoin the Y anyway: I can use the pool (that should be OK on my ankle), AND I can use the weights to help out both my upper body (which needs some attention, it's been neglected) and continue work on my knees.

Plus you can work on a lot of machines that do not require the ankles. A lot of the leg lifting machines (though not all of them) don't put any pressure on the ankles. I dare say there are a lot of machines and weights and exercises you could do even without your ankles.

[Cazzi]

so I returned to the elliptical, doing a hard 30 minutes. And I was tired. I don't know why, but it was harder than yesterday's, and I really wanted to quit after 18 minutes.

I find that happening a lot. Can do a fantastic workout one day, inc 50 mins on the elliptical, then the next day I feel like I can barely get the thing going! I normally put it down to pushing myself too hard, which I'm not supposed to do with my pain/joint condition

I started the treadmill on a slow 2.0 speed (no incline), and slowly walked for 2 minutes....

Bit of bg about me. I have to keep my exercise low impact, as in no running, rowing machine & other fun things.

Over time I've devised a little way of burning up more cals on a treadmill without running. I start off fairy slow.. about 2.2km/hr at the steepest incline the treadmill will do (15%) and then lower the incline while upping the speed in 5 min intervals until I'm walking briskly at about 3% incline. That certainly gets the pulse rate going

I've started to find myself getting bored with the same old stuff though. Due to my joint condition, as I said, I have to keep things low impact, which restricts what I can do. I love swimming, but can only do breast stroke, which my physio said is the worst one to do for my knees! I try & do aquarobics if I can fit it into the day.
I need to do more strengthening, but am wary about what machines to use, I've already hurt my knee using the leg extention one .

Oh well, I shall keep battling on & following this thread for ideas

[lupo pazzesco]

So, I've been doing relatively well on the food front this last week, though oh gods, do I want SUGAR. I have to find some of my healthier sweet snack recipes (and I have lots, just have to get off my butt) and make those so I'm not plowing my way through a candy bar before I know it.

I've also been walking for the first part of my lunch the last couple of days as well. can't do it today, since I'm the only keyholder on staff, but I will do something when I get home this afternoon, even if it is hardcore scrubbing of various rooms in the house.

Tomorrow will be the "official" start, as I will weigh and measure myself in the morning, and try to find time for more workouts, little bit longer at a time. So. Here we go again, and let's see what happens, hmm?

[Jester]

I love swimming, but can only do breast stroke, which my physio said is the worst one to do for my knees!

Clearly it's time to learn a new stroke or two! I would think the backstroke would be very low impact, but my level of swimming is "keeps from drowning," so I am hardly the guy to be taking advice from on this.

So, I've been doing relatively well on the food front this last week, though oh gods, do I want SUGAR.

Fruit. Fruit juices. Nature's sugar. Oh, and with the fruit juice, not any of those 5% juice crap cocktails. Something a bit more real, preferably 100% juice, like OJ, apple juice, Juicy Juice blends, etc.

For example, my breakfast today will be mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries) with some vanilla yogurt. To some people this may sound gross. But even before this particular "I'm sick of this shit" kick, this sounded yummy to me. Hell, I've always loved berries. Come to think of it, my whole family has a thing for berries. Berries are GOOOOOD.....

As to those who don't think my berry breakfast sounds all that fulfilling, I agree. But then, I am not a big breakfast guy, so it all works out.

[lupo pazzesco]

Fruit. Fruit juices. Nature's sugar. Oh, and with the fruit juice, not any of those 5% juice crap cocktails. Something a bit more real, preferably 100% juice, like OJ, apple juice, Juicy Juice blends, etc.

For example, my breakfast today will be mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries) with some vanilla yogurt. To some people this may sound gross. But even before this particular "I'm sick of this shit" kick, this sounded yummy to me. Hell, I've always loved berries. Come to think of it, my whole family has a thing for berries. Berries are GOOOOOD.....

Oh yes, fruits. Fruits are my friends. I know this, I live this, but after going for so long with eating healthy-ish, but not paying particular attention to what I nom on, I'm trying to get some of the discipline back, which, when you're limiting stuff and moderating stuff, you tend to want it more in the first couple of weeks, or at least that's what I've discovered.

Oooh, berries...I love 'em. And I love them in yogurt, though my preference is plain greek yogurt with berries and a teaspoon of honey. I've yet to find a good vanilla yogurt that doesn't taste weird to me. Not sure that makes sense, but oh well.

I've got frozen cherries in my freezer, from last season (froze 'em fresh myself), that I may have to pull out soon.

I've been eating a Jazz apple and a navel orange every day for the last week, too, but I think it's just my body going "wtf, where's the muffin, bitch?" phase.

Thanks, Jester, for reminding me about my cherries. Now I'm looking forward to them tonight after work.

[Cat]

Super day at the gym yesterday...15%, 1hr, started at 3.7mph, ended at 4.7 (granted, 4.7 was only 3 minutes....but trying increase that each time)

Weekend is mostly rest day due the nasty weather we're gonna get, so I'll concentrate on weights.

Starting next week, I'll either us the treadmill as I have been, or go at a slower speed with a weighted pack....or mix it up MT Washington is looming closer....

[Jester]

Well, I finally got home to have that berry breakfast. (Although I was wrong about one thing...no blueberries.) The morning got off to a nice start, with me going to get a (much-needed) haircut. After which I decided to just bop about and see what the yard sales had to offer. Usually it's crap, but every now and then, I find something worthwhile.

Today was just one of those days, as I found a nice mountain/road bike, in great shape, for only $150. Their original asking price had been $250, but they had knocked it down to $170 before I ever even got there. Now, generally speaking, most bikes at yard sales are either overpriced or utter crap. Or sometimes they are just not what I am looking for. But I test-rode this one, and it seemed solid. Brakes and shifters both spot on. Quality manufacturer, too: Giant. And I thought long and hard on this one. Finally I asked if I could take it down to the local bike shop for an appraisal. Not only did they let me do that, they didn't even ask for any collateral, though I did offer my truck keys. (Not like I was going to not come back for my truck, right?) Nice people.

The guy at the bike shop agreed with my assessment that it was in great shape. There was a creaking something or other in the handlebars which concerned me, but the bike guy told me it probably just needed some grease, and suggested that I get a tune-up....and also suggested that I mention the needed tune-up to the sellers to see if they would knock $20 off the price. I did, they did, everyone was happy. For those into bikes, my new one is a Giant FCR3 Aluxx Butted 6000 Series, with 24 speeds. She is the first picture below. (And unlike most of the pictures y'all have seen of my bad-ass bike, Amanda, this is an actual picture of the bike, not a pic I found online that is the exact same model.)

And I am using her to replace the famous Jestermobile. Well, not replace per se, but replace for getting to work most days. (You didn't really think I would replace the Jestermobile, did you? Are you nuts? In case anyone is wondering, no, I am not using this bike to replace Amanda, either. Amanda is my baby, and the only bike worth riding on organized rides, races, etc. This new bike is purely for commuting.) Not on Wednesdays, as I work two jobs that day and have to look professional (i.e., dress clothes at the second one) and only have 2 hours between the two to eat and chill. But when I work at The Bar, since we wear shorts and t-shirts, as long as I don't get too gross on the ride in, it's all good.

Advantages to this new commuting plan:
--More exercise.
--Less money spent on parking.
--Less money spent on gas.
--Less wear and tear on my beloved Jestermobile.

Now, I am going to have to buy a lock for the new bike, so the total outlay for me between purchase, tune-up, and lock is going to end up being around $210 or so. But a month or two of not paying for parking will alone pay for that, not even counting the gas bucks I'll save.

Of course, when it RAINS in Key West, fuck the bike, I'm taking the truck!

Added picture bonus: the other three pictures are from a yard sale I was at later in the morning, where they were apparently selling bullet molds. I couldn't resist taking pictures!

[trailerparkmedic]

I was going to run yesterday but I could not get out of bed until it was almost time to do stuff I needed to do. Then I ended up running around doing stuff until almost dark, which is saying something this time of year. I don't run in the dark, because my side of town is nice but not nice enough for a woman in her 20s to be running alone. I had thought about running today but school wiped me out--I had difficult patients and I was running around like crazy. I have just enough energy to veg on the couch right now. I'm disappointed that I didn't get my running in but I'll start next week's set tomorrow so I'll be back on track quickly.

[Jester]

Got a lot done today. Not everything I intended to get done, but still a decent amount.

Including a nice little 20 mile bike ride.

Yep, did The Loop 4 times.

And I won't lie, this carb crash is affecting me, and early in the third lap of The Loop, I was thinking it would be my last. I didn't have the drive or energy to make it for a fourth one. And near the end of the beach, before the inland turn, I started to slow down and coast, downshifting to cruising speed, rather than Mach 2.

And then I saw Big Hair.

This dude was jogging along. No, not jogging. Running. At a good clip. Clearly a runner. And for a white boy, he sure had one hell of a fro going. And great running form. And he clearly had not just set out. But was still booking. And as I passed him on my bike, I said, "Keep it going, dude." To which he said, "Thanks, man." And he kept going.

And so did I. I upshifted, got back up to speed, and finished the third Loop strong, and began the fourth Loop. And just about a mile into it, right after I had turned back on to the beach road, I saw another guy on a bike, on the other side of the road, hitting a pretty good pace.

Now, I KNOW that I am just out there to get in shape, and it is not a race. But damn it, it's FUN racing. So I started pushing harder, and thought I had lost him. But then I soon realized he had crossed the road and was coming up on me. Bull. Shit. I upshifted, and cranked it, and we both were FLYING down the seawall. I'd get way ahead of him, and either I was letting up or he was hitting it harder, but I never could lose him. A second time I thought I had, only to realize he had crossed the road just after I had. (The Loop requires a couple of changeovers.) And as we got to where I would be finishing up, he actually thanked me for a good ride, and we started talking. He lives across the street from my apartment complex, and he had just gone out for one lap of The Loop, to escape some drama at home. So after 15 miles, I was able to hold of a hard charger who was on his first and only lap. Yay me! I have to admit, it was fun pushing each other. I got more out of that fourth lap than I would have without him. And I never would have done that fourth lap if it weren't for Big Hair.

Keep trucking, Big Hair!

Other amusements during the ride: At one point I saw a bunch of raging douchebags drive their scooters (the motorized kind) up on to the seawall sidewalk. If you're parking there to fish or check shit out, that's one thing. But the fuckers were driving along the fucking sidewalk. As I passed them (they were going the opposite way), I initially tried to be semi-civil. "Really? Really, guys?" Seeing that not only didn't they get my meaning, but that others of their flock were joining them, I let out a hearty, "GET THE FUCK OFF THE SIDEWALK!" And I was determined that if these morons were still there when I came back around on my next lap, I'd be calling the cops. Motorized vehicles belong in the road, not on the fucking sidewalk. Idiots.

Then there was the wedding. As I was roaring down the seawall on my first lap, I saw that there was a trolley parked ahead, with a wedding party milling around next to it, on the sidewalk. In my path. Tsk, tsk, tsk. So I had to brake and downshift, and very loudly proclaimed, "COMING THROUGH! HEADS UP!" To which most of them didn't react at all, apparently unconcerned about a guy on wheels heading towards them at a high rate of speed. Finally, as I was getting really close, a few of them noticed, and called to the others, "Bikes coming through!" (I was not the only one.) So I wended my way through, and as I started to clear them, really started pumping on the pedals to get back up to speed. And, heh heh, when I do this, I tend to do something that is somewhere between a grunt and a growl. It's primal, for sure. And, well, it sometimes scares people. But I don't know what effect it had on the fine folks in their fine clothes, because by the time they would have been able to react to it.....

I was gone.

20 miles. Not as far as I would have liked, but overall a nice ride.

Tomorrow morning I am doing a spin class at the gym (I've done it once, and it just works your tail off), and then after hurrying home to shower and change, I am taking my new roommate Orchard to the best Sunday brunch on the island for her birthday. I know I'LL be hungry!

Monday will be a rest day for me, as after my opening shift, I am going to be attending the Taste of Key West, which goes from 6-9, and after good food and good wine, I am just not going to the gym. Besides, you are supposed to have days off. And after tomorrow, I will have worked out 4 straight days.

Yay me, indeed.

23/30!