All this Exercise is a Pain in the Neck

...and shoulder, and back.

Therefore, I've gone back to physio.  Physical therapy.

I've been a bit off-kilter for years and all this exercising has just exacerbated the issue.  I've mostly ignored it but little things like swimming to the right, some muscle spasms during long runs, and pain when I yawned finally drove me to get help.  My last PT (and current friend) Jenna recommended one of her esteemed colleagues to work on my perplexing issue.

This lady is named Janis.  Janis is special.  She's Canadian!  But also, she's a physiotherapist AND an occupational therapist.  A PT/OT.

Not really.

The first time I met with her we went over my basic history, which included my racing experience. She tried to pinpoint when I had pain.  We discussed cycling first.

She readjusted her expectations.

We moved on to the topic of running.

Yep.

I talked about how I always swim to the right and have no clue why.  I told her of my grand plans to one day do an Olympic distance triathlon, as well as a full marathon.  And then Janis found the silver lining in our conversation:

Such a good motivator.

She started to have me do things so she could see my body mechanics in action!  At one point she asked me to do a push-up.  I got myself into a solid plank and did a nice, strong push-up.  I came out of it and looked at Janis for feedback.

Oh.  Well, okay.

As I returned for more sessions to work on my "potential", Janis began doing the usual things, like massage, and the not-so-usual things, like mobilizing my spine.

While stretching me out, we've had many discussions about my unevenness.

"Discussion" might be an exaggeration.

One day Janis had me stretch out my left side while pulling on a table leg.

This likely explains the swimming-to-the-right deal.  Anyone else's head tip to the right when you raise your left arm?  I dare you to try.

The newest stretch involves hanging me.  Wait, no, that's right.  Hanging me.

I think it's going well.

Our most recent goal has been my posture.  For starters, Janis told me to sit up straight.  So I did.

So I did.

I'm nothing if not a rule follower.

I might have walked out a little crooked, but I think I've figured out what I'm supposed to do.

Turns out the Athletic Stance was right all along!  I just need to keep finessing it.


UPCOMING POSTS: BLOGGER MEETUPS, TREADMILL RUNS

Linking up with the great writers at Yeah Write again this week!

When Good Yoga Goes Bad

Edit:  I'm submitting this post to Yeah Write this week!  It's a great weekly writing forum where you find tons of great posts.

When I was 21, I went to my very first yoga class with my mom.  When it comes to coordination, I am the Fric to her Frac.  The Tweedle-Dee to her Tweedle...uh, she can be Tweedle-Dee.

Hi Mom.

When she would go to aerobics back in the day, she would have GymSis and I in stitches as she explained how she would go left when the rest of the class would go right, how she would go forward when they would go backward, and how she was supposed to clap and step:

(I just had to add in our 90s teased bangs.) 

Then, one day I went to Zumba and knew, without a doubt, that I was not adopted. But that is a post for another time.

Anyway, I've done yoga on and off since that first class with my mom, and after this recent course of physio, I knew that starting again would be wise in order to keep me strong, limber(ish), and injury-free.

I skipped on over to my gym for an evening class. Their Biggest Loser program was meeting at the same time as yoga.  As I sat in the all-purpose exercise classroom, I was quite sure there was a bowling tournament happening outside the door.  What happened to not dropping the weights on the floor??

If you've been to yoga, you know that every instructor has her own style.  I have never been to a class, though, that just jumped right in to strengthening exercises.  No 'meditation' to start? Hello,  I need to centre myself before just jumping in.

Well, maybe not quite to that extent, but I am used to easing in to my sun salutations and I felt unprepared.

Our instructor started the calm, soothing music she was going to use for the class.

Not exactly sure how you scratch a CD.

Now that the mood was fully disrupted (wait, it was never set to begin with), it was time for the bell ringing.  This occurred at random times throughout the class. I am not sure what the goal was, but I did start to get a bit peckish.

After our warm-up, it was on to some balancing poses.  I don't know what this one was called, but here is the teacher doing it:

We were given a variation to use our straps if we couldn't reach.  I awaited further instruction.

The beginner crutch was to go stick your leg on the barre.

 I will just call this one "Posture Impossible".

One of the things I had forgotten about yoga was how tough it can be to keep your focus.  For example, sometimes you have to look up while you are bent over at the waist...hinging from the waist, if you will.  You will be looking straight ahead at the person ahead of you. And at that moment you are aware that there is someone behind you who has that same view...of you.

The horrible great! thing about the class was that there was a mirror so I could adjust my form.  So while feeling like a "princess" in Warrior Two (see what I did there? Warrior Princess...??) ,

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and noticed a few adjustments were needed.

Why look! It's the Athletic Stance!  I did everything I could to tuck my butt, but it just seems to enjoy sticking waaaaay out.

I went back to class the following week and it was hot, crowded and just horrible.  And, there was no Sivasana (a.k.a. Corpse Pose). Are you kidding me? I can actually do that one!

So I've found a new class at the Y.   So far, so good!

Oh, and I thought I would have some fun with Picnick before it goes away; in case you missed it on Facebook and Twitter, I jumped on the meme bandwagon:

Anyone have any good yoga stories to share?


Please tell me you got the bell-ringing/hunger reference.

NEXT POST: MY TRAINING GOALS FOR THIS YEAR

Don't Call it a Comeback!

"I been here for years!"* (Click link for "Mama Said Knock You Out" video.)

I know that when you think of me, you really can't help but compare me to LL Cool J.

It's uncanny, really.

If you don't know who I'm talking about then you are either:

A) younger than me,

B) older than me, or

C)  unaware of the amazing genius of the man who knows that the Ladies Love Cool James.
I know this lady does; can I get a

up in here?

Um, anyhoo.  If you follow me on Twitter--and actually read my tweets--then you'll know that January has been the month of #nomoreexcuses and #FitFluential (!) and #OpHardCoreFit (!!) and #makeitcount (!!!)

While I'm trying to be reasonable about how fast I jump back into training, I'm also trying to convince myself that I am fine and that I don't have to be afraid of every little twinge when I work out.

So, with that in mind, I started running.  Just a little bit on the treadmill.  While wearing my Tommie Coppers (again, I bought them and this is not a paid review).  It didn't hurt.

I started lifting weights again.  It didn't hurt.

I started running outside.  It didn't hurt.  I ran a little further with Ann Marie.  We ran again, a little further.  And then, last Saturday, we ran 3.1 miles.  That's 5k.  A race distance feels pretty meaningful.

AND THEN, TODAY I got to meet 3 girls from Twitter/blogland: Lindsay, Stacie, and Rebecca (who, for some reason I called Rachel for the first hour, and she was too polite to correct me!)  They joined Ann Marie and I to run 4 (FOUR, QUATRE, CUATRO) miles!  We celebrated our meetup by finishing up with some froyo!

*Full disclosure:  I have only been writing this blog for 13 months.

Hey, wanna join Operation Hardcore Fit?  Just click on the button on the top right side of my page and it will take you over to Megan's awesome group at Watch Mego Run!

Question Time
1.  Who's making a comeback right now? How are you doing with it?
2.  Who rewards themselves with food? (I know we're not dogs, but humans love food too...just sayin'.)
3.  Who loves LL Cool J? (*eyebrow waggle*)  Ladies?  Guys?  Just me on this one?


NEXT POST: MY RETURN TO YOGA

PT Stands for "Pathetically Tri-ing"

Since I got this lovely injury, I started back up with my physiotherapist Jenna, or physical therapist for all you Amurricans out there; PT for short.  Many of you have already met her through my first spin post.

We spent our first few sessions with heat, high-tech electrocution e-stim, ultrasound and deep tissue massage.

I was sent home with some gentle stretches and once I was not hobbling too badly it was time to get to work!  We were going to focus on ankle and foot strength.  Enter the BOSU BALL.

If you're a child of the '80s like me (I'm totally not that old, right??), then you'll remember the Pogo Ball.

I never understood this "toy".  In my mind it was always a broken wrist, ankle, elbow, nose, coccyx and all ten phalanges waiting to happen (Phoebe: "Something is wrong with the left phalange"). 

This is precisely what I think of whenever I see the Bosu Ball, which is PRE-cisely why I've always ensured a 10 foot radius between it and me at the gym.

But I digress.

First, I got on the ball, round side down (with a little help of course) and was told to balance.

 Once Jenna finished laughing was satisfied with my attempt, she flipped the ball over and had me stand on one foot while lifting weights.

(I am now quite certain she just makes up these "exercises" to see them on the blog.)

Then, it was off to the treadmill.  If only I was allowed to turn it on.

Ever try walking on a non-ON treadmill? It's hard. Which was of course the point.

I did get to turn it on for the next exercise that involved walking sideways on a treadmill.  It may have caused a bit of motion sickness and it definitely caused a lot of klutziness.

After the treadmill it was back to the Bosu ball (Yippee!).  My mission--which I have no idea why I chose to accept--was to stand on one foot, bounce a ball against an angled trampoline and catch it.  She started me off easy with a low-weight medicine ball.

So then we switched to a good ol'-fashioned dodge ball and that worked better.  And next week I will learn to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge!

Side note: *Some* of you may already know this but medicine balls, even if they're just 2 lbs, do no bounce off walls.  Even if you're in a very public place. Like the gym.

UPCOMING POSTS: RACE RECAPS. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, I DID A FUN LITTLE GUEST POST EARLIER THIS WEEK OVER AT DAT'S SO CUTE.  BJ, THE AUTHOR JUST HAD A BRAND NEW BABY SO GO ON OVER AND SAY HELLO!

Taking a Dip...

...to go for a run.

*First, a little back story.  

In August I was put on a combo of Levaquin and Prednisone for swelling in my ear.  This is supposed to be a fun blog so I'm not going to have a whole diatribe on this but, listen up:  If you are an athlete, especially a runner, READ UP on Levaquin before you take it.  Its' side effects include tendon damage.  The occurrence is rare but increased when paired with Prednisone, and I am a rare breed so I hit the jackpot on this.

Phew.  Now that we're done with that, let's get on with the funny!

Since I got the red light on running from my doctor, I needed some safe form of exercise.  So I texted my physiotherapist.

She was quick to come back with a great idea:

Say what now?

If any of you are thinking of little old ladies splashing around with floatie belts in the deep end, let me just stop you right there.  Because you'd be exactly right.  (If you follow SUAR you will be familiar with her special term for that class. And if you're not following her, why not??)

I wanted to be a good patient, but I had just started my visit in the Great White North, so did not have access to my lovely pool.  What's a girl to do? Improvise, of course!

I had a beautiful lake at my disposal, so I threw on a life jacket (for buoyancy purposes) and jumped gingerly walked into the water. (Lake water is cold and I'm a super-sissy.)

Turns out the life jacket wasn't quite my size.

The next day I found a smaller one.

Midriff-baring vests, the new trend in aquatic safety!

Once again, I braved the elements and did the jog.  It took about half an hour to go maybe 30 feet.  Total.  (In my defense, there was a current...both ways. )

I got lots of support from my family, both on the dock,

and in the water.

That's TriGuy and SwimmerNephew.  They really do love me.

Once I got back to the U.S. of A, it was time to head back to the pool.  I picked out an aqua belt from the shelf, and because I have the body of an eight year old girl boy it promptly fell to the floor.

I then found a slightly smaller belt, yanked the rope as tight as it would go, and wrapped it around myself twice.

I swam in circles in the deep end for 10 minutes straight!  (I'm starting to think my physiotherapist just wants to see good blog content).

I wish I could say:

But I would be lying.

Hey guys, it looks like I'm almost at 200 followers, which means a GIVEAWAY is coming up!


UPCOMING POSTS:  RACE RECAPS, PHYSIOTHERAPY, AND I'M DOING A COUPLE OF GUEST POSTS SO I'LL KEEP YOU 'POSTED' (hehe).