March was a month chock full of possibilities for me. Trying out new activities with interesting movements was so much fun. I went to sleep with visions of new athleticism dancing in my head.
New things I tried:
50+ parkour
Aerial silks yoga
Cool agility conditioning in gym
Qigong
Weight lifting (actually started in Feb, but it’s still new)
April is now here, and reality has arrived with it. Here are some of the highlights:
Jumping down from barriers and landing hard hurts my right ankle (sprained 7 months ago). So does backflipping out of the aerial yoga hammock- you can land kind of hard if you’re not careful (which apparently I wasn’t).
Agility conditioning can be hard on my left knee if I’m not careful about form. Ditto for qigong. It is all slow deliberate movements, but hanging out in a partial squat means being careful about where my knees are. Double ditto for weight lifting. I’m working with a trainer who is also a physical therapist, so I’m in good hands. But, it’s clear I’ve got vulnerable body parts which need shepherding.
Sam has been writing about her knee and the sad news about sports and activities left behind or altered and upcoming changes to her body. My news is more mild, but definitely along similar lines.
For me, April reality means this:
Delay parkour until ankle is more recovered and strong
Consider not doing parkour at all
Ditch aerial yoga
Work on more strengthening of ankles and knees
Be nice to my body and don’t try to do everything
I’ve still got cycling, which is awesome
Yoga feels great too
This isn’t bad news. It’s real news.
So let’s go, April. And we shall see what May reveals.
Hey readers— any news on the physical front lines? It’s nice to know we are not
alone, and I’d love to hear from y’all.
I’m really sorry to hear you’re having some pain and injury that’s requiring you to scale back on the exciting things you tried last month. I’ve had debilitating back pain since my 30K last weekend. I had to cancel personal training and haven’t run since then. I’ve been doing a lot of yoga and stretching and some walking. Lots of hot baths. And very careful movement especially when getting in and out of chairs, the car, and so forth. I want to experiment with running but am nervous. Good luck with April!
Hope you get well soon!
Tracy– I’m so sorry to hear about the post 30K race back pain! That’s awful. My reality checks here are actually giving me useful info. I need to work on strengthening my ankle(s), and will see if/when I can jump or land safely. If not, I will do some of many other physical things out there. It’s a bummer, but I’m glad I’m paying attention to what my body is saying now, and very glad I have some ways to address that info.
It’s really hard. Big changes in identity. New attitudes required. Sounds like we’re facing similar challenges. Ugh.
Let’s go for a bike ride sometime. And for winter let me recommend Zwift. It’s so much fun.
Ugh is right. And yes yes yes to bike rides! And I’ll check out Zwift– it looks fun.
I’m hoping the recovery goes well! Injury can really take a mental toll on top of the physical. This week marked 5 years since I began circus training. I’ve learned many crazy looking tricks, but ramping up in a way that lets my body adapt has absolutely been one of the most challenging parts. So different from fitness in my 20s when I could push as hard as possible and sprains/tweaks usually only took a day or week to heal. It has only been in the last year that I feel like I’m getting better at finding a good balance between getting stronger without overdoing it. I expect this to be an ongoing learning experience as my body gets older.
Thanks for the comments, Renee. I like that you are putting this out there as a learning experience, as that is what it is for me, too. I’m now thinking of doing more hiking, as it is outdoor nature fun, and I can work on agility at my own pace. Protecting the body for the longer term is certainly now taking priority, too.
Hey Catherine! So sorry you’re feeling like you need to hold yourself back just as you’ve found new fitness adventures to explore! My own life in fitness has always been one of adaptation and adjustment, as I have a long list of health issues and related injuries (mostly consequences of major surgeries). I’ve developed my identity as a fit person who has to push through, and around, injuries and complications–always trying to figure out which boundaries are real and which are simply limits of the moment.
The next version of this ongoing story will begin next month, when I have a hysterectomy. I’m still, uh, negotiating, with my doctor about physical activity post-surgery. Sitting around for two months is not an option, so tell me what else I can do! I am very resistant to accepting that I have to allow my fitness to degrade during recovery. I’m not ready to accept that loss of strength will be a given.
Marjorie– thanks for your comments. Yes, surgeries really put us back in touch with our bodies’ needs (I’ve had a few surgeries, too, although none major). Your question about post-hysterectomy activity is a good one. I will talk to the bloggers, and we will see what we can find out from the shared experiences of this community. Stay tuned.
Thank you, Catherine! I welcome any anecdotes, in the absence of data 🙂, to help me figure out what my options will be! I just *know* that the usual advice has the same drawbacks as so much of medical advice–the starting point is a bell curve, not on an individual.