Got in a good 7.3 mile run this afternoon with a friend.

Hello everybody!

I ran 6 miles with Blaze, Ryan's dog, then did a real quick weight workout with Zac. He had to leave by 4:30 so we adjusted. Anything is better than nothing.

I appreciate everybody's opinion in here because you're all a whole lot smarter than me.

Okay--gotta go.  See ya!

Here is what I hear (speaking generally) in my world which makes me fearful of opening the door here, but I am willing to try if others are-  One side-  "You voted for Donald Trump. You are a racist bigot, stupid and are ruining our country."  Other side- "Libs want something for nothing. No one wants to work. The economy is ruined. None of the policies work.  You are all idiots."      My experience....

Mine too.

A suggestion that not too many are willing to try more than once, but it has proven to be effective.  Take your exercises that you currently do (or are capable of doing), and slow.....way.....down.   Take pushups for instance.  Let's say you can do 12 of them.  Try starting in the down position and slowly pushing to the up position while counting to 4 (One Mississippi, two Mississippi...) and then lower back down to a count of 2.   Do as many of them as you can.  Chances are you will fall far short of 12.  By removing momentum, you are forcing your muscles to work harder with the same resistance.   Apply it to any strength building exercise you like, such as overhead presses, curls, leg extensions and leg curls, squats....Don't like counting to four?   Try counting to 10 instead.   Doug in particular might want to give this a try, because it's particularly easy on the connective tissue that you have had trouble with in the past when using heavier weights.

Something I think everyone should do, but I don't do, (DOH!) so I can't recommend it too highly (but I know it's effective in some ways) is balancing on one foot, with the other foot raised 12" off of the floor, but not touching anything, arms out to the side, forming a "T", with your eyes closed.  Be ready to put your foot down to catch yourself.  It's harder than you might think.   Try to extend the time you can balance on each foot to 30 seconds.   It helps strengthen the muscles above the ankle on both sides of the lower leg, and is also reported to help maintain brain function as we age.  Apparently the portion of our brain that is associated with proprioception (and strengthened by movements like this) is also associated with loss (or maintenance, rather) of cognitive abilities as we age.

My own strength workout tonight was 1 set of 15 repetitions of each of these:  Chest press and overhead press on machines, hip abduction, hip adduction (aka "Inner Thigh" and "Outer Thigh" machines - misnomers, actually), and internal and external rotation of the shoulders on the cable apparatus.

Swimming workout was 1100 yards of warmups, then 10 x 100 yard backstroke on 2:30.  Swim 1:31, rest 59 seconds, repeat.   If I'm doing a "hard" backstroke workout, it's swim 1:27-1:28, rest 1:32-1:33, for intervals of 3:00 instead of 2:30.  These weren't hard enough to call this anything but a moderate workout.   Then I did a 100 yard breaststroke (kick only) and 100 yard freestyle cooldown sequence.

Next time I do the 100 yard backstroke repeats at the ~1:31 target, I'm going to reduce the rest to 30 seconds and see if I can still do 10 reps and still call it moderate.

At the end of the swim I did a 50-yard freestyle rep, swimming very easily, wearing the new nose clip.  I'm going to have to learn how to swim without breathing through my nose, of course, but yes, I did do a flip turn, and didnt get water up my nose.  Mission accomplished.  Maybe in tomorrow's swim workout I'll do 10 50's at an easy pace, all with flip turns, all wearing the clip.

BTY

(Jay, it wasn't I that mentioned balancing on one leg, until this post, so I don't really know what it means that you can balance on one leg and not on the other - but I'd be willing to bet, that if you are right handed, it's your right leg that you can't balance on.)

Holly - how long did it take for your calf differential to show in the picture? I’ve got it too but not even after quite a month. While the swelling that’s still wrapping my knee like a tight elastic bandage remains like a blown up balloon, it’s gone down a lot on the thigh and most on the calf. I hope my thigh and calf don’t end up looking like this.

anneb - me too. I had no idea repetitive light lifting was any good at all let alone better than the heavier the better.

For balance when hanging on for dear life in rutted slalom courses, mogul fields, etc. our ski team used not only to stand on each leg for a couple of minutes but then hop on each up to stairs to the 12th floor.  Slow motion sit-ups too.,

Erica - Thanks. I was told it's okay to defer PT until pain levels subside enough that I can get through them on only one dose of PK and hour before going.  Dr. Knee did a flexibility test based on my home exercises, well, not really anything to do with flexibiity, maybe bendability, and concluded, "good at this stage (one month with two months to go) but make sure of the PT as they can do more than you can."  As I've been known to say, "so far, so good."

ps - they also did a flexibility testing on my legs before and have "no stiff-legs," "no overweights," etc, standards.

Dave - good luck on a lifetime 5K PR at age 65 sometime this yand been respectful or humorous too when they do it to me for my barefoot barefoot penchants, ramblings,  current fixation on pain, pain, pain, etc. ear, . . . but I doubt it ^{<<<ed note: shut up!).>>>} 

Maybe get DD or a nearby RA'er or posit a RA 5K reunion for a pacer if you think it would help.

I totally agree and it’s why we’ve always insisted on treating people with respect and keeping comments civil. ,

. . .

We can disagree about policy and politics without demonizing each other. 

Me too. As’s been said several times, “so far, so good” and it’s fine with me.

In fact, I've tried to be respectful and not blasphemed anybody’s person here or anywhere else because of what they believe that I don’t and just skim it, if even that, especially re shoes, politicians by name, pictures of things I don’t like, etc. and am fine too for anyone for anyone to do it to my ramblings, barefoot penchants, current fixation on pain, pain, pain, etc.

Like wildchild, mikeE, Leslie and others, not having anyone handy who relates to my running, and other things, I’m glad to be able to skim rather than ban outright off-topics, rant, etc. and have learned lots, especially about topics otherwise far beyond my ken, particularly and a tip of the RA hat to tramps and twocat, even quoting (or trying to) some of their links and appreciate all those who bear with us. Please stick around, . . . and come back.

Thanks!  Injury is my concern.  Not bulking up.

Hey, All -

 

I got nuthin' so far this a.m., but will get in a core/ST workout after work.

 

Strength Training Continued.

 

lamerunner - I'll research some videos and get some links in here, but always make sure you're sucking your belly button in and tightening your glutes.  You don't want your butt sticking out, your hips jutting forward, leaning too far to one side to get a weight up into the air, etc.  If you're overcompensating on one side of your body to get the weight to do what you want or your can't do at least 5-6 reps, it's too heavy.

 

Resistance Bands.  Adding resistance bands to the opposite side of your activity makes your core work harder.  Example: If you are lunging back with your right leg, pull on the resistance band with your left arm.  Your core naturally wants to twist toward the right, but it's being forced by the band to keep to the left.

 

In my shed, I did a set up similar to the below, got resistance bands that have handles on either ends and some carabiners.  You can attached the bands are various levels.  Example: A stronger band is attached about shoulder level. I step back about 7 ft +/- (it's all the room I have), keep my feet standing split apart as in a running stance, pull the band back tight as in a running motion, and while pulling it back, use the opposite arm lift a 15# weight forward, up above my shoulder and just slightly over my head, then back down while releasing the band forward.   I haven't quite got the coordination down yet to move the opposite leg of the band forward while I'm releasing the band forward and lowering the weight at the same time (coordination is not my strong suit).  BUT - It challenges your whole body, not just one arm.

I also use the resistance bands when doing sit-ups.  Just attach it at the lowest level and lay far enough away that when I hold my arm out in front of me I get decent resistance.