Sunday, May 30, 2010

Weekend update

I'm just doing a quickie post today - mid 3 day weekend, almost halfway through the Prednisone treatment for the kickin'myass poison ivy.  The PI finally really dying down and I haven't had an episode of 2 hour intense itching from what what feels like down inside the bones in over 24 hours.  I'm not feeling crazy, hyper or strung out from the steroids at this point, but I am definitely retaining some fluid!  There is not a whole lot I can do about it other than drink lots of water, which I'm doing.  So I'm not stressing, not stewing and just trying to enjoy the time off.

Yesterday was a big accomplishment and progress point in my journey since this past winter of the knee arthroscopies and assorted related annoyance...I finally walked the entire loop at my beloved Ridley Creek State Park yesterday with a friend and my big silly old dog!  It's a gorgeous walk, quite hilly, mostly wooded and trailing along a beautiful creek, with the measured distance of 4.3 miles.  However, from where you park, walk in and get to the first mileage indicator, it's probably another .3 miles, so I'm always pretty comfortable deeming it a 5 mile walk from car back to car.  Friday afternoon, I went to the gym after work and biked for 30 minutes at a resistance level of 4, at a pretty fast speed.  It was definitely more work on the knees than I'd had to date, and while they felt great and so did the walk yesterday, I've had several glitchy steps in the hours since the long walk.  Dum, da dum dum.......

I'm determined to remain optimistic and prudent in the return to full activity level, but what I've experieced several times yesterday after the long walk and then again this morning are random occurrences of my R knee just sort of giving out for a second, with a shooting of minor pain.  Nothing awful, and not even alarming, but putting me on notice that I'm am not yet fully rehabbed, even though the stiffness and discomfort the knees experienced for so long has been almost totally gone.  Back to paying close attention, advancing slowly, not getting cocky, and listening to my body.  Probably just as well, because after Friday's bike workout, I was starting to think of jogging, couch to 5k trainings....just getting waaaaay ahead of myself.  Damn...I was entirely getting carried away with my bad self! Off and running in my head long before I'm able to go off and running for real!

This will date me (though you already know I'm a woman of a certain age) but I'm reminded of something the comedian from the late 60s and early 70s, Flip Wilson, in his character of Geraldine, used to quip, "Don't let your mouth write a check your body can't cash".  Exactly.  I've been guilty of that very thing as it applies to what I can/will do with excercise!  Another variation on the theme of unrealistic goal setting or setting out to do something I'm not really ready for is another thing I hear in AA all the time, "Ready, Fire, Aim".  DOH!  That too.

So the rest of the weekend will be me not overdoing it on my knee.  I hope to be able to get another shorter but still substantial walk in, but will put the jogging and pole vaulting off for a time!  The body isn't ready to cash those checks just yet.  I hope everyone has a great  rest of the weekend with plenty of R&R.

8 comments:

  1. I loved the Flipster! I can hear his (her) voice saying that in his/her Geraldine way. So much better than what has become raunchy old SNL.

    You're right, tuck the checkbook for pole vaulting and jogging away for now. But the walking sounds good, and I hope you can keep it up. R&R to you, too.

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  2. Pole vaulting will definitely keep for later. You're doing the right thing. You did great, and now your knee needs a little rest. Keep stretching and keep it warm. But don't overdo it. Sometimes the pain is just from getting cold and unused after a big effort.

    Don't go pole vaulting now! I'm just saying walking that big silly old dog or biking with zero tension might still be a good idea. Feel it out.

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  3. Anonymous30 May, 2010

    Hey Leslie - I am putting together my 101 Days of Summer Challenge - not sure that you specific goals are for the summer - can you send me an email and let me know?

    Thanks - and great job getting the walk in, glad the knees felt good!

    bdl319@gmail.com

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  4. Good to hear that the itching is going away. I love that quote, I am going to be thinking about that when I start to get ahead of myself!

    Walking is great exercise and it feels good to move the body. I hope your knees continue to heal and get better.

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  5. Sounds like a lovely walk . As to Flip Wilson, fond memories of him and Geraldine !! Slow and steady consistency is the best way to build back up after major surgery and injury - it also lets you take in the scenery !

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  6. Leslie, this is great news. I am sure you are ready for the knee to get back to a healthy, fully usable state, but it sounds like you are making great progress.

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  7. I hope you do well with your weight loss goals. I'll check your blog out more soon, thanks!

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  8. I'm happy you got the full walk in Leslie! You're not alone in dreaming big - one good run is all it takes for me to think I'm ready to race the longest race ever! Of course the next day's run usually brings me back to reality :-)

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