Kombat Girl’s 8 Week Journey…

So I started out my day today by going to see my new Osteopath, Jason Brandow, BScTR.  He currently works on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Ultimate Sports Therapy clinic in unit # 11 connected to Kombat Arts.  Session one was great!  I am so glad to have a new Osteopath to go to. 

Osteopathy is a holistic, hands-on manual therapy that can treat conditions such as: neck & back pain (check), headaches & migraines (check), joint pain (such as ankle, hip. knee. elbow, wrist), traumatic injury & repetitive strain and so on.  Osteopaths focus on the body as a whole.  They assess everything from the heart and circulatory system, to the lungs, liver, stomach & intestines.

Before discovering Osteopathy about two years ago I had gone to countless specialists to try and ease the chronic headaches I suffer each and every day, as well as the debilitating migraines I get from time to time (kept under control with reg. exercise though).  I’ve seen everyone from Neurologists, Cranial Specialists, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists and even an Iridologist in Penetanguishene!  Nothing even came close to helping ease the tension and pain like Osteopathy, so I am very happy to have found a great new practitioner to go to.   If you have an ailment that has never been conquered by any other means, try Osteopathy out.  Your body will LOVE you.

So, that was the start of my morning… I gave my body a nice relaxing beneficial treatment. I planned on just finishing up some more paperwork (does it ever end?) at the club and then training a client later in the afternoon.  BIG SIGH HERE.

Dave Edwards went and pulled up a video that got me all going and that was it!  Back to the chin up bar we went.  You have to see what lead us to countless attempts at new drills on the bars we have.  I am going to have one sore back tomorrow!

This guy rocks! I am fully motivated to do muscle ups one day.  I tried and I tried… and I tried, but alas I didn’t have it in me today.  I’m going to try again on Monday and will keep on trying till I can do at least one.   I can only go up from there!!  I’ve done several of the drills he shows in the video and I tried one other new one today that he showed in the clip and was able to do it, so that was cool… But I really hate not being able to do something!  Muscle ups are going to haunt me till I conquer them! Gotta take a few people along the ride with me for mastering this move… Who else is up for the challenge with me?

Before I sign out for the day, here’s another little clip specifically on the challenging muscle ups.  Oh, and for the record, when I DO conquer them I’ll post a clip of me doing them on here too

This is my latest little fav workout song… Thought I’d share!

Jerk It Out - The Caesars

Wind me up
Put me down
Start me off and watch me go
I’ll be running circles around you sooner than you know
A little off center
And I’m out of tune
Just kicking this can along the avenue
But I’m alright

Coz it’s easy once you know how it’s done
You can’t stop now
It’s already begun
You feel it
Running through your bones

And you jerk it out
And you jerk it out

Shut up
Hush your mouth
Can’t you hear you talk too loud
No I can’t hear nothing cause I got my head up in the clouds
I bite off anything that I can chew
I’m chasing cars up and down the avenue
But that’s ok

Coz it’s easy once you know how it’s done
You can’t stop now
It’s already begun
You feel it
Running through your bones

So you jerk it out

Coz it’s easy once you know how it’s done
You can’t stop now
It’s already begun
You feel it
Running through your bones

And you jerk it out
And you jerk it out
And you jerk it out
And you jerk it out
Oh baby don’t you know you really gotta jerk it out
When you jerk it out baby don’t you know you really gotta jerk it out
When you jerk it out baby don’t you know you really gotta jerk it out

Okay, so here is my Equalizer workout of the day: 

Push Ups (one leg on ground only) using both bars and grasping them from their regular standing position I did 4 x sets of 25 with a 30 second rest in between each set.  Started with these cause I really needed a good back stretch after yesterdays workout and the amount of time I spent on the computer this morning doing paperwork – blech :-p

 

Lying Pull Ups (one leg on ground only) using both bars 4 x sets of 15 reps (palms facing inward)

Lying Pull Ups (one leg on ground only) with alternating grip on a single bar, 4 x sets of

10 x each alternating grip (so 20 in total).  I truly wanted to do all 4 sets with zero rest in between grip change today but no matter the intention fatigue foiled my plan.   Final set I rested 20 seconds between the grip change – and I still managed to “make ugly face” the final ten pulls. Lol.

 

Finished with palms facing me and completed 2x sets of 20 x Lying Pull Ups on a single bar.

 

Triceps/Abs (kneeling w/feet up), I did 3 x sets of 35 today and let me tell you that I had to continuously remind myself to breathe, exhale, breathe, exhale… during this exercise.  Holy!  I almost feel like I should pop a mouth guard in when I do these drills cause man they get me going!

 

One Legged Squats (used one bar for stability only) Ended up doing 4 x sets of ten.  I’ve always found these difficult so I am pleased to be getting stronger with them and I am able to go very low to the ground with my squat.

 

Had the music CRANKED while I was doing my workout so I didn’t hear the home phone ring  (twice apparently) and I missed getting to my Blackberry between grunting and groaning through my workout so I missed my worried hubby’s calls… Oops! Next time I best have the music a little lower and both phones beside me… Hee hee hee.

Been feeling a tad bad about neglecting this blog… But I really didn’t have too much to share.  The surgery proved to be a little harder on my system than I anticipated, and I only took a turn for the better on Friday, the 2nd, which was five days after they opened up my foot.

I haven’t neglected training or hobbling around an inordinate amount (!!) of my spare time, but the push ups, one legged squats, abs etc. have been squeezed in here and there over the past few days and were not cranked out in one amazing workout so it wasn’t really too exciting to write about.

Forced relaxation and sporadic training sessions be done!  It’s high time to get back to the grind and a regular routine. This afternoon I’ll be back on The Equalizer and cannot wait to train and share my workout with you cause it’s going to be a good one!

I got my “feet wet” by training with my friend Dave Edwards yesterday at Kombat Arts.  I needed to do something!  So, we tackled the chin up bar and did the following:

1 chin up, 5 pull ups(*), 2 chin ups, 5 pull ups, 3 chin ups, 5 pull ups, 4 chin ups, 5 pull ups, and them back to 1 chin, 5 pull ups, 2 chin ups, 5 pull ups, 3 chin ups, 5 pull ups, 1 chin, 5 pull ups, 2 chin ups, 5 pull ups, 1 chin, 5 pull ups…. done without any break ( unless you count me hopping to the garbage can to throw out the gum I had been chewing but accidentally spit out when I laughed at one point - not a good idea to have been chewing gum in the first place! ), and then for one final kick we finished with 5 more chin ups…. waiting a few and then did 5 more “two finger “chin ups, just for fun :)  FUN! Right Dave?!!  

So bottom line is we did 30 chins and 50 pull ups (*pull ups using the contraption John Cadiz made us that is almost like using gymnastic rings) in just a few minutes and it was a great back/bicep blast.

I was somewhat displeased to find that I have lost 5 pounds whilst on crutches - argh!  That really wasn’t part of my master plan.  So… The guys had ordered in some pizza from Sergio’s (yum) that had chicken, red onions, red peppers and pesto so I had a couple slices of that, had some very yummy salad… AND I indulged (and I do not have a sweet tooth whatsoever!) in a little piece of very different tasting chocolate coconut cake, much to the dismay of all those around me that never thought I would succumb to eating such a thing.  Someone commented that it proves I am human! 

On the upside, I think I was wise in following the doc’s orders (for the first week anyway), cause my foot is doing great!  It looks great too.  Carolyn has been doing some laser on it for me so the healing process will speed up and it’s taking the swelling out big time. Yay.  I tell ya, I be doing pirouettes in the ring in no time.  Too be honest I’ve been doing them still on my left foot (in part to taunt the hub), but soon I hope to be doing them on my right foot as well

I am sooooo glad to be home!  After having started Monday at the hospital at 06:30 and arriving home today at about 11:30 it was longer process than I thought if would be, but at least now the healing can start!

I just got home a few hours ago, as they kept me overnight. They might have kept me in one more night again if I hadn’t been able to dazzle them with my crutch maneuvering abilities.  However I was so insistent upon coming home there was just no way I was not going to pass that assessment. 

I am on crutches again (sigh), for the next 6 weeks as I CANNOT bear any weight on my foot while it heals.  I loathe crutches… but at least I am now truly on the mend.  They didn’t end up inserting a plate after all, I got two screws instead. Damn! I don’t know it that still counts for being bionic; doesn’t really sound as cool to me.

I am in MUCHO pain, but I don’t like taking pain killers so I hope the pressure and pain subsides over the next couple of days. The funniest is that I declined every offer of pain killers, but upon release they gave me a prescription for…are ya ready for it?! 60 Percocets! Craziness. That’s a whole lot of pills, not to mention highly addictive ones, for anyone! Good lord.  I just hope they are lumping me in with “the norm” with that prescription and that it’s not a sign that I may feel much worse in the next short while.

As for the actual experience of being in the hospital and the treatment received, it could not have been any better.  I was treated very, very well and everyone was just awesome from the Doc to the interns, nurses and physio.  It was all good! (I even got Rice Crispies for breakfast! Haha.  Haven’t had those in like 20 years!)

I’ll give myself today off workout wise, but I plan to get right back on track tomorrow!  The little sheet of exercises the physio therapist gave me are quite cute - if he only knew what I’m really going to be doing for rehab! Lol.

Thanks very much to everyone who sent their well wishes to me.  Biggest hugs and kisses to my wonderful hubby who spent most of my time in the hospital with me!  You are the BEST!

Okay, so general consensus (2nd and 3rd opinions) came back in resounding favor of getting surgery on my foot.  So “the plate” will go in sometime on Monday afternoon or evening. The only definite was the time I have to arrive at the hospital, and that was 7:00am.  Yuck-a-poo-bah :-p  Guess I better be armed with a good book!

The estimated time for recovery is 6-8 weeks time after surgery.  In my world this means 2 weeks J

I’ll be back doing another deadly Equalizer workout tomorrow before my forced rest on Monday.  Maybe I can sweet talk my hub into doing the workout with me

Details to follow soon…

 

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. - Steve Prefontaine

 

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur. - Vince Lombardi

 

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle. – Unknown

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you know what you want and you want it badly enough you’ll find a way to get it. - Jim Rohn

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success. - Norman Vincent Peale

Now that I have a lovely removable boot, I went for therapy this morning at UST.  Carolyn was great as usual!

 

Did some paperwork at Kombat… Then on to the good stuff with the hub!

 

Today’s workout:

 

Pistols: 1 x 5 reps then 5 x 6 reps

 

Ham on Swiss: Single leg only, 5 x 10 reps

 

Chins with tubing – ladders w/Joey – fast paced (for a grand total of 80 chins!!)

5 x 1 through to 4

5 x 1 through to 3

 

Male Push ups (bad foot crossed on top, but not bearing weight) 4 x 25 reps with 45 seconds of rest in between; as I was informed when done! Tricky Joey J I thought the rest seemed faster!! The last set was tough :-p

 

NOTE: A little trick that really works…  Don’t count 25 on the last set. Count 5, then 10, then 10 again - why? Tricks the brain cause 5 will seem so easy. You know that cranking out another 10 will be simple, and then right away count 10 again. Because your brain has just registered that you can do 10, another 10 should be no problem. Just plow right through them.

 

Quick tips:

®     Having a great workout partner makes you push much more.

®     Documenting your workout and expectations as you go makes you work HARDER; commit on paper, commit to yourself!

®     Endorphins are really great natural pain killers. Don’t take drugs unless you really, really have to for pain because then you don’t learn to have sensitivity to your body and you mask the pain. You’ll never know when you’re really healing and on the mend.

 

I feel strong and healthy today. Happy training to everyone else being active in the world. Cheers!

 

P.S. 2nd and 3rd opinions were received…  Gonna get the plate on Monday.  Surgery here I come.

Okay, so I didn’t have to cry, rant, rave or freak out at the hospital this afternoon like I thought I might… I was readily given two options:

A) Let my foot heal on its own, which could take 3 to 4 months, or

B) Do the surgery on Monday, May 5^th, whereby they will insert a metal plate into my foot, and the recovery time will shorten to 6 – 8 weeks.

It would seem to be a “no brainer” – surgery; especially because of my active lifestyle, but after discussing it with everyone (the Surgeon, the Intern, my athletic therapist, my husband, and my boss…), it is turning out to be a harder decision than I thought.  We’ll have to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision tomorrow.  Right now I am just happy to be able to ice my foot, shave my leg and walk (although slowly and painfully) without crutches - my armpits are relieved!  Basically I was told that this type of injury is all about pain tolerance, and lord knows I have a lot of that! Thank gawd.

No matter what we decide, surgery or no surgery, I feel VERY happy today because I am armed with a little more knowledge about where things stand. 

I’ll be jumping and leaping and frolicking around in no time; of this I am certain!

 

 

 

Okay, it was a tad warm to do the workout in my grey sweats; warm maybe because set up seemed to take me so long.  It’s amazing how difficult some tasks suddenly seem with this single Go-Go boot on my leg… Instead I ended up working out in attire that made me look like a human Creamsicle J Quite cheery!

 

Here is what I ended up doing:

 

Triceps (kneeling w/feet up), I did 2 x sets of 35.
Was gonna do more… But it was very fatiguing and just awesome These were much safer than dips and there was zero stress on my rotator cuff. It was all about the triceps!  Found it hard to remember to breathe with those ones. YOWZA.