Moving Forward

6 on the elliptical, I ramped up the resistance more then I have since the surgery. It still felt pretty good. Being back to work and having to use alot more stair then I do at home make my knee feel a bit weird. Not hurt, just not feel normal, I hope this goes away as it heals more. 

So there was a girl next to me at the elliptical machines and she stayed on for quite a while. But I notices she was not sweating at all!! I mean what the heck! I seriously leaving puddles! I have it dripping off my chin, elbows, you name it, it's pretty gross. How can she not be sweating at all, or maybe it's just that I'm the weird out of shape one... either way just thought it was weird. 

5 on the elliptical, at a moderate pace. 30 minutes weights and abs. 

I'm off work today, the first time in 15 year that we have Good Friday off with pay! Yahooo!!!!

4.00 on the elliptical. I would mess with the crossramp and resistance at every mile. Moderate then hard. I needed to mix things up a bit so after the elliptical I got on the TM and power walked 2 more miles. For some reason the TM seems to bug on the knee more then the elliptical. 

I need to do some arranging of my schedule to see if I can fit in a spin class or something different, the routine I'm in now is getting boring... any suggestions? 

Busy day today and tomorrow

Happy Easter :)

Lovely brisk walk with my sweetie this morning, before all the Easter festivities. We had our moms, kids, grandkids and my daughter-in-laws parents and brother over for dinner and egg hunt... it was a blast!

5 on elliptical... weight abs etc.

5 on elliptical .50 cool down walk on treadmill. 

More weights and abs. I need to find something new to try.

Tried to do a modified jun workout... but it didn't really go the way I had hoped. I don't think I have the foot speed to do the step ups on the step fast enough, and after the first two sets of one minutes my knee started to bug. I did lots of planks and weights in-between the step up stuff and then more after my knee bugged. I thought I might need some more aerobic activity so I did four on the elliptical. I tried one more time to do the step ups after being on the elliptical and I think I could do it a tiny bit better. Also the first time I tried any weights with my knee. There is a machine at the gym where you sit and push the weights away from you with your legs. This machine also has the legs pushing separately, I was a bit surprised how much weaker my left knee is. This is something I need to work more on. 

6 on the elliptical, kept it at a moderate/hard pace, until the last mile the a moderate/easy pace. More core work... then took the big ball, behind my back and then slid down the wall to work my legs/knees. Knee is still a bit buggy when I do this kind of thing.

Made an appointment with my NP doctor. Since the surgery been having some fatigue issues and a general down feeling. It's been a while since I've had all my blood work done so I think it will be a good thing. I would also like to get some of her ideas on the artheritis and running issue. I hope for some good news, I could use it.

Did spin class with my hubby in the morning. Fun and sweaty... don't know how to calculate the miles for it so just left them blank.

5 on the elliptical... computer is broke and we have laptop loner from my son-in-law while he fixes the computer... what a pain. So I will keep thing kinda short. The one thing that really struck me was the little girl that got on the elliptical just as I was about finished. If Carolyn sees Barbie on her runs, this girl was a Bratz doll with the additional tattoo package. Lovely leopard bra that was hanging out from her top, and her hair was teased to at least a 5 inch poof on her head. I won't go into all the details of her make-up that could take too long. But it was amazing! Then there was me with my sweaty pony tail... mismatch outfit (I swear I just grab what is clean) and a puddle of sweat around the machine. LOL what a sight!

5.4 on the elliptical, then weight and abs. 

Had to get my blood drawn for some tests before I go to the doctor. It took them four pokes before they could get my vein. OUCH!! I warned them that I have bad veins! I have not been able to get on other blogs much... hopefully  soon our computer will be fixed.

My daughter went with me to the gym, it's fun to have the company, and I figure pretty soon I won't be cool to hang around with so I will cherish the times that she wants to be with me.

5 on the elliptical then arms and abs. Kept it at a moderate level today, I have not been sleeping very well and fatigue is starting to set in. Good thing I'm going to the doctor soon.

Still feeling a bit tired... not too bad. Did 5.5 on the elliptical. 5 at a high intensity then cool down at .50 did some squats with the big ball behind my back on the wall. This was the first time since the surgery that it didn't hurt too much and I was able to feel like I was working my quads instead of hurting my knee. YAhhhh I must be healing a bit :) Then did back and ab work.

Did not sleep well at all!!! So no sleep = no workout tonight. My running friend, and our husbands are biking the river pathway tomorrow morning. It should be nice. Then all the house work, yard work etc. 

Crazy day!! When a 1-2 hour bike ride turns into a 5 hour bike ride! We had a total of 6 flat tires (5 of them on the ride, one fixed before we left). Then tons of weeding and gardening when we got home.

It is about a 19 1/2 mile ride, but I averaged it to 7 for my milage.

My youngest daughter and I sweated it out on the elliptical for 5 miles. Then did some abs and stretching. It was nice to have company at the gym. 

Two steps forward... one back :( Took my youngest to the cornea specialist after work last night and she has lost a bit of vision. The inflamation is not undercontrol... so new drops again. These ones are a bit scary because they are steriods. The problem is that they can either help with the inflamation... or make the virus come back. I go see my NP doc in a week. I will have her do a perscription for blood work of my daughter, then have my daughter see her. Maybe there is something that can help that way.

Daughter and I went to the gym after the eye appointment. Did a bit on the elliptical and then lots of stretching... hamstrings are very vary tight!

There won't be any gym time today :( I have a sister date planned with my sisters LOL. We will be making books. I will try to post some pictures on my blog later.

So, my plan is to test drive my knee on May 4th, and I was thinking since my daughter has been going to the gym with me I might be able to get her to start running a bit, since I need to start out slow, it's a great apportunity to have her start too. But there is one thing that I'm hoping someone can help me with. My daughter is a 30DDD/E!! Yep can you believe it!! Where on earth can you get a good/comfortable sports bra for someone that size. The one she wears now, would not hold up to running, it is just doing minimal help now. As you can see because of this question I personally don't have this problem, she can thank genetics and her father's side for this. LOL Anyway if someone has any ideas I would appriciate it

Quick night at the gym before I had to go to a nurtition class that I had wanted to attend. Pretty good class, but I'm hoping next time it will be more on practical application more then the education of why you should do it. I understand the whys I just would like more help with stratigies and methods to implement and get the family on board also.

5.4 on the elliptical, 5 at a high intensity then .4 cool down. Lots of plank and side planks, until my arms were shaky then abs.

Five on the elliptical with my daughter... arms abs and stretching

3 miles on the elliptical, then body pump class. It's been forever since I have taken this class and it showed! My whole body was shaky by the time I finished. The lung and squat tracks bugged my knee a little bit, but not too bad. Today was the first time I could stretch my quad by holding my foot to my but and have my foot touch, so I'm getting more mobility back in my knee!

My legs were still sore from the body pump class on Saturday. I can tell I really need to do more of that class!
5.4 on the elliptical, messed with the crossramp and tension of the machine to change it up a bit.

Did a mini test drive on the knee... after we got off the elliptical and stretched, my daughter and I ran around the indoor track three times, so that is really not much at all, we did it in our stocking feet. Knee didn't hurt, but felt different... weak.  So, that was a pretty much it :)

Did a bit more on the elliptical, also tried to keep it at a higher intensity. Felt pretty good... a bit of arms and abs, lots of stretching. 

So... it has been a bit over two months since I have had any diet soda/caffeine, I was not a huge drinker, and the first week or so were a bit hard but I don't really miss or crave it anymore now. So I thought to myself, lets really get to the core of my problem. I have a huge sweet/chocolate craving, and started last week cutting this from my diet. I was doing pretty well until yesterday and today... man I know that I can never tell myself never, because then all you do is think about what you can't have. I had been so good, but one of my friends at work got chocolates from her supplier and she came to my desk to share. I had three!!! I know you are thinking that is not that bad... but then I had a bag of M&M's and then they brought cake to celebrate a graduation of one of our techs, and I had a piece of cake AHHHH!! I was out of control!!

  OK now that I have confessed all my sins I feel much better... I will try my best to be better at controlling my need for sweets, this is going to be one of my biggest challenges! I am down 7 pounds so I'm happy with that... but I still have a bit more to go.

I go see my NP doc tomorrow after work so I'm hoping she will have some good advise to deal with my knee and good news on all my blood work.

Busy night, no sleep to little sleep lately, so it was a short workout at the gym, three miles at a high intensity on the elliptical then one more at a moderate intensity. Then I took off my shoes and ran .40 on the treadmill at a very slow 12mm pace. I wanted to go more but I keep thinking I need to ease back into this and not re-injure myself. My knee didn’t hurt but still felt weak. It did feel like it was going to give out on my twice, and from what I remember the doctor telling me, that feeling is more because of your quad then your knee, so this means I need to do more to strengthen my quad. Looks like lots of squats are in my future.

Update from my doctor visit: Looks like my feelings were pretty accurate. The blood work says I’m in adrenal fatigue, and my thyroid looks so bad she wants me retested in two more weeks. DHEA is in the toilet along with all other hormones. She told me I need to see her more often until I get my numbers under better control. I love visiting her but she is not covered by my insurance so this is out of pocket!! Wishing I had planted a money tree a few years ago! Also from the blood work it looks like I don’t tolerate gluten very well. This could be contributing to all the inflammation/arthritis. Looks like the Metcalf’s are going gluten free! Don’t know how the family will be taking this new diet. She did give me some new things to try for the arthritis, will see how that goes, but I think the big key for me will be the diet. In the back of my mind I was thinking “Great, the one thing that I don’t really do very well, is now going to be my biggest challenge.” Isn’t that always the case? At one point in our conversations she said. “Let’s try these things so we can get you back running” That sentence seriously put a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes! Finally someone who is on my side!

Some of the talk with the doctor turned to minimal shoes when running or 5 fingers. Then on of the people I work with sent me this link about running http://www.posetech.com/ I know that I need to change things about my running but I’m so confused as to what I need to change and how to go about doing it. Is running barefoot or in minimal shoes in and of themselves enough to change the way I run? Or do I need to have my gait analyzed? Has anyone ever read Chi Running? They claim to make it so you are running faster with no pain or injuries. I’m just so confused on where and how to start this. Any and all advice would be helpful.

Sorry for the long post. I hope you read it long enough to maybe help me with my questions.

Moderate effort on the elliptical with my daughter. 

Hubby and I took the day off work and so I talked him into going to the gym with me. He likes to do the weights, so did lots of shoulders, and arms. Then did four on the elliptical and .50 running bare foot on the treadmill. !!

Spent the rest of the day sculpting a new head for a fairy doll. Oh ya that is what I call a great day!