Ladies Bootcamp is VERY different than regular bootcamp. I have to learn that. Concentration on good form is more important than competition against ones self and others. I know good form is important in regular bootcamp, but I can sacrifice form when intensity increases. Not that competition is bad. If fact, it can be a good thing. But not here and not now.

Last night's workout was 20 squats, 20 dips, 20 step ups (I was soooo tempted to do jump ups but thought it would be showing off...and not good for the leg but thought I needed more cardio), and 3 stair repeats X 3. Yeah I was sweating after this.

Squats felt ok. Dips-couldn't do straight leg because the pull on the periformus and hamstring just didn't make that possible, 20 step ups-ok. Dam those stair repeats. Actually the stairs didn't feel bad. It was the sprint (which I just slowed to power walked) to the wall that was the worse out of all these. Hmmm. Doesn't really make sense.

Kel showed me a GREAT stretch for the periformus. After the 3 rounds, I did the stretches. While I waited for time to be called, I tried doing the straight legged dips. SUCCESS! I couldn't believe what a difference that stretch made. BTW I did stretch before I came to bootcamp so I didn't go into this cold.

Today the piriformus and hamstring is the same. Good news-no worse than yesterday.

Friday night back at Crossfit! My thought was I would do something that was "easy." Now we all know there is no "easy" in crossfit, but I would stay away from running, and possibly squats. Ivan-1 sounded good. 5 rounds of 5 pullups, 20 situp, 5 pushups, 10 KB swings for time. 15:13! Tried the band to help with the kipping pullups. Loved it! OK I only did 1 and the rest were a spastic, comic effort. BUT I DID 1. So is this a progression? Is using the band a step up from jumping pullups? Can't wait to tell Kel.

Sunday morning I woke up at 5am to run Hogees with D and Kel and whoever else showed up. I really wanted to enjoy the morning up there, but thought better when I was in the shower and felt how tight my hamstrings & periformus was. I was good the night before and rolled, iced, etc. In my mind I kept thinking how stupid was I to try my leg out on a "easy paced" 5 mile trail where I knew it would be only uphill or downhill. So I played it smart in the morning and reluctantly backed out. Since there was a 5K later that day on a flat course, with walkers, that would be the better choice to test out my running legs.

So in the afternoon we met. And I did a light jog with Kellie, stopping when I could feel the hamstrings really tightening up. I was waiting for the "pop" but decided to stop and walk just before I thought it would happen. Luckily it never came. After the run...ice ice baby! By the late evening, sitting was not my favorite thing to do. Remembering my conversation with Kellie about not being able to "just stop" knowing this will prolong recovery, the uncomfortableness of sitting reminded me of how stupid I can be. So today me and my triggerpoint ball are up close and personal again.

But I'm looking forward to hiking around Sedona and the Grand Canyon later this week when we're on vacation. Yes there is a disconnect in my brain. After all, we are a society of quick-fixes and self-gratification.

On Dirt Diva's blog she wrote "Bless your difficulties and ask to see their hidden guidance. Have the courage to accept what you discover and to initiate whatever action your healing requires." I'm still trying to find how this is a blessing and how this could be a good thing. If I discover the "Why," then maybe I'll do 100% of the "How."

Maybe one day it will come to me, but not today.

So here is my favorite reading spot. In that skychair. The hammock (which is no longer there since it needs to be replaced), was my favorite summer napping spot. Just FYI

So Weds Beth came by and worked on me. I knew it was a good hurt, but boy, did it hurt! But it is ohhhh sooooo much better. Not perfect, but MUCH MUCH BETTER. I didn't realize how tight my gluts and IT bands were. Oh that woman knows how to take my breath away! OUCH!

I had this nice massage while D was off running/training for the Pasadena Half. :) D having the car, I decided to walk, yes just walk, to the store. Boy walking is so slow. I had to resist the urge to do a light jog since I was in flip flops. Hmmm maybe I could power walk. I left something cooking on the stove - yeah a power walk. I could stretch out the hamstrings and the legs and gluts were feeling better after the massage. Somewhere deep in the back of my brain, way way WAY in the back, I thought this probably wasn't a good idea. Oh what the hell. So when my foot hit the lifted sidewalk and I lurched forward, my hamstring tightened up. DAMM. But the good news is that it wasn't so bad.

Thursday I rode to work and brought the triggerball. It's a good thing I'm hidden away in my own office. I'm sitting on the triggerball, hitting the tight spots in the gluts or my hamstrings, rolling those spots while I work. This could look a little funny to the innocent bystander. Oh how I sacrifice ;)

Not a workout blog

Nope-didn't work out. Gave my leg a rest, but I have Beth coming over tonight to work on it. YEAH!

Yesterday after work I sat in my favorite chair to read-my sky chair under the mulberry tree-and finished The Kite Runner. What a great book!

Let me preface my comments with I try to be as open-minded as possible. Growing up knowing and experiencing some prejudice, I try to not stereotype people, try to see and accept different cultures and different views on life.

Now my comments on this book. This book surprised me. It really was great to see a war-torn country/culture through someone else's views who is closer to the situation. Yes this is fiction, but the author's bio shows he was born in Kabul. So I'm assuming some of the descriptions of the landscape and cultural traditions are accurate. This book really shows a humane side of a culture I know very little about, except what is shown on TV. The Afghanistan that is described before the war is one of beauty, friendship, family, love and respect.

So last night was the first night of the bootcamp cycle. It was nice to see so many people out there. I'm doing the women's bootcamp, at least for a bit, until my leg feels better.

That said, during the warmup lap last night, oh, about 150 M into it, I felt a pop at the back of my leg. DAMM! Ok here's the rant. HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS GOING TO GO ON?!? I know I'm not resting it. I know I'm not doing EVERYTHING I can to make this go away. But really! OMG! How much longer is this going to last! I roll, I take ibueprofen. Now really, I what to know how much longer I have to put up with this SHIT!

It's my ego and my pride that kept me limping for the rest of the lap. And for the 800M at the end. My mind kept telling me to walk. Just stop and walk. Give it a rest so it can fully heal. But my mind doesn't always win the argument. So I hobbled along, knowing that I might be making the recovery take even longer. Ego isn't always a good thing.

I couldn't get comfortable last night. Finally broke down and gave Beth a call. Can't wait until tomorrow. I'm hoping she's the help I need. I'll see how I feel after her magic massage works my body over. Maybe that's all I need. I'm going to keep telling myself this.

Am I really done for the year? No Inaugural Pasadena Half? No AR? I'm not dead yet!

Watching from the sidelines is hard to do

Friday night-no crossfit for me. It was a VERY bad day at work, got home late, and just needed space. It was also a good time to give the hamstring more rest. I didn't even want to meet for dinner because I didn't want to hear all the stories about crossfit. Its a bit of self-pity. But hunger won over and I walked over to meet the Cross-N-Nosh gang. I'm glad I did since the friendship and comraderie is always comforting.

So Saturday when the marathoners were doing a 10-13 mile run, I was left behind. D went off to run and I was in the house alone...up at 6 am...what to do. I told people I would ride today. Do I ride and be accountable for myself? Or do I make up a bunch of excuses not to do anything but sit in front of the TV drinking my coffee. Damm that accountability thing (no really-its a good thing).

So I'm on my bike at 7am. Do I go towards the dam, or towards Pasadena? Hmmm what choices! I'm out the driveway, turn right, and I guess I'm off to ride the dam. On the way there, I'm thinking this isn't the same as running. It's way to easy to get to the destination. You can change gears, or just coasting you still gain distance. When you're running, if your legs stop, you don't move (unless you're doing the fall down the hill and roll maneuver). But overall, you just stop. My mind kept going back to E and bootcamp/crossfit-you make it as hard or as easy of a workout as you want. OK keep the legs moving. Keep them moving at a quicker pace. Hey my legs never move this fast when I'm running :)

Did I say it was way to easy? I changed my mind on the way back. The nice breeze if I were running became those dreaded headwinds on the bike. Uphill, headwinds, the back half of the ride...I was pedalling and my 16-18 mph there became 11-14 mph back. But going that slow had it's good points. I could enjoy the water in the "river" flowing, yes flowing! How nice a ride it was. Then my thought went to the fact that I rode over there and my car wasn't were it normally would be - at the park. I had to ride back home! I had a downhill section on the way to the dam, right? Wasn't there a hill I had to go up? Did I remember right? Yup.

23 miles, 1:32... but still a nice day to ride and I was happy about that.

How do I get rid of an enemy when it's me?

We are our own worst enemy, right? Upon further review of my blogs for this past year, its all full of injuries. I suppose the best thing would be to wait... and wait ....and wait until I fully heal. But how? I keep doing these things.

My thought yesterday was to test how my hamstring felt after last week's run. Last week it was around mile 2 that it was giving me problems. Maybe this week it would still be ok after 3 miles.

I tried to run and got 2 blocks before I had to walk. HMMM... How far could I go before it would really make me stop? I'd walk half a block before I would have to stop and walk the last half. I did this for another, what, 3 more blocks (forward of course). My original goal was to go 3 miles....and I got a whole 2 blocks. Whoo Hooo ( I hope you hear the sarcasm). I did have the sense to stop at Myrtle and turn around (half way to my original distance). And I did go home and foam roll and use the triggerpoint balls.

So I'm online looking at solutions and...opps...forgot to take ibuprofen....oh and forgot to ice. Not good at remembering these things when I get home.

So do I remember to NOT try this again next week?

On a lighter note, I'm LOVING the change in weather! I had to grab my fleece pullover when we grabbed dinner last night. Oh the start of fall. LOVE IT.

This Thursday my class starts again. Yeah. I'm so excited! Yes it's mainly social hour, but I have projects to work on! Many thoughts going through my head.

So I didn't blog about the 2x5K. I only did 1 since, yes, I'm injured. Sucks and I'm tired of blogging it. I'm sure you're tired of reading it. So on the 3rd, I did a 5K around the park. I kept thinking my Pasadena Half Marathonn time is going to suck. Then just after mile 2, I could feel that hamstring giving me problems. Kinda weird, sorta a pins-and-needles feeling. Hey-this new feeling took my mind off of other things. Is that sick when these new sensations are kinda interesting? Even if it is injury related? Hey it's new and different.

So Sunday a few of us decided to do a "leisurely" 48 mile bike ride from Duarte to Seal Beach. It was a great day for this ride. It was a bit humid, but other than that, it was great weather. Not too hot or sunny. And I loved the sites. I've lived here all my life and I couldnt' believe the number of houses with horses along this trail. Not just in South El Monte, but even further on. And Pico Rivera had a nice park that looks inviting. Hmm might have to find out which park that was and check it out. And the number of herons, many egrets, a huge flock of pelicans! And there's this section where they have a ramp down into the wash (I guess this is technically the San Gabriel River)! They encourage playing in the wash! I'm amazed! Wow the sites! I'm soooooo glad I did this.

Now for the kudos. Thanks Jane for getting this organized. And for those who hadn't been on a bike for a long time, you did great! Somehow sitting on the saddle for that many miles is a great feat in itself, let along peddling along for that distance. No complaining, no whining, no bitching. You are all great troopers! But what I would like to know is, with all the new technology available, can't someone make a saddle that is comfortable after mile 15? What do these Tour-de-France riders do? Can their butts be that calloused or numb? Oh what a thought. Mental note to self-work on biker butt before doing 48 miles again.

So I was asleep on the couch by 6 after this ride, barely awake to eat dinner. Must stay awake......Ok in bed by 7:15 and I was out!