January fitness challenge

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

Oh ouch, Butter! I'm 3 weeks back into exercising and cringe every time I think about the fact that sooner or later I will have an injury. I'm hoping for later!!

Do you regularly run in the Vibrams? Did you use them for CF too? I'm looking at new shoes and hate ordering shoes over the web.

[ribearty 544]

No last time I took 3 days off and went back to running. I just had to be extra careful and I couldn't wear the vibrams for a while. Hopefully it will be the same this time....but I won't know until the initial pain and swelling goes down. Right now it feels like a Grenade went off in my shoe.

Butter, do you think you'll be able to swim? I know after I had back surgery, being in the Water helped a lot because the Water helped take pressure off my back.

I hope you aren't sidelined for too long, but make sure you're healed so you don't do permanent damage that effects your gate or stride.

[gamergirl 4,610]

I am doing the pull-up challenge (for me, to do 50 unbroken) and 5 days a week of cross fit training (3 days on, 1 day off). I am tempted to do some light running on rest days (5k-30 m or 10k-60m), but want to be careful about not pushing too much without rest. I will not be trying to elevate my heart rate into cardio zone if I do it. Nice and easy running. Yeah, like a massage.

Umm...either you have a running secret you need to share with us, or you need to go somewhere less sadistic for your massages dude!

Meant to ask what news on your RA and bones situation?

[gamergirl 4,610]

This is going to seem low, maybe, but 10 Crossfit sessions (2-3 per week) and 16,000 m swimming.

I'd ideally like to be at 3 CF per week but my evenings don't always work out that way!

To whom? Coz it sounds like a lot more than I can do! No putting yourself down. That's someone else's job

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Oh ouch, Butter! I'm 3 weeks back into exercising and cringe every time I think about the fact that sooner or later I will have an injury. I'm hoping for later!! Do you regularly run in the Vibrams? Did you use them for CF too? I'm looking at new shoes and hate ordering shoes over the web.

I don't do crossfit but if I did I wouldn't hesitate to do it in vibrams. When I lift weights I always do it on vibrams. I believe in the theory behind wearing minimalist shoes, especially for running but they work for all types of movements. I believe they make your feet stronger and healthier and they save your back and knees from impact injuries because you are forced to land softly on your feet.

The down side is the occasional misstep like tripping over an unseen tree root while running hard. I run in them 50% of the time and the other 50 I run in other minimalists shoes that have slightly more protection. Other than trail running I've never had a problem with them. And trail running is always precarious no matter what shoes you wear.

Anecdotally I believe that of I did not wear the vibrams I would have suffered major knee pain long before now. My knees ache any time I run in heavily padded shoes because over the course of the run I end up landing much harder. You cannot land hard in the vibrams or it will hurt your feet....so you automatically lighten your step. Or at least, you're supposed to.

I love how I can feel the ground/floor beneath them. I feel so much more connected to the earth.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Butter, do you think you'll be able to swim? I know after I had back surgery, being in the Water helped a lot because the water helped take pressure off my back. I hope you aren't sidelined for too long, but make sure you're healed so you don't do permanent damage that effects your gate or stride.

Yes that is the one thing keeping me from going postal, I should be able to swim with no problem.

[ReDbEaN 654]

Y'all kill me with all of y'all's fitness!! I feel like such a slacker!! But kudos for sure to ya:)

[ribearty 544]

I love those leggings Terry!!! And that is fantastic that your work has bikes!!

Emeraldeye, thats my bike I took it to work. I order it because it folds up.

January 1st, 8/100 miles done!

Plank day 1, 65s!

Great way to start off 2014!

YES!

Now to keep this momentum going!

Terry, I plan on riding 1,000 miles between mid-March and the end of October on my road bike all outdoors. I do cold weather riding since I have all the gear, but prefer warmer weather for riding.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Umm...either you have a running secret you need to share with us, or you need to go somewhere less sadistic for your massages dude! Meant to ask what news on your RA and bones situation?

As for running, it is all chi for me. Chi running that is. Chi Running puts your body into a very relaxed state. Combining that with my mastery over cardio response due to months and months of metabolic conditioning, my received effort to running (much easier then the average WOD) is quite manageable. The run I did on Sunday was a tad over 10 k and came in around 55 minutes. To me this felt like a moderate pace and very relaxing on my muscles. Like a massage.

I have my first appointment with Rhuemy next week so can update you after that. At this time, there is not much information to give.

In the last month (since finding out about the spinal issues from a few X-rays ), I have been making due with a lot of daily PT exercises and mobility work. At least an hour a day in and out of the cross fit box. Still cannot do an overhead squat worth Beans because of the compound fractures in my back. They are effectively reducing mobility of the thoracic region to zero. However, thanks to PT, quality of life is much higher given the reduction in constant inflammatory pain.

I've also been working a lot (and I mean all the time) on establishing a correct walking and sitting posture. There are a few books I have read since then on the subject, all terrific. However, it is hard to sustain good posture in terms of mind over body (eg application of knowledge) so I have bought one of those posture shirts for men. It is extremely hard to get on, but once it is on,It is like applying KT to the back and shoulder. Incredible relief from correct posture. The curves are flattened out a bit (my spine is overly curved in the thoracic region and the lumbar region causing an unnatural curve in the cervical region. And a lot of inflammatory pain. The posture shirt works so much better then some of the PT exercise I have been doing daily (which help, but are not causing any long term relief) to flatten out the thoracic region. I think much of these spine issues may have been introduced or enhanced after dropping from 360 to 180 in a short time period (6 months) and not giving my body time to learn about new posturing. Just a theory.

I know I am rambling a bit, but I do have to say the degenerative apex regions in my neck (the area between and immediately around thoracic and cervical curves) in addition to the back (the area between and immediately around lumbar and thoracic curves) is feeling much better with my back in proper posture thanks to the posture shirt. I am going to continue wearing it until the mind-muscle connection is made. That is, I can hold the correct posture without effort.

Related- I have been wondering if my upper arms and shoulders are not responding well to heavy loads because of the following condition:

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/1101/p2067.html

I just found this link today and a light bulb went off in my head. It is something I want to talk to the specialist about. In a nutshell, the degenerative nature of my spine (particularly in the cervical region) may be causing this condition which ultimately is limiting my lifting ability overhead. It is all speculative until the process with the specialist is underway next week.

This is probably more of an answer then you wanted.

[ribearty 544]

I even bought myself new shoes to use when walking. I want to have as much fun when I am working out. Makes me think of my kids when they got new shoes for the school year and were so excited.

those are really awesome shoes!

Fiddle, I hope that the new shoes will cut down on some inflammation I have been experiencing lately. At least they aren't worn down yet so should help with alignment issues.

If only having the equipment would make us the athlete. I could be a tennis star, tour de france racer and so many other occupations.

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

Fiddle, on the contrary…I find this very helpful. While I was swimming the other day I was thinking specifically about how it might help my posture. Despite being a singer, my posture is (overall) piss poor and I have a kyphosis as well. Filing this all away.

[ribearty 544]

Fiddle, on the contrary…I find this very helpful. While I was swimming the other day I was thinking specifically about how it might help my posture. Despite being a singer, my posture is (overall) piss poor and I have a kyphosis as well. Filing this all away.

Fluff,

I have to say, you are improving my vocabulary. I have had to look up a word in the dictionary at least twice this week to get the definition. I appreciate you helping me with brain fitness also.

[xmarycontraryx 234]

Fiddle... Have you looked into Alexander technique? I studied it in college and helped a lot with my spine issues. It's quite difficult to find certified instructors but there are several books worth reading if interested.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Fiddle... Have you looked into Alexander technique? I studied it in college and helped a lot with my spine issues. It's quite difficult to find certified instructors but there are several books worth reading if interested.

I have read about two methods so far: the. Mckenzie method and the gokhale method. Bother approach he's are excellent and address correction of the spine. Books like these take a while to put into practice so am building better posture subconsciously while my conscious mind is going to work on those two approaches. I will look up Anderson.

[TJL 222]

I even bought myself new shoes to use when walking. I want to have as much fun when I am working out. Makes me think of my kids when they got new shoes for the school year and were so excited.

Rib, love the shoes!