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le recap of my week

Job-hunting paid off on Wednesday! I accepted a position with a local car dealership as a digital marketing assistant.

What does that mean?

Oh, well, if you must know: I read and write about cars all day. Awesome!

The job requires 20 hours a week so I have plenty of time to teach public speaking on Mondays and Wednesdays, which will probably take up about 10 hours of my week, WHICH means I should have plenty of time, as well, to work out!

(Note: I was also “hired” on some where else, but I don’t technically start until June, and I might not start at all. I haven’t heard back from them yet about my availability. If I end up working here, I’ll tell you about it.)

Unfortunately, I went to the gym just three times this week: Monday with Husband, one day of Bikini Boot Camp and Power Yoga this morning. Three days is not nearly enough for weight-loss.

I need to be at the gym or the track MORE next week.

Problem? I need motivation!

“Shae, having a workout buddy is motivating. You’ve got one!”

Problem? She’s gone!

Ashley R. -my personal motivator, my workout buddy, my friend -ran home to Idaho to get married!

I know, right?! :) I’m soooo happy for her! (But I miss her like crazy!)

She will be gone doing married person things until August, when school and work start up again. By my calculations -and I’m not good at math -she will be gone forever, and I might get even MORE unhealthy. Oh, no!

(Side note: SmartLipo commercial comes on TV. skinnyshae gets mad because she wants to take the easy way out, too. Ugh. Want.)

What will I do? Where will I find motivation? Who will hold me accountable?

Answer: Husband. Maybe.

According to The Nest, working out with your spouse is super motivating! And they have some seriously ridiculous workout suggestions…

Dancing Kings and Queens: Zumba. I would never get Husband on a dance floor for salsa or ballroom dancing, let alone Zumba. I don’t think the YMCA will be seeing Husband and I in their Zumba room anytime soon.

Outdoorsy Types: I think Husband and I would be more “outdoorsy” if we didn’t sleep completely different schedules. Luckily, it’s summer-ish outside so we can take the dog for walks in the evenings. What else do we want to do outside? Camping, hiking, fishing, and the like :)

(lol) Low-Key Lovers: Do yoga! Husband and I love yoga… well, I didn’t today. We used to do P90X “Yoga-X” together all the time. Maybe, we should add a few nights of extreme yoga in the evenings with our walks. Some Shiva Rea, my low-key lover?

ADD Duos: Um… what? According to the article, boredom is a common reason for quitting a fitness routine, especially for people in need of constant stimulation. So couples who easily lose interest should look for workout that constantly mix things up and throw in plenty of surprises to hold their attention, which a BOOT CAMP is guaranteed to do. Yay!

Couples on the Brink: Do you often find yourself wanting to punch your significant other in the thigh and give them dead leg? I do. :) With plenty of padding protecting your nerves… and face… a quick round of boxing may be just what you and your spouse need to get into shape (or to blow off some steam). Kickboxing allows you to also KICK your significant other.

Heh.

I promised Dinner Tonight, didn’t I?

Chicken Taco Thing-y with Rice
Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into pieces or shredded (after cooking)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 jalapeno
• 3 stalks green onions, chopped
• spice mix (garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, black pepper, salt, cumin)
• (however much you want) rice
• 1/2 cup water
• tortillas
• shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook the chicken in the manner you most love cooking chicken. For me: I pan-fried in a canola-soy oil blend. Drain and shred, if you want.

Pan-fry the onions, green onions and jalapenos. Save some greens of the green onions for garnish. Yum!

Add the chicken to the onions and peppers, and then add the spices and the 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Simmer until most of the liquids have boiled off.

Meanwhile, you should be boiling your rice or using a rice cooker. Probably a good idea.

Finally, warm up your tortilla. Layer on the rice and chicken creation. Shred Parmesan cheese over the top, wrap and munch.

Ta da!

I munched the heck out of it!

(I also need to figure out how to properly work my camera for better picture-taking.)

Total Time: 13 Hours 49 minutes
Total Distance Covered: 69.37 miles

As today was another gorgeous bank holiday here in the UK (yes we’ve got quite a few of them at the moment – it’s great!) we decided that today we would push the boat out (hypothetically speaking) and try a run that was a little further than usual.

As you know, we have been visiting a local leisure suite to do the puffolphin sessions, so today we thought that we would have a go running all the way there before having a little swim and sauna to celebrate.

On the back of the two longer continuous runs that I did last week I was feeling good, but also a little nervous about one particular part of today’s party session.

The hill.

Stockers hill.

The hill that when I suggested running up it the response has fallen into three categories:
○ Laughter
○ Stunned Silence
○ Some form of expletive

Hmm.

This could be a challenge.

Putting that aside for a moment it was time to hit the streets.

Training buddy was by my side again and we set off.

The weather was warm again, the sun was out and in spite of the heat it was wonderful to run in.

My legs were a little achy, but they are getting used to this running thing now…so no complaints.

Party session playlist was in full flow, and I was feeling good.

When all of a sudden, my party session playlist disappeared from my right ear.

Cue lots of mucking about with cables etc while bobbing along.

My earphones were obviously partied out…and I was left with just the one ear.

Never mind, at least I can still hear the music in my left ear…and I can hear training buddy in the right. No problem.

So on we ran.

About a mile into today’s run, I remembered a suggestion from training buddy…as well as listening to my party session playlist, I could also use the running time to catch up on my ‘reading’ by listening to audio books.

So I decided to switch to a Tony Robbins audio book to entertain me as I ran.

And entertain it did, in fact I was so focused on the book and the running that I completely missed a couple of friends waving to us as we bobbed past (sorry Liz and John!!) and it was only when training buddy pointed them out that I gave them a big wave and blew some kisses their way!

Things were going well, and I knew that the hill was on the horizon so mentally I was setting myself a goal to keep going until we got to the top when I realised that training buddy had stopped and started walking.

Hang on…TRAINING BUDDY had stopped, and I was still running?!?!

What’s going on?!

It turns out that as this was training buddy’s first trip out in a week that he was feeling it a bit.

In addition, as my running stride is significantly shorter than his, he was finding it very difficult to relax and still to keep in pace with me (without whizzing off ahead!) which was adding to the situation.

Although I could have easily kept running at this point, it was good in a way to be able to repay training buddy for his patience on this journey to date. I’m sure that the training we have done to this point has been (at times) a bit frustrating for him as he has had to hold back and not push his own limits as he has been supporting me along the way. We’re doing this as a team, so if one of us needs a little walking break, then a little walking break we’ll take.

So we had a little walk to get ready for the hill.

The dreaded hill.

We decided to get running again a little way before the start of the hill to get the rhythm ready by the time we started to climb.

So I put my earphone back in and picked up the pace.

…when I realised that there was now no sound whatsoever.

The party sessions had obviously taken their toll on my earphones and they were no longer willing to party.

Just before the climb began.

So no music and no Tony for my hill climb.

Hmmm.

Oh well, no point in worrying about it, I’ve got a hill to take on!

I had a good rhythm when I reached the bottom and was feeling good.

I had decided that my technique for tackling the hill would be not to focus on the hill itself and how far I’d gone or how far I had to go, but (as with my marathon training) just to keep focusing on the next step.

Because the next step is always do-able. The hill might feel like a gargantuan task, but the next step is always just another step.

So we started.

Things went well to start with…I kept my rhythm and was making good progress.

I kept telling myself “just keep focusing on the next step”.

…and I did…

…until about halfway up, when I suddenly realised that I was only halfway up…

…and then realised that that meant that I’d already done half of it…

…but the toughest bit of this hill is right at the top, and I still had that to go.

“NO! Don’t think about that!! Just keep focusing on the next step!” I reminded myself.

So focus I did.

The teeny tiny Tiggers were worth their weight in gold today (which luckily isn’t very much, or they’d be weighing my feet down!)…as I took each next step I kept on my toes and bounced back and forth from foot to foot.

“Next step, next step, next step, next step”… it was like my own personal mantra…”next” with every left foot, “step” with every right.

Just…keep….going…

It was tough, the panting Labrador was threatening to return and my legs were most definitely feeling the strain…but I kept going.

…Next step, next step, next step…

When I was nearly there I allowed myself to focus on the top of the hill.

Nearly there!

Just keep going!

…and…

…WE MADE IT!!

All the way to the top, without breaking the run.

Woo hoo!!

Time for a little happy dance!

It looked like a hill from the bottom, but it felt like I’d climbed a mountain when I happy danced at the top!!

Both training buddy and I decided that this was a good point to have another walking break (to allow the wobbly lead legs to subside!!)

So we walked to the pub (no, we didn’t stop in for a pint before you ask!) before picking up the pace again.

It has to be said that without my party session playlist I thought I would really struggle on today’s run, but the day was so pleasant and I was enjoying it so much that it didn’t bother me at all.

I just kept a smile on my face and kept on running.

When…problem!

Training buddy had pulled a muscle in the top of his leg…and was limping while he was walking.

Not a good sign.

We found somewhere to pull off to the side and I helped him to stretch the leg out (thanks go out to Sarah, my old physiotherapist, and to all the old yoga / pilates / exercise class teachers for the exercises that helped get us back on the road today!)

Sidebar – thanks go out to warrior princess for sending through details of a FANTASTIC yoga stretch which has been my saving grace over the last few days: Vipa Rida Kirani (legs up the wall) – I can’t recommend it enough!!

So with training buddy back up and running again (literally) we set off on the last little stint of today’s run.

I told training buddy to set the pace that was comfortable for him and that I would try to keep up – and I didn’t do bad, even if my legs are a little bit littler.

With the sun out, surrounded by fields, it was fantastic.

The finish line was on the horizon, and I bobbed up towards it and crossed it feeling great.

While stretching out in front of the leisure suite, something occurred to me.

Not only was I feeling good, but even after our longest run to date I could have kept going if I’d wanted to.

YAY!

Happy Dances a-plenty!!

So training buddy and I rewarded ourselves with a leisurely swim, a lovely bubble in the hydrotherapy pool and jacuzzi and a relaxing poach in the sauna (where I gave Vipa Rida Kirani a go, until I realised that it scorched my toes as they were so much higher up than the rest of me!!)

Most importantly I realised today how much progress I’m making.

The panting Labrador is well and truly in retirement (he tried to make a comeback on the hill today, but wasn’t allowed to make an appearance!), I’m finding the running for the most part comfortable and (shock horror!) enjoyable and even when I’m pushing further I know that I’ve got more in me to give.

I’ve come a long way from the lolloping Labrador that couldn’t make it to the end of the road…which is very exciting…and what’s even more exciting is how much further I’m going to go…

Happy Dances are going to be in high demand!

Another step closer x

I went online and looked up the difference between a torn or pulled muscle. I’m sure this is a pretty common problem among fighters, so I would share my findings. One site said there was not much difference between the two. Askipedia stated that muscle pulls will have pain and small swelling and that muscle tears would have obvious swelling and bruising. Most other sites stated that muscle pulls ARE muscle tears. Then I stumbled across an amusingly written site aimed at helping to self-diagnose a strained muscle. For a strained muscle the following must apply:
* Did it hit you suddenly during a period of heavy lifting or athletic activity? The website calls this the “oh shit” moment.
* Is it fairly recent (if its more than a few weeks old, it’s no longer muscle strain)?
* Do you have just one muscle (or muscle group) that is both weak and painful to use?
* Is there a spot in the muscle that’s particularly sensitive (there may be a depression or swollen spot)?
* Is the skin flushed and hot? Does it look puffy?

If the pain came on slowly, you “woke up with it”, has existed for more than six months, or the pain isn’t consistently in one place, its not a muscle strain. I found this helpful information on a site that is selling a book on muscle pain. Even so, if you want to check it out, the url is http://saveyourself.ca/tutorials/muscle-strain.php.

According to this very knowledgeable website, I have a muscle strain. My “oh shit” moment was picking up my armor bag last night. All of the criteria applies except the red and puffy part. I can’t see the back of my neck and shoulder and mirrors are out because I can’t turn my neck that far! Unfortunately, the site didn’t discuss how to treat muscle pain, so I checked out some others. Apparently my chiurgeoun friend had the right idea!

1. Rest: allow the muscle to rest for 1 to 5 days depending on the severity of the pull.
2. Ice: this helps reduce the swelling. Do not ice for more than 15 minutes at a time.
3. Anti-inflammatory medications: these can reduce the swelling and help with the pain. Ask your doctor about this.
4. Gentle stretching: this will begin to allow your muscle to work and strengthen itself. Muscles that are strong do not pull or tear easily.
5. Strengthening: its important to strengthen the muscle before returning to athletic activities.
6. Heat applications: laboratory studies have shown that warm muscles are less tight and less likely to be injured.
7. Avoid muscle fatigue: fatigued muscles are more likely to be injured.
8. Warm-up properly: warming up the muscle before any activity will loosen it up and prevent injuries.

I got this information from http://orthopedics.about.com/od/sprainstraintreatment/ht/muscle.htm. I was doing numbers 1 and 3. I tried some very mild stretches this morning. I guess its time to get out the ice pack and put away the heating pad! I hope you found todays blog enlightening for all of your muscle strain needs!

ow can you tell if that pain you are feeling is a pulled muscle or if you are simply tired and sore? Generally speaking, the pain associated with a pulled muscle is usually more localized and acute. If you are feeling fatigued and tired in addition to having pain, you more likely are suffering from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS occurs after the body has had adequate time to rest and recover which is why most people are generally tired and sore a day or two after a tough workout. A hot soak in a bath full of Epsom salts can help as well as Tylenol or advil. If the soreness isn’t too bad, you may continue to work out. In fact, if the soreness is in your legs, I suggest light cardio to get you moving and the blood flowing. If, on the other hand, you think you’ve pulled a muscle, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WORK THROUGH THE PAIN. According to Paulina Ochoa, MPT at I.C.E. Physical Therapy Group (the best physical therapy practice ever… seriousy), “One should apply ice to an injury within the first 48 hours. This will help control the swelling that occurs from the body’s response to injury. The ice will constrict the blood vessels and limit internal bleeding. It will also help minimize the pain. After the first 48 hours have passed, a valuable treatment is hot/cold therapy. The contrast between hot & cold helps to stimulate the body’s circulatory system to pump faster thus reducing pain and inflammation. You begin and end the treatment with ice. Each treatment has three ice therapies to 2 hot therapies. Each therapy should last 3-5 minutes. You can use cold packs, frozen peas, ice baths and hot compresses, whirlpools, or microwavable packs. If an injury is chronic, it is OK to use heat. Heat will open the blood vessels and allow for more blood flow to the area. Heat should not be applied to an area with inflammation present, nor should it be applied after exercise. In those cases ice is better.” Know your body, know your limits. If you need a day or two off, take it! You’ll be better off in the long-run.

by Heather Cohen

I can’t move my neck, or lift my arms above my head. I can’t turn my head to the right and I can’t sleep. I have no idea what I did to it, I have no idea how to fix it. I can’t pick up Mason, I can’t reach for something in the top shelf and I can’t go to work like this. Did I mention I can’t sleep. I must have pinched a nerve, or pulled a muscle but all I know is it better fix itself by Monday or its going to be one long ass plane ride.

Easton lost his voice, hes grumpy and sick and has a cold. He woke up at 6:30am. He already threw one temper tantrum because i wouldn’t let him play Mario Kart at 7am (bad mommy I know).

Mason woke up at 4:30am and spent the next hour between kicking me, rolling onto my face, talking to me, playing with my phone and not sleeping. We got up at 5:30am. He is grumpy.

Did I mention even when I am grumpy and my kids are grumpy I still love them just as much.
Just another day in our always unpredictable life

Typical Thursday morning.  Getting ready for work, minding my own business.  I sneeze.  Nothing unusual right?  WRONG! I pulled my spine, and felt AND heard every muscle in my neck tighten. *SHHHLP*  And that’s how it happened.  I sneezed, and couldn’t move my neck.

What’s a girl to do? Go to work, obviously.  It’s just a pulled muscle.  That seems like a silly thing not to go to work for.  And besides, I have Motrin in my desk at work, and only Tylenol at home – useless.

Off I go, cringing and wincing every time my neck was jolted on my commute by bus.   Got to work.  Took the Motrin.  Moved my computer so that I would be sitting straight at my desk instead of at an angle.  Toughed it out. My colleague came to my office and told me to add heat.  So I microwaved my “this air conditioning is ridiculous” scarf. I lasted until 2:30. But by then I just couldn’t do it anymore.

After another painful bus trip I made it home and applied some serious application of heat.  I thought I would heat it up and by morning these muscles of mine will relax and be back to normal.

Nope.

Day 2: Not toughing it out.  Not going to work.  Seeking some sort of refuge.  My usual masseuse is typically booked for weeks ahead of time, so I didn’t even bother.  Instead I found a massage therapist that would see me in the morning and was within walking distance of my house.  It was my first MANssage. Here’s my review.  Not a big deal to have a Manssage, but I did learn in times like these it is important to have a relationship with your massage therapist (if only you could get her in an emergency).  It’s important to have a trusting relationship so that you can relax your muscles.  He did work and he even kept me for an extra 20 minutes without charging me.  It gave me some relief I probably went from an 8.5 (1-10 worst pain ever) to a 6. And he gave me this helpful tip for the future… ICE not heat. Heat apparently pools the blood (bad) while short spurts of ice creates more circulation (good).

I went through the rest of the weekend getting slowly better, and my posture going from perfect to back to normal as I relaxed the muscles in my back and neck and they went back to normal.

I also had to deal with slight mocking from the Boy who after sneezing (every time ALL weekend) said “Oh my neck!” Punk.  Other than the mocking he was nice and has continued to ask me how I’m feeling.

All in all I had heard of people hurting themselves in past by sneezing… my favourite is the sneeze = dislocated shoulder.  To be honest, historically I have been the one mocking.  I mean really, who hurts themselves sneezing?!  I will mock no more.  It SERIOUSLY hurt.

so yesterday was rugby practice.  we did our warm-up stretches and i was fine.  my right quad was a little tight, but i wasn’t pushing it too hard, easing into the stretches.  after stretches, it was time to hit the line and warm up with sprints.   when we started running, i only made it about 4 or 5 steps and then i had this stabbing, ripping, crazy pain in my right quad.  i tried to take a couple more steps and just couldn’t do it.  so before rugby practice even started, i was sitting on the sideline….freaking out.  i sat down most of the practice, with ice on it, but did get up and work on passing with one of the guys that is also injured.  when i got home, i iced it and kept it elevated as much as i could, hoping that it would feel better today.  not so much.   while it does hurt while i’m just sitting here, the real pain comes when i bend my knee (stretching the quad).  i can pull it back a little, but not without pain.  i can flex it and put pressure on it, but it is much weaker than it was.  and so now i sit and wait and stress.  i have no choice but to rest it, which pisses me off.  i’m already struggling with my training and the last thing i need is to lose time and miles.  keeping my fingers crossed that it’s something minor that will heal quickly.

She is so soft. I’m guessing she’s a long hair. Why guessing? Her hair’s been cut! I’m also going to guess her hair was matted up (not even going to speculate on that one) so they just cut it off. I’m really trying not to think of the shape she was in when we got her, though it could have been a whole lot worse. That part of her life is over now, though, and I plan to pamper her for however long her little life has left. That’s the only sucky part. Not knowing how old she is, but in the end, it really doesn’t matter.

Anyhow, back on topic. I’m currently kicked back on the heating pad with a double dose of pain meds today in hopes I can at least reach for a cup without wanting to cry. Yeah, it’s in a spot where EVERY tiny move aggravates it. *pout* I swear, if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Then agian, I got Trilby yesterday so maybe it isn’t ALL bad.

The chihuahua (Nicky) pulled an escape artist routine last night, though we figured he would. His new “sister” really got him going last night. He climbed the gate from the kitchen into the main room to be closer to her, even though he’s scared of her. Once he climbed it, he was trapped because he’s not smart enough to realize he can climb it BOTH WAYS. Never, ever claimed that dog was a bright one. He’s definitely missing a few important neural links there. Of course, his brother (Link) the rat terrier sits just outside the dog door when it rains whining wanting someone to let him in when all he has to do is come through the thing. Duh! You’d think after 5 years he’d learn it’s not closed just because it’s raining (in fact, the dog door is rarely ever blocked and then it’s only with very good reason), but alas, each time it rains we have to either call him until he gets it or give in and reach through the door to pull his drenched ass inside. Oh the fun there. :p

Yesterday we hit the lake for a few. The glory of living ten minutes from two good fishing spots. Anyhow, my son decided he wanted to fish, so we gave him a pole. He’s actually turning into quite the fisherman. He’s fishing in the lake and I’m fishing on the other side of the spillway (dam, whatever you want to call it) where the water overflows and forms a small stream. I’ve found it’s an excellent spot to catch bream, but Ian’s just too little to fish there nor did he have a pole that would reach far enough out. Anyhow, I hear him go, “I caught one.” I turn around and he pulls out what, at first, I think is a wriggling, small catfish. I grabbed his line and looked at the fish and my first thought was “WTF is THAT?” I had no idea what the thing was.

My husband comes back (he was in the middle of the stream) and looks at it. He’s clueless, too. Then I remembered I had the Arkansas Game and Fish Guide in the car. Book was retrieved and I go to the picture section for identification. My son caught a 5 inch baby bowfin and the thing has TEETH, very, very sharp teeth. You should have seen hubby trying to get it off the hook without pliers. LOL

This thing is GORGEOUS, to be honest about it. When he (yes, it’s a male as I found out with an internet search) swims the long fin down his back waves. It’s so cool to watch and he has red bands on his tail. The only downside to keeping him is I have to rearrange things a bit. Shadow, the crawdad I caught and am so proud of, will have to be moved to a tank all his own as soon as I can manage it since he’s a natural food source for the bowfin. Thankfully, right now Shadow is too big for the little guy to eat. In case it was missed, yes, we brought the little guy home and put him in the tank even though he can get up to 32 inches long. Doubtful he’ll get that big in an aquarium, but there ya go. He’s in with several bream (two different species of them) and appears content. He only has one eye, though, and that wasn’t our fault. It was missing when Ian caught him.

Currently, the naturals are in a 40 gallon aquarium, but next year (or as soon as we can) we plan to get a 100+ gallon tank for them. They’re all babies right now, so the 40 is plenty big enough for them. There’s six bream, one 5 inch bowfin and one 4-5 inch crawdad in there.

I love my fish tanks. They are so soothing, even though they’ve taken over the living room. The last fish we bought was a peacock eel, which is fun to watch. He likes to bury himself in the sand. I promised hubby I wouldn’t buy anymore fish (though he did agree that later we will get at least one more dinosaur eel and another rope fish if we can find a good deal on healthy ones) since he let me get Trilby. Catching natives for the natural tank doesn’t count, though, LOL. There’s always a way around things. Not that hubby cares. He’s really liking the natural tank and I must admit, after we added some more driftwood this weekend, the tank is looking better.

Oops, rambling about pets. How about some info on how the writing’s going?

~*~

On writing, I’m thinking once I get Gemini whipped into shape, I’ll be working on my demon/angel type story because it’s really been on my mind a lot lately. I have some awesome scenes in mind for it. So see, the muse HAS been talking, just about the wrong damned story. I know, she’s getting tired of Gemini, but we’re almost to the finish line. It’s been a long, hard road. The next book won’t be so bad. The timing was just bad, health wise, where Gem was concerned seeing as how she was born just as things started to fall apart for me. It’s been a real struggle, and there’s been times when I wanted nothing more than to throw in the towel, but I’m hanging in there. I really want to see this through to the end. Truthfully, I’m just happy there’s still a desire to write, because there’s been times when I had nothing. No ideas, no voices, no characters. NOTHING, and to me that was scary on a level I can’t describe.

And now that I’ve found a comfy way to position myself and type without causing even more pain in my back, I may be back in business for working on Gem a bit today as I had planned. WOOHOO. That is, if the double dose of pain meds doesn’t knock me for a loop instead. :p Then again, that’s what backups and the delete key are for, lol. If it gets too out of hand, I can just erase the evidence. LOL

Take care and happy reading/writing.

Posted by ItHurts.com

If it hurts we can help!

It wakes hard work to be the best you can be, but it also requires that you listen to your body in order to avoid injury along the way. In this article, I discuss some of the most common ailments that effect exercising individuals and how to protect yourself from injury.

Aches and pains are part of any intensive exercise regimen. A phenomenon known as Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS) takes place after intensive exercise and is usually felt at its peak 48 hours post exercise. This burning, aching, deep soreness you feel is a result of the trauma your muscles incurred from the training. This is a healthy, normal response to high level training and is allowable as long as it does not affect your ability to function. If you notice that the muscle soreness does not diminish with cessation of activity, or in a 2-week period, you may want to consult your Medical Doctor or physical therapist to have the area examined.

Another common issue with hard training is the feeling of having “pulled” a muscle. For example, if you have joined a recreational softball team and have never played the game before, you may be at risk for injuring your hamstring muscle while sprinting to first base. What happens is that the muscle becomes rapidly stretched then tightens, resulting in tears generally along the junction of the muscle and the tendon. This type of injury can range from a sharp pain with no change to the skin or underlying tissue, to a serious tear in which the skin bruises and the muscle can be pulled up underneath. A good rule of thumb for a pulled muscle is, if there is no skin discoloration, you can walk, and it is progressively getting less painful throughout the week, it will heal on its own. If you do see discoloration or you cannot walk, it is recommended you get it checked out by a health professional.

Sometimes during exercise you will feel a sharp pain in your joint, most commonly in the knees and shoulders. This is usually a yellow flag that is telling you “Be careful, you are not moving correctly!” If the sharpness and joint pain persists during the exercise it is my recommendation to stop, analyze your form and resistance load, and then retry. If having proper form and reduced load continues to stress the joint find an alternative to the joint stressing exercise in order to prevent unnecessary breakdown of the underlying tissue. If this pain has been experienced before in the past, it is likely that a visit to your local physical therapist would prevent further stress and would provide input for improving your form.

While there are a myriad of possible injuries that can occur, the above listed are some of the most common. Below I have listed some easy, safe, and effective ways to prevent injuries briefly. My next article will discuss these steps in greater depth.

• Dynamic warm-up. Simply put, this is a 5-minute long active stretching and muscle contraction session that emphasizes the muscles and joints that you specifically will utilize when performing your exercises. An example is a jumping progression if you are playing a sport like basketball.

• Static stretching. Static stretching or stretching without moving has come under some fire recently. Some say it hampers performance, while others say it helps. Research has shown is that overstretching before power generating activities actually robs you of power. Save your static stretching for after the performance in order to limit your risk of injury.

• P.R.I.C.E. If you do pull a muscle or injure a joint, remember this acronym. Protection Rest Ice Compression Elevation. This is the key to taking an acute injury and preventing an acute injury from becoming a long-term chronic injury. Do not try and “play through” an injury as this can cause an increase in the trauma and ultimately delay recovery.

• Progress slowly. One of the biggest mistakes beginners to exercise make is to “go big” fast and furiously. Most of the time this leads to excessive DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness) or a serious injury and derails the motivation to continue exercising. Start slow and know your limits. Working with a personal trainer who knows your history and personal goals is one of the best ways to progress without risking injury from over-exertion

Remember, the best way to protect your body and keep it going for a long time is to meet with a health professional prior to beginning your exercise regimen. This will allow the individual to examine areas of possible injury. Physical therapists specialize in evaluation of the human body mechanics as well as musculoskeletal disorders. An orthopedist can prescribe anti-inflammatory medications as well as authorize imaging such as a MRI or X-Ray.

Exercise hard and push yourself to achieve your goals! Listen to your body however, because lifelong fitness is a marathon and not a sprint. See you next month for another informative installment of PT Corner!

Dr. Daniel J. Lee, D.P.T is a Doctor of Physical therapy specializing in orthopedic manual therapy and sports rehab. Daniel is a monthly contributor to the FQ10 newsletter . Dr. Daniel can be reached at Water & Sports Physical Therapy at 858-488-3597 or at http://www.waterandsportspt.com

Disclaimer: No information presented in this article can replace medical advice. Before beginning any program consult a physician. The author and publisher of this article are not responsible for any injury sustained from advice contained in this article.

For more information on TDE or FQ10, please visit www.todddurkin.com or www.fq10.com.

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We had big plans to post articles while we were sailing, telling you all about Bunny’s good food choices, the exercise classes we dragged her to she took, all the walking and swimming she did, and how much weight she was losing despite the fact that she was living on a floating buffet table. We had it all planned out. We were going to work that girl ragged!

And then, it happened.

The day we sailed, before we hopped in the cab to go board the cruise ship, Bunny was feeling great. She was excited about her vacation, and ready to go. She was doing her morning ritual, and while she was leaning over the sink washing her face . . .

A Ninja jumped out of the shower and plunged his sword into her back!!!!

Can you believe it????

Well, actually, she pulled a muscle in her lower back, and did it so effectively that for the next two days she felt as though a sword had been plunged into her back. She couldn’t stand up straight, and could only walk tilted forward and severely to her right, with an occasional scream as the sword shifted position.

She was a hot mess!

Down the drain went our plans to get her to the gym. She couldn’t even walk up and down stairs for the first four days. She got better by the end of the cruise, but no gym for Bunny. She wasn’t bad about her food choices, but she did have wine with dinner and a couple of Bunny Coladas, so we’re quite sure she left the ship with more than she had when she came aboard.

Here’s what’s really irritating. This woman would not have pulled a muscle in the course of a simple, everyday activity like washing her face if she had been exercising and stretching her muscles as a matter of routine.

We told you so!!!!

We have to get this woman to start losing weight and exercising. So far, things are moving kind of slowly.

So here’s our new plan:

Weight Watchers.

Good old-fashioned Weight Watchers, classes and all. None of that online stuff, either. Online means you answer to no one but yourself, and Bunny needs accountability. And a scale. And maybe some chains and a muzzle.

By gosh, we’re going to get results if it kills her!

Well, maybe not disaster, but certainly a set-back.  Whilst running this fine fall day, not too long after I started on my quest, lo and behold, I pulled a muscle in my calf.  At first I thought it was cramping up, maybe from the Chinese that I had for lunch.  But that was over 2 hours ago, although I can certainly still feel it in my gut.

When I finally decided it was in fact a pulled muscle, I stopped running (trotting, more like it) and tried to “walk it out”.  You know, like coach always told you to do in High School.  Didn’t work.  Now that I think about it, I don’t think it ever worked, even back then.  So I tried stretching out the muscle, you know to maybe make it feel better so I could start over.  No dice.

So I walk back home, and on the way, guess what?  Yup, my OTHER calf started to cramp up!  What a wimp!  It must be sympathy pains – it’s friend hurts so it hurts with it.  Very Christian, but not very good for my mobility!  Not to mention my self esteem.

I mean, come on!  I’m carrying something like 50 extra pounds around the middle (MAN does my wife cook GOOD!!!!), I’m closing in on half a century of life, my hair is increasingly becoming senile – wandering off to grow out of my nose, ears, and strange, odd-shaped patches on my back, and I can’t read a thing without donning a pair of reading glasses.

Now, when I FINALLY start to do something about about my physical fitness, I have to deal with this.

Really, it isn’t all that bad.  I’ll just try again tomorrow.  In fact, I might even do my walking day AND today’s running day.

The last time I pulled a muscle, it was in my chest, and every breath that I took hurt. The pain was so bad that it scared me, and I saw my doctor. The doctor prescribed some medication, which made the pain bearable, but there was still a lot more pain than I wanted to have to deal with.

This time around there was a difference.  I use EFT all the time now, for all kinds of issues, and though I hadn’t used it for anything quite like this, I felt confident that I could get some relief from tapping, so tap I did!

The pulled muscle was low on my left side.  Any use of my left arm caused the pulled muscle to go into painful spasms, as did getting up and down from a seated position.  When that happened, it felt as though someone had jabbed a sharp knife into my side, and initially, just after the injury, the pain was so severe that it literally took my breath away.

First I started tapping on the pain:

“Even though I have this pain in my lower left side that feels like someone just stabbed me…”

“Even though it’s really painful to stand up or sit down or move my left arm…”

“Even though I can feel the muscle in my left side going into spasms and that hurts a lot…”

“Even though the pain in my left side is so bad that sometimes it takes my breath away…”

All of this tapping was done with the goal of reducing the pain.  It was not immediately apparent to me whether I had done that, but I continued to tap, now focusing on the healing that I knew had to happen in order for me to feel better.

“Even though I have this painful pulled muscle in my left side, I want the healing to start and the pain to stop…”

“Even though I have this injury to my left side, I want the healing in my muscles, tendons, nerves and skin to start at a cellular level…”

I spent about an hour tapping on the pain and the healing that I wanted to happen.  By the end of that first day, I was fairly comfortable when I kept still, but was still unsure about the extent to which I had succeeded with my tapping.

When I woke on day 2, got out of bed, and started to move around, it was obvious to me that the tapping had made a difference.  I still had some pain and discomfort, but it was far less than it had been the day before.  I continued tapping on both the pain and the hoped for healing.

Day 3 was better still, and by day 4 there was so little pain and discomfort that I could easily move around in a normal way, and I could use my left arm without sending my left side into spasms.

Since this was a kind of injury that I had suffered through before, I knew just how bad it could be, and how intense the pain was.  There was a definite basis for comparison, so I knew without a doubt how much help the tapping had been.  I also believe that it helped for me to start tapping so soon after the injury.

Now, should I find myself in that unpleasant situation again, I know exactly how to handle it, and I hope that you’ll follow my lead if you should ever find yourself with an injury of that sort.

Visit my website: http://seeking-serenity.com.

I Am the King!

That’s right! I am the King! I rule over all those who pass through my kingdom! My kingdom is far and wide and stretches from the back alley to the front curb and from the fence on the north to the fence on the south! I am a mighty ruler and am both fair and just…unless you happen to be one of my lowly minions, a squirrel, you taunter and conniver of peanuts! Whoa be the day when we meet face to face and you aren’t scampering along my fences, coward that you are! But I digress!

In My Kingdom!

In my kingdom, I am the Lord of all Mint…and the shadows under the Peach tree, the spot behind the yarrow, the spot where you can’t see me sniffing in the farthest berm, and over where the chives are in the front yard! Sadly, however, Sir Cat moved away last week and I won’t have his fresh, um, dinner scraps to partake of. I guess I’ll have to savor what he left behind then.

Dad and I were out in the front yard a few days ago and the neighbors, who left him this gem,

Elitch's Bench**

and left all of their potted plants in the front yard and one of them (beats me what it is) was sitting right on top of…well, you know….and I was sniffing at it and kinda nudging it with my nose but I didn’t want to make Dad suspicious of what I was doing there, so I just sort of looked innocent, you know……you know about my innocent look, right?

(Me looking innocent)

Well, he scurried over to snap a picture of me in the chives but I knew better and just moved away like I was just sniffing around the new plants. HAHA, Dad!

O, Hi, Dad

I guess he did see me. But see, I’m looking pretty innocent there, aren’t I? Who, ME? You got me confused with someone else! I was just checking out the new plants.

Well, Dad needs the computer so he can work on some photos so I guess I’ll let him have it.
BTW, my pulled muscle is coming along great, especially because Dad massages it….but the allergy bumps are getting out of control: I have about 8 on my head, alone!

Have a great week and weekend. Avoid all that pesky heat, cool down in the shade, and enjoy yourself!

I’ll be watchin’ for you!

** Dad says the bench came from the original Elitch’s Amusement Park Carousel. The old Elitch’s was torn down a dozen years ago or more and all of the stuff was either sold to Lakeside Amusement Park or installed in some way at the new “Elitch’s Sic Flags” or sold to the public. It still has a lot of the original artwork and paint on it but I don’t care…I’m using it to lay in the shade under!

There's One Now

Well, I did a bunch of barking but Dad wouldn’t let me outside because he didn’t want want me to make that pulled muscle any worse. He’s been really good about the muscle but I really do want to chase the squirrels again. He’s right though,  I need to get all better before I can chase after them again. The massages he gives me are pretty nice….they really get me relaxed and sleepy. 
So, anyway, I had to sit by the door and just look out at one of my “buddies” scamper around the yard, look for the peanuts that Dad leaves everywhere, and, the worst, taunt me on the fence. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t woof at him!

Woofin' At It

That’s me looking pretty tough, huh? I may be small but it doesn’t mean I’m not tough. Grrrrrrrrrr!

When things calmed down and I was all relaxed and forgot about the squirrel, we went outside so Dad could take some pictures of the garden. While he was doing that, I sneaked over to his little water feature by the deck to get a drink, which he doesn’t like because “there might be bugs in there!” The heck with bugs! That water is tasty. I was about to take a drink while Dad took a picture and I looked around and….yep…

Busted!

Hey, I wasn’t doin’ nuthin’! I was just looking at the pretty green stuff, Dad! Really! I don’t like eatin’ them bugs in the water.
Hehehehehe

Drinkin'

I really had to lean over in it because he hadn’t refilled it in a couple of weeks (he said he was surprised that all the rains didn’t keep it full). And, hey, there weren’t any bugs in there, just nice cool, yummy water!

Oh, you want an update, I bet! I got the last 2 staples out of my back this week and I am “fit to go”. Well, I still have a ways to go to be really fit. I’m never going to climb the stairs again…unless Dad forgets to put up the gate. The vet also said that I need to get in to get my teeth cleaned again. I hate going to the dentist! But Dad and Spence say that it makes my breath so much better…….until I get out in the yard and look for my favorite thing.

Thanks for stopping by and checking up on me. And thanks again for just being out there for me. You know I love you guys!

I’ll be watching for you!

Sittin' in the Grass

I was out in the backyard with Dad yesterday while he pulled weeds (“there’s too many,” he says) and I love sitting in the tall grass, which he says there’s too much of, too (he hates cutting grass).
He got some nice pictures of me doing my favorite thing, which I don’t have to describe since you’ve already gotten an earful of that.

Mint Hunting I

Mint Hunting II - Closer Inspection

And then some dessert (not that I found anything…Dad got me out of the mint because I was crushing it and it’s his favorite herb), so I looked under the bench to eat some grass. Grass is a breath-freshener, you know.

Grass Hunting for Dessert

Thunder chased me back inside, not Dad. We’ve been getting way too much rain and Dad says some of the flowers just aren’t blooming enough and some others are loving the rain, so I don’t know what is problem is: the yard is beautiful, anyway!
Inside, I got me over on my back, which I do to scratch an itch. I haven’t been able to do that since my surgery and he was so surprised to see me roll over onto it!

Cute Side

He and Spencer call it my “cute side.” I am darn cute, aren’t I? (Well they think so….yea, and a few others, too!)

This post is just a short one.

Oh, yeah, I’m feeling pretty good but I’m still limping a bit on my left front side. Just a pulled muscle, I think. Gotta keep up with Dad in that department, y’know! My back is healing but it has a ways to go. I sure do want to climb the stairs to the second floor and chase the squirrels and cats from next door…but that’s a No-no. I give Dad and Spencer sad eyes but they just aren’t gonna fall for that!

Whoa! I gotta go….there’s one of them now!

See ya next time!

Portrait in the Barn

(That was taken on my first winter at the old house up in the canyon…but I was lookin’ at something. Maybe I was looking for you then, too.)

My bum leg, what a bummer. I definitely pulled a muscle of some sort, and after working out on it one day, it was just so much worse.
It is finally not hurting anymore and I plan to get back into the swing of things on Wednesday. Tomorrow  will not be a good day b/c my baby girl Odessa is having her spay surgery. I have to get up very early with her and then nurse her when she gets back.
I am very bummed about having to put the shred on hold, and I am hoping I wont have fallen to far behind in my strength and stamina.
I will of course update.
I have been eating as well as possible, and hope I have not gained anything come weigh in day!