Continuing Improvement

Towards the end of last week, I was in two minds as to whether to head to the gym on Friday or not (I had social commitments over the w/e that I needed energy for). Thursday morning, I went out birding and had basically written off a gym visit. However, on Friday morning, I felt ok and couldn't resist.

I did my usual set. I managed the 2km run/walk in just under 13 minutes and the limiting factor was my right calf muscle/leg. I could have comfortably kept running but had to put in the walk breaks after 3-4 minutes to allow my right leg to recover a little. When I came home, I felt energised and good. I immediately massaged and iced my right calf and repeated that during the afternoon. The following day it was stiff but not as excruciating as last week. I still had to take painkillers that night for the right hip structures and the nerves down the leg remain uncomfortable/problematic.

In terms of energy levels and mental recovery, I think that's still improving. I felt recovered by yesterday (although my hip/leg muscles weren't/aren't). I feel the need to be more active and don't want days when I have very little to do, which is a significant shift for the better. I can even imagine a time potentially, if progress continues, when I will want to find work. That concept has been a million miles away from what seemed possible for over a decade. So....progress indeed.

I shall miss the gym this Friday due to more demanding commitments over the weekend and the following week. I suspect it'll do my right leg/hip good to have more time to heal up. However, I am playing table tennis tomorrow evening, which I'm looking forward to.

Left Shoulder

Although the strength and range of motion of my left shoulder has improved, it's still pretty restricted on external rotation (and also some pain/restriction on abduction). I've been reminded of this again this week particularly whilst out birding. If I want to sit in a hide, lean my elbows on the hide shelf and hold my binoculars to my eyes, I can only hold that position for a matter of seconds before the pain in my left shoulder is excruciating. Same applies if I'm lying on my stomach in order to take low-level photographs or look through my binoculars, whilst resting my elbows on the ground. I cannot hold that position for more than a few seconds before the pain is intolerable. In essence, it's rather restrictive!

I don't know what the final solution is going to be for this shoulder but at some point, I am going to have to bite the bullet and get some treatment. Maybe, if I can get my hips/legs pain-free, then I'll feel like I've got the resources to cope with treatment. Either way, I've been dealing with this problem for more than 3.5 years and that's not good!!

Surprising Improvement

I didn't need to take paracetamol last night for painful right hip structures. In fact, by the end of the day, I didn't have any right hip pain (I had iced my butt during the afternoon)??!?! Today, I've been free from right hip/groin pain for the first time after an exercise session in probably 4 years! It is amazing what just one day without the pain feels like. Relief. Hope. Normalcy. In fact, I've also felt alert and mentally well. My muscles, esp calf muscles, remain fatigued or sore, but otherwise I've felt good/fine/recovered. It is, I hope, another sign of this slow shift towards normal functioning. In terms of the right hip/butt pain, I suspect that the nerve or whatever it was has shifted position because it was a case of pain v no pain rather than a gradual reduction. Something has altered positionally/structurally to relieve the pain. Here's hoping it remains that way!

2km in 13 mins

Back at the gym yesterday. Nearly didn't make it. When I woke up, I didn't have any get up and go. It was one of those times where I can't work out whether going to the gym will finish me off or reinvigorate me. The consequences aren't much fun if it's the former! Anyway, having umed and erred for most of the morning, I eventually decided to go. And, I felt better for it. The most enjoyable aspect was the run/walk on the treadmill, when I upped the pace to a sprint and let rip. Man, it feels good to run fast. It makes you feel alive and powerful. I managed 2km in 13 minutes flat, which was my best time yet.

The rest of the session was the usual weights and stretches. I'm consistently managing 10kg on the seated rows and 6kg on the trunk twists now. When I left the gym, I had no particular pain. However, by mid-afternoon, the right butt/groin/leg pain had kicked in. Plus, the usual sort of burning/tingling sensation through the leg/foot. All of it, I guess, is related to irritated nerves within the hip structures. Very frustrating.

I didn't feel too drained through the afternoon/evening. I was tired but ok. I took paracetamol for the right hip to be able to sleep last night and will do the same tonight. I've got stiff lower calf muscles/tendons and mildly stiff shoulders (which is good). I feel tired today and the right hip structure/leg pain is constant. I couldn't do too much, even if I had the energy, due to the hip and calve muscle fatigue.

I missed the gym last Friday as I had commitments over the w/e and the sore left IT band (which is now fine).

Post Script 22:10
I meant to elaborate a bit on the stiff calf muscles. The thing is I could feel them complaining whilst I was running. It was like the muscles couldn't cope with the speed at which they were being asked to work i.e. their respiration was too slow. They were cramping up even as I was running and I knew they'd be painful today. It's frustrating. I had only been running 3-4 minutes or so but that was the max my calves could take. It's like everything in body can work but only at a snail's pace or at minimal exertion. If I try to up the pace or stress the various structures don't have the capacity to accommodate those demands. I just hope that if I keep trying then that will change for the better....

Another Shift for the Better

Ok, I failed miserably to add to or update my entry last Friday. It was a case of wanting to wait and see how recovery went and then finding I wasn't in the right frame of mind to contemplate all this....

Anyway...here I am now...

Last week's gym session went well. I didn't feel so tired through the afternoon and the following morning I actually went out birding. That was my downfall! Although I was tired, I felt ok, but my muscles really were fatigued. They functioned like cold chewing gum - brittle/inelastic, dysfunctional and easily injured. I spent extended periods squatting and walking in a squat position whilst I stalked a bird I was trying to photograph (the culprit above - female Whinchat). On Sunday, it was clear I'd injured my left iliotibial band, dead centre on the outside of my left thigh. It's taken all week to heal up (still not there) and I missed my gym session yesterday. That injury and the general level of aches/pains through my butt/hip muscles kinda got me down - I'm fed up with muscles that recover at the speed of a slow snail!

The other weird thing about this week is that I've had trouble sleeping. On Thursday night, I was awake all night until about 6am. From 6 until 9am, I managed brief bursts of poor sleep, and that was it! It was a very odd experience. I've no idea why it happened. I may have forgotten to take my sedating anti-depressant before bed, but I can't remember. Essentially, the whole night, my body/brain felt wired and like I had 'restless leg syndrome' all through my being. Friday, I tried to get out and have an active day. I felt ok. I slept until 10am this morning and feel a little tired but generally fine. Maybe it's that I just haven't adjusted to having more resources. Maybe I need to do more....

...and that's the thing. For the past 3-4 weeks, after the gym, I've recovered better. Saturday's haven't been spent feeling utterly drained. My muscles still need the same length of time to refuel/heal/recover, but the general exhaustion level has decreased, I'm sure. I think it is another shift for the better....towards normality...

Sticking to running

Today's gym set:

• 3 mins exercise bike
• Hip/lower back stretches
• Glute bridges (10 secs hold) 3 reps then with 6kg dumbbell across hips 10 reps, 10 sec hold
• Press ups (plus) (at 45 deg angle) 2 x 8 reps
• Run/walk on treadmill (2km in 13:50 mins)
• Seated rows 8kg 10 reps (kept arms extended so just worked scapular muscles), 10 kg 2.5 x 10 reps.
• Wobble board 4 mins (5 squats)
• Trunk twist using cable weights 4kg 5 rep, 6kg 2 x 10 reps 
• Chest fly with cable weights (2kg 10 reps, 4kg 10 reps) 
• Tricep extensions using cable/rope 8kg 2 x 10 reps
• Combo lateral/front shoulder raises whilst sitting on exercise ball 3kg 4 x 5 reps
• Lying on the floor, starting with elbows by my side, arms bent 90 degs, then pushing weight upwards against gravity, straightening the arm (modified front raise) 3kgs 3 x 10 reps, 4kg 10 reps.
• Reverse abs 2 x 10 reps, sit ups 2 x 10 reps, Plank 2 x 35 sec hold
• Stretching: hips/lower back, hamstrings and chest/pecs

Right butt was hurting slighting by end of the treadmill work. Will update this entry later/tomorrow...