I need to remember....

...how much better I feel when I work out. Even when I'm super tired (like today), super stressed (like today), and super grumpy (like today), even just 20 minutes on the bike and/or eliptical makes life incredibly more possible!! I dragged my butt down to the gym and did the bike and then a little but on the eliptical (mostly because I wanted to watch some tv... but all I saw were commercials!! On EVERY CHANNEL), and now I feel like things aren't bad at all and that going back to work will be fine. And that I can face making dinner for a grumpy boyfriend. And possibly even clean out the catbox. I mean... if that isn't magic, then I don't know what is!! I DO know that I need more tank tops that aren't super tight so that I don't overheat and die while exercising, and I need some sweat rags... stupid side effect of a medication that I'm on makes me sweat at the drop of a hat... and my face is DRIPPING right now... SO not attractive!! Add those to my shopping list... for later. I'm DONE for the night! Time to shower. But I'm excited that I have reminded myself of this. Now, to get in my habit. Time to pack the gym bag for the car. A bigger bag to keep in there, and a smaller one (or two) to carry in with me. One for "land"based activities, and another for when I want to get in the water. That way, I can go STRAIGHT to the gym after work and have whatever I need!!! Oh, that means I need another sports bra, so I can always have a clean one... Add that to the list, if anyone's keeping track!! Can't have the girls knocking me out or taking over the world!!

I wonder if going to bed at 7pm is too early... Am pretty sure that some extra sleep this week will be appreciated by everyone who is stuck in meetings with me!! I get a little strangER when I'm tired... :)

The End of Summer???

How can the summer be ending? I never got into a routine at the Y. I am not super flexible from getting really into yoga. I am not buff and toned from lifting tons of weights. I am squishy and pale and not in a routine at all... but my knee is almost healed and the scar shouldn't be AWFUL... thanks to copious applications of shea and cocoa butters. I attempted yoga today... it was hot, my balance (what little I had) is GONE after 5 weeks of healing, and my right foot started aching and burning halfway through. Not my finest hour... I'm hoping it's just lack of practice and something out of alignment in my foot and not early onset arthritis. Whatever it was, it hurt. I sat for the last part and visualized the movements... I also had to modify a bunch because I can't kneel. I can barely kneel on my right leg, and not at all on my left! Child's pose was funny looking, with legs all splayed out and knees NOT on the floor... But I made it. And parts of me are sore already! I need to do this more often.

I want to go on my way home from work at least 3 days a week... If I just go straight to the gym, then I should be able to get something in before going home. I know I'll just want to sit when I get home, so I can't go home until after I work out!! Now, if only I can stick to that... No more 5 week lapses with minimal activity. It does bad things for everything. Even if I'm healing.

I'm looking forward to getting back in the pool, though I don't really like the Y's water classes... so I'm going to try to get into lap swimming. At least a little bit, and then some treading water and doing my own water aerobics movement stuff. But I want to wait until my knee is "fully approximated", i.e., closed all the way. I'm almost there. Just a small circle in the middle that is just a scab and not new skin yet. Once that is closed, then I won't feel like I have an open sore and am open to infections and other ickiness in a very communal pool!

My goals: get balance back... and better!! Increase endurance. Feel more confident. Get to the Y regularly!! :)

Wooo!

My knee is healing, albeit slowly... I took such a deep chunk out of part of my knee that it will take a few weeks to heal from the inside... Which means that the new skin is tender and too much stress on it makes my leg HURT. Like shooting pains up and down my leg hurt... That definitely makes me scared about doing too much too soon. Running around after Keiler and Emery created major pain. So I've been nervous about getting back to the YMCA to even do gentle stuff, like the eliptical or bike. I wanted to go on Sunday, but had some sort of stomach bug that made me feel absolutely icky!! So that was not going to happen. But. Bless Katie Sprague! Monday she messages me about meeting her at the Y to brave the cardio equipment. Perfection! It's the kind of great timing that you can't pass up. So I agreed. And just hoped that nothing would happen to derail those plans.
And I made it!! My goal was 20-25 minutes on the recumbant bike. Well. I did 37 minutes!! Katie and I just chatted away and sweated away and worked out for 37 minutes!! I'm excited. I feel fantastic, my knee doesn't hurt, and I have a new plan for my summer!! I had hoped to do lots of yoga this summer, but with not being able to kneel, that's not an option. :-(  So I'm going to try to go nearly every day and do at least half an hour on the bike or eliptical. :-) and probably do my weight room orientation. I like lifting weights, when I can make myself do it, so I want to get to know how to use all that cool stuff!!! Wish me luck!!