Ohh, you can do it! Sometimes it IS really hard to stay motivated, especially when you're new and training by yourself.

If you're having trouble incorporating an entire structured routine into your day, just keep doing little bits here and there. Parkour doesn't have to just be made of vaults and flashy stuff. If you haven't seen this thread yet, check it out: http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php?topic=18547.msg218534#msg218534

Just walking down the sidewalk and paying attention to your foot placement can be parkour. And I'm sure there are curbs somewhere that you can practice your balance on, or a handicap ramp that you can use for practicing flow around and through rails if you're not ready to vault over them yet. It takes time. Just be patient with yourself; your body has a lot of reorganizing to do as you teach yourself all these new skills. Muscle fibers, nerves, connective tissue, and bones all change as you start exercising and increasing the demands you put on them.

The APK warmup is an awesome idea (and that can be an entire workout in and of itself!). And stretching before bedtime can be really relaxing. Go ahead and try incorporating them into your routine - along with good rest - for a few days, and see what happens. Listen to your body, and take a rest day when you need to. You've already started seeing a difference in the amount of effort it took you climb and carry stuff. I'm sure that if you keep going, you'll see even more!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Thanks guys. A LOT.

Ok, first, I'd like to apologize for my whine session. I've been really, really tired, and I don't think I'm normally like that. I hope...

Second, we finished the yard today!!! I'm so happy, and I feel a hundred pounds lighter! There's still improvements to do, but

I didn't get a single APK warmup in. I did something to my back Wednesday that made it feel like I had a knot somewhere on the right side of my back, and made it painful to stretch either arm out to the side. My right arm went a little tingly, and my right leg ached. Hopefully I can get to the chiropracter either tomorrow or Friday.

As mentioned before, I've been SOOO tired. Saturday I did my usual work and spent time with my great-aunt. Then I had an hour or so nap. By 16:30ish my head hurt so bad, and even though I had more things to do, I lay down, planning to be up by 17:00. Well, I slept right through 'till 6:50 the next morning! I felt many times better after that! And, my mood has improved a ton!

So, that's pretty much all I have to report. We may, might possibly go to the lake tomorrow to celebrate finishing the yard... That'll be fun. I haven't been for about 4 years. I'll have to see if I still know how to float! Say, does anyone know any good Parkour exercises to do in a lake? 

Wow! Long time since I updated!

Tuesday, July 28

Got my neck fixed. It and my shoulders are STILL a little sore, but it's waaaay better!

I've been getting real workouts back into my days. I'm not getting it every day, but I am doing something. I need to also remind myself to keep track of stuff on here again.  So much for fighting procrastination!

Summary of workout since last post:

More shoveling of dirt and gravel.

Lots and lots of lifting and carrying 60 lb. bags of sand and 80 lb. bags of concrete mix.

Concrete mixing and shoveling.

Walking/running as much as possible. Not much running though. 

Getting back into pushups/situps/squats. Squats are getting easier. I have to plant my feet a bit wider than I think I'm supposed to, otherwise I end up losing my balance and always having to step out of it. Also, I end up leaning forward when I go down so my chest is over my knees. Is this OK? Should I be trying to keep my shoulders back?
On the pushups, I managed 7 full-body (I don't know what their proper term is) pushups. They were the kind with my hands way out to the side. I've been working on elbows in pushups, but they're going to take a while longer! 

Working on leg lifts. I can't do them slow and controlled yet. Currently working on pulling my knees up so I'm in a sitting position, then stretching my legs out from there.

The biggest problem for me lately that made me get on here is my right wrist.  Several months ago I was attempting handstands, and did something that brought sharp pain to the end of the bone that sticks out on the outside of the wrist. It hurt for a few days, but I figured it'd get better. It has given my slight trouble since then if I do a lot of QM or anything that involves leaning on it. 

These last weeks it has gotten worse. It would twinge slightly with shoveling, then it started hurting anytime I bent my wrist toward the outside of my arm. It hurt alot when I was using the trowel to smooth concrete. We made a mistake with the concrete, so I spent three hours kneeling on it, coaxing a circular saw with a masonary blade for about 20 feet. That completely did it in, and now there's sharp pain going through it if I move it anywhere other than to the inside of my arm or put any stress on it. Typing here, bending my hand up to punch the backspace hurts. There is no swelling, no bruising, no visible sign of injury. The only difference I can find is that the bone on the side of my right wrist feels like it sticks out a very small bit more than the left. I've been keeping it wrapped in an Ace bandage, but it doesn't seem to be any help. I just now thought about icing it. Don't know why I didn't think of that before! I don't think that will fix it though. So, any suggestions from anyone? I don't know if the chiropractor can help or not... I'm a little wary of spending money on it if it won't be any help.

Sunday, August 2.

My youngest brother and I got posts up for mom's clothes-line. I'm especially happy about this because it gives me something to practice stuff on. Each side is made up of two 4x4 beams planted vertically in the ground about 6' high with a 12' 4x4 across the top. If I can figure out how to get on top I can work on balance, and maybe lose some height fear. Of course there's pullups and chinups that can be done on them, and when I get better, muscle-ups. Does anyone know of any other workouts and exercises I can do on them?

Friday I got two hours of freeway driving in. I've never driven our van that fast, and it took a lot of concentration not to wobble all over the lane! Anyway, I can't wait until I can find a better job so I can afford to have my own car! Then I can go to jams, and gyms, and... the possiblities are endless! 

Saturday I served breakfast, then did half a cook shift. I worked on something related to one legged squats. Every time I had to squat down to get cereal off the bottom shelf of the cart I concentrated on lifting myself up with one leg. I still had the other leg on the floor for balance. All the chopping for cooking was very painful on my wrist. Serve-out was hard, what with the AC still not working in the kitchen, and the twisting required of my wrist to dish out food.    It's not so painful anymore, but I still get a sharp pain with any sudden movement or moderate amount of stress. I have like a heat rash on it too, now, from having it wrapped up while working. Oh well. 

Served breakfast this morning, and will be serving supper tonight. Other than that, it looks like today will be a rest day. I'll probably try to get some pushups and situps in later, but I'm feeling kind of sick, so I don't know...

Thanks a million Carolyn!!

I forgot to thank you earlier for the article you linked me to "How ling did it take you to get good." That really helped. It's good to know that I won't be judged by others for being so... lame.

The plyometric article did help. I'm going to just work on vertical jumps for a few days. And burpees. I can barely do a burpee, and it's very jerky and disconnected, but I'm really hoping to get smoother soon. I think maybe I'll leave out the pushup part for a bit and just get the down-out-in-up part.

Yes, I do keep my arms out in front. One of my brothers told me to do that. I didn't know if it was really for any reason or not.

Monday, August 3.

Today was an angry, frustrating day. But I learned something good from it. I am much stronger and daring when I'm mad. I had kind of noticed before, but I was usually too angry to pay any real attention. I can lift things I would probably not even try to pick up other wise. If I could figure out how to feel like I'm angry without being angry and channel that energy... I could improve much faster! 

Walked another mile yesterday. I feel better today than last day after I ran!

Thursday, August 21.

Went to the chiropracter today. My left shoulder blade area has been hurting for a few weeks, and lately it's been rather raw feeling. I've been using a tennis ball on it, which hurts like crazy, by the way, but it hasn't seemed to help.

Anyway, I guess an upper rib was out of place. My shoulder still burns and feels very raw atm, but hopeuflly it'll get better. Also got my neck fixed again, and asked him about my wrist.

I used to sprain it all the time. There were a few years, around 11 or 12, where it seemed like my wrist was never out of a bandage. I guess as a result the ligaments and such are loose and my wrist is weak. He yanked and wiggled my wrist a lot, and pulled on my fingers, and, WOW! it HURT! He couldn't get it to stay at first. He'd keep setting it, but it'd pop right back out. He finally got it to stay, and I was told to wrap it in athletic tape or an ace bandage or something as soon as I got home to restrict movement for a few days. Then he gave me exercises to strengthen the wrist muscles.

That's all I have for today. No workout. But I'm sooo happy my wrist might stop hurting!!

Aw, I haven't figured out how to get the list thingy to work yet.

Monday, August 8:24

Sleep- 7 hrs. 45 mins. + attempted 8 min. power nap before work.

Mitchell Lewis recommended I get "moleskin" to help me continue walking, etc. in spite of blisters. I have not yet managed to find any.

Did not get any running in today. :\

Wrist was feeling a little better today. Was assigned to train a new employee at work today, which meant less stress on the wrist than there would be normally.

Workout:

Warmed up with 20 jumping jacks.
One of the wrist exercises I'm supposed to do is squeezing a rubber ball. I couldn't find any, so I used wadded up socks. Squeezed 4 socks in each hand while doing the following:
Tried 8 tuck jumps to silent landings. I can't seem to get enough height in my jumps to have time for a tuck and a proper landing.
So, I switched over to jumping from a squat and landing into a squat, then jumping from that same jump. I think that's called a squat jump? 3 rounds of 6 of those.
Did the APK warmup agility work, using 12 squares instead of 10. Forgot how tiring that can be, despite how simple it sounds! My legs felt almost totally useless.
End sock squeezing here.
10 situps. Gut's a little sore from yesterday.
All that barely took 10 minutes.
Ended with some stretching. Concentrated on relaxing into each stretch, and holding it for at least 30 seconds. Got so relaxed and calm that I almost fell asleep, and it startled me badly and got my heart racing all over again when my little sister banged into the room yelling "Deborah, mom wants you RIGHT NOW!"

It can work grip if that's an area you're lacking in. But other than that there's no real reason to not try and do something while you're hanging there.