It may be broken, but not BROKEN

[Fussel]

While leaving my apartment this morning, hand already on the door handle, I turned around, dodged my cats and marched into the bathroom to pull "Level Up your life" from the toilet reading pile. Then I walked out the door.

 

So, this is the first day of my new life and I am spending it by writing a forum introduction in "How to use Outlook" class, before running out for a meeting with manufacturer representatives. 

That's my life. 

I have been hanging around the fringes of Nerd Fitness for about two years now, I am a member of Nerd Yoga (sad story, more on that later) but I haven't DONE anything, really. 

 

A bit on myself: My name is Kat or Fussel (Fluffy for the non German crowd). I am 37 years old and at some point in my life studied archeology before I had to give it up and do something that involves earning money... I restarted everything and now am a backoffice corporate account manager in IT. 

Basically, I sell a lot of computers. 

I was born with a mild case of Ehlers-Danlos-Syndrome and spent my life slower, weaker and more injury prone than my peers. It would be a lie to say, I didn't let it stop me. I got used to being too fragile to be badass. Luckily not in my head and luckily the Force works without a strong body. 

13 years ago I developed a bad case of rheumathoid arthritis that drove me into depression and at some point close to suicide. Funnily, the knowledge that suicide was an option kept me going when shit got real bad. 

I got my stuff together and my body back into something resembling working order. 

Like that it worked ok-ish until, 4 years ago, I started feeling that after 20 years, it was time to stop smoking. Gosh darn it, that was hard! But I've been clean for 3 1/2 years now and for 2 1/2 years now, I finally have the feeling to be able to breathe for the first time in my life. 

 

But that packed on some pounds. I shot to 180lbs with the help of cortisone and the lack of nicotine. I dropped a good bit of those already (163 lbs at present) but it's hard. So hard. 

Due to my body not working right, whenever i seem to have found something I can do... I need to stop. 

At any given time some appendix is not working right, feet, knees, hands, elbows..... you get the gist. 

And that is the one thing I am sorely missing on nerd fitness. I started with nerdfitness yoga (which I love) but with a brutally inflamed left wrist for the last 9 months, training is out. 

I wanna do the wall handstand. I just can't. I wanna do curls, but I can't grip a barbell. I love my kettle bell, but guess what...?

 

So I stuck to leg strength, excercise bike... trying just to do something. Anything. 

 

Sadly, the only thing I can seem to stick with are my 3 mile walks home from work. There are times when I'm sorely doubting my gym membership. 

So, where are all the creative cripples with the workarounds at? Is there a group? A Mailing list? Anything? 

 

But that's not the only problem I have. Number two is motivation. The friends I train with are super inconsistent and it's extremely hard to keep going on my own. Accountability... I am totally looking for people to keep me on track. As we're all, probably. 

 

But aside from that: come talk to me! Tell me, how my use of the word cripple is totally inappropriate (I know you thought it, but sometimes owning it, is all you got). Come talk to me about Star Wars, about LARP (that's what I'm training for), crafting (sadly, spinning is off limits with the hand, but right now, I am building a new post apoc outfit!), music (guitar is, guess what, off limits atm), movies (just saw Magnificent 7. Holy shit!) and all things food and fitness. 

 

I'm looking forward to this new day and whatever it may bring  

As for goals? Short and sweet: run 5 k by new year and write a book. 

 

 

Greets from Germany, Fluffy

 

 

 

[Disnutt]

Fussel- I've been lurking here for a couple of years, too.  You've set the Nerds on a quest for creative solutions.  You're bound to find something new soon.

[The lone wolfie]

hi 

welcome to the rebellion.

I am not a runner so no suggestion on that area. You seem to belong to the rangers or scouts or a hybrid. Check out there for resource.

I am not a writer either, but if you just cant get i suggest you set  a word count for a day ( i read that somewhere)

stay strong. 

[imprimis5]

Welcome to the Rebellion!

 

I'm training for a 5K myself, as someone who hadn't run since high school (and never more than required by physical education classes). It's rough, but I'm getting better and legitimately enjoying it now! It's also been the single greatest thing for making me feel like I'm making progress, while at the same time making me feel calm and peaceful with life. I am clinically depressed, so I understand some of your struggles. I wish I had had running when I was suicidal. Thankfully those days are behind me, but it would have been a much easier journey if I'd started earlier.

 

So what have I done to keep up my motivation and make successful strides toward that 5K? Well, the first thing I did was sign up and pay for a 5K entry a couple months out. Yikes! That was scary, especially since I literally had run twice in 15 years when I signed up. Secondly, I found a program that works for me. I'm using Couch to 5K, which gradually works you up to running 5K over 8 weeks, three times a week. Just to give you an idea of how it goes, all three days of the first week are: walk for 5 minutes, repeat running for a minute and walking for 90 seconds for 20 minutes, walk for 5 minutes. That is so super accessible, and you barely even notice as it starts to up your endurance. I'm on week three of training right now, and it's been one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done.

 

I'm sorry that I don't have any accessibility solutions for you. But running seems to be well within your reach. You can do it!

[Akari]

Willkommen @Fussel

Grüße aus Göttingen

 

6 hours ago, Fussel said:

The friends I train with are super inconsistent and it's extremely hard to keep going on my own. Accountability... I am totally looking for people to keep me on track. As we're all, probably.

 

Keine Sorge, du findest hier Unterstützung.

Ich empfehle dir eine 4 Week Challenge zu starten oder einen Daily Battle Log anzulegen und deinen Trainingsfortschritt aufzuschreiben. Einfach anfangen!

Ersteres hat mir geholfen und ich bin erst seit anderthalb Wochen hier.

[Fussel]

15 hours ago, Akari said:

Willkommen @Fussel

Grüße aus Göttingen

 

 

Keine Sorge, du findest hier Unterstützung.

Ich empfehle dir eine 4 Week Challenge zu starten oder einen Daily Battle Log anzulegen und deinen Trainingsfortschritt aufzuschreiben. Einfach anfangen!

Ersteres hat mir geholfen und ich bin erst seit anderthalb Wochen hier.

 

 

Ich frag jetzt einfach mal nicht "Wie?". ich bin die ganze nächste Woche in Frankreich und hab Zeit es raus zu finden

 

Danke. 

 

19 hours ago, imprimis5 said:

Welcome to the Rebellion!

 

I'm training for a 5K myself, as someone who hadn't run since high school (and never more than required by physical education classes). It's rough, but I'm getting better and legitimately enjoying it now! It's also been the single greatest thing for making me feel like I'm making progress, while at the same time making me feel calm and peaceful with life. I am clinically depressed, so I understand some of your struggles. I wish I had had running when I was suicidal. Thankfully those days are behind me, but it would have been a much easier journey if I'd started earlier.

 

So what have I done to keep up my motivation and make successful strides toward that 5K? Well, the first thing I did was sign up and pay for a 5K entry a couple months out. Yikes! That was scary, especially since I literally had run twice in 15 years when I signed up. Secondly, I found a program that works for me. I'm using Couch to 5K, which gradually works you up to running 5K over 8 weeks, three times a week. Just to give you an idea of how it goes, all three days of the first week are: walk for 5 minutes, repeat running for a minute and walking for 90 seconds for 20 minutes, walk for 5 minutes. That is so super accessible, and you barely even notice as it starts to up your endurance. I'm on week three of training right now, and it's been one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done.

 

I'm sorry that I don't have any accessibility solutions for you. But running seems to be well within your reach. You can do it!

 

 

I'm using C25K... or I will... as soon as I'll manage to train again in the mornings. I just got two little kittens and let me tell you... at least it's not kids. 

Thanks for your kind words. Somewhere on here the information will be and if they aren't... I gotta write them up. 

 

20 hours ago, ajoylucid said:

hi 

welcome to the rebellion.

I am not a runner so no suggestion on that area. You seem to belong to the rangers or scouts or a hybrid. Check out there for resource.

I am not a writer either, but if you just cant get i suggest you set  a word count for a day ( i read that somewhere)

stay strong. 

 

 

I sorted myself into Ranger. I like a lot of things and like to do a lot of things (and besides, Archery!) Sadly many of those involve hands -.- but I'll see what I can find that is more than just running. Thanks for the welcome. 

20 hours ago, Disnutt said:

Fussel- I've been lurking here for a couple of years, too.  You've set the Nerds on a quest for creative solutions.  You're bound to find something new soon.

 We will see. I'm looking forward to it. 

[Phoenix91]

Welcome.  I don't run, me knees don't like it but I've tried couch to 5 k before and liked the structure.  For fun, you might want to look into the app (something like...) run, zombies.  It tells a story as you go along to make thing more interesting.  

 

While i dont have your degree of difficulties with my hands I do have issues.  I have very severe raynauds so basically colder months are hit and miss whether my hands will be functioning or not.  It's caused nerve damage and pain over the years which makes things though.  I play the violin too, which also hit no miss at times as to whether I can hold it properly without fumbling around.  Have you given any thoughts to swimming?  It's low impact so shouldn't aggrivate your wrist.  And what about those weights you can wrap on your wrists, you could wrap some of those on and do curls that way, no gripping so you'd get to work your arms.  I know theyre not very heavy buy you could do multiple sets, and I bet they'd be okay for other arm workouts.  

 

As as for accountability, everyone round here will keep you pretty motivated if you stay active in the forum.