Manarelle: Recovery and Prep Work (Part 2)

[Manarelle]

Challenges: 

• 11: Apr '16 - cardio, pushups
• 12: May '16 - handstands, push/ pullups, parkour, cardio
• 13: Jun '16 - shoulder rehab, cardio, parkour
• 14: July '16 - resume, hair
• 15: Aug '16 - garden, workout, languages, etc etc etc
• 16: Sept '16 - workout, protein, write
• 17: Oct '16 - start of the 4 hobbies
• 18: Nov '16 - shoulder rehab, parkour, thesis
• 19: Jan '17 - thesis continuation
• 20: Feb '17 - defend thesis, stay sane

 

As eager as I am to get back to learning parkour, I'm going to hold myself back a bit and make sure 1) I have enough recovery time, and 2) my upper body strength is sufficient that I don't have to come down so hard on my feet for vaults (how I re-injured myself this time). After doing some research, however, I was pleasantly surprised to note that my modifications to the Beginner Bodyweight Workout, courtesy of NF, have come really close (and in some places, reached!) the Advanced Bodyweight Workout. So this challenge is a mix of patience, back to the basics, and moving it up. 

 

Goals

• Ankle recovery: Do pt exercises for 1 more month, or until a week goes by with no pain/tenderness at all, period, ever, no excuses. 
  • Pass: 6 days per week. Fail: 5 or fewer days per week. 
• Upper body: Keep improving. Current PR is a 5-second negative pull and seven 30° pushups. Move on to the ABWW.
  • A: Working on real pull/push ups. B: Almost to the switch point between negatives/inclines and real push/pull ups. 😄 Improved but still on negatives/inclines.
• Cardio: Start walking outdoors. Current baseline is 10 minutes for .5 miles (walking, shortened by injury).
  • Pass: at least twice a week, even if it's just 10 minutes outside. Fail: Less than twice a week.

 

I may eventually get up the nerve to try running (HA), but for now, I just need to get outside and move. It's finally warm and light late enough for when I workout, so no excuses, get out there. As usual, gardening doesn't count.    

[Manarelle]

Week 1 recap:

Lots of good things happening this week! I started making the switch to the ABWW, though I dropped back to the BBWW on a day my ankle was hurting. The setup of the advanced workout has all of the legwork followed by all of the armwork (instead of alternating), which means my reps on pushups haven't increased. But between changing the workout and all of the White Mage stuff from this week, I feel pretty darn good. Was able to make it outside for 2 runs this week before the weather turned back into winter, but it should be warming up for here on. Also finally got through a yoga/stretching session without having to prop up my ankle say yay progress!

 

Goals:

• Ankle recovery: 6 days this week. Only tender during difficult yoga/stretchin moves.
• Upper body: Made it to a 6-second negative pull, and can almost lift myself off the ground (normal pull-up form).
• Cardio: Twice a week outdoors. Current PR is 25 minutes, 1.5 miles. Limitation is still injury fatigue.

I also totally surprised myself by doing a passable 11-second L-sit this week. Since that directly ties into the parkour/vaults life goal, I'm adding that permanently to my list o' workout moves. On to week 2!

[SnowOwl]

Way to go! 

[Fenyx]

Fantastic work so far! Keep surprising yourself, its the best way to keep that happy smile and motivate to future surprise . Keep ahead of your injuries and you'll be running in no time! If I can get myself through my workouts over the next few weeks that you found we can go on runs "together" via the run keeper connection! Lol when that happens prepare to get the frequent text of "race ya!". Good job!

[Manarelle]

 

Fantastic work so far! Keep surprising yourself, its the best way to keep that happy smile and motivate to future surprise . Keep ahead of your injuries and you'll be running in no time! If I can get myself through my workouts over the next few weeks that you found we can go on runs "together" via the run keeper connection! Lol when that happens prepare to get the frequent text of "race ya!". Good job!

 

Good to have you back with the rebellion. I look forward to these texts.

[Manarelle]

Back when I started on NF, when my focus was mainly cardio and losing weight, I decided that gardening wasn't going to count toward my workout time, because it wasn't "really" cardio. I've held that conviction throughout, as my goals have changed, but I might have to reconsider now.

 

Today, for the first time, I went to do a handstand and my arms just went "nope." Thankfully, it wasn't a sudden fail, so I was able to do a controlled(ish) collapse and didn't hurt anything other than my pride. After two more successful tries, a couple hours, and a seemingly random "hm, my shoulders hurt," I realized that doing 2-3 hours of garden work might actually have an impact on weight training and muscle performance. 

 

 

Now the question is, how to account for that without losing out on my actual workouts??

[SnowOwl]

I was thinking about that yesterday. If you spend half the day carrying and digging and lifting and pulling in the yard or around the house how do you count it? I don't want to say I skipped my workout, but it gets hard to say exactly what you did do! I love the graphic.

[Manarelle]

Week 2 recap:

Not so good things happening this week. Dealing with way too much at work and in school. Still got all my workouts in, just not pushing as hard on each one. Despite overdoing the "heals" in this mini-challenge not once, but twice, I still managed to make progress:

 

Goals:

• Ankle recovery: 7 days. Went walking in uneven grass, and made the same move that twisted my ankle last time, with no pain and excellent balance recovery. Woot!
• Upper body: Made it to a 9-second negative pull, and lifted myself off the floor (briefly) in normal pull-up form. 
• Cardio: Twice a week outdoors. Current PR is 35 minutes, 2 miles. Limitation no longer due to injury. 

Bonus goal:  up to a 12-second L-sit, and getting closer to perfect form. Slow and steady!

[Manarelle]

Week 3 recap:

Good week, overall. Ended on a down note, as school ate my weekend and I barely got minimal workouts in, but I've made progress still!

 

Goals:

• Ankle recovery: 7 days. Soreness only when I sit literally on top of my ankle on a hard surface. Switching this over to meditation and stretching practice.
• Upper body: New PR of 11 second negative pull, and lifted myself off the ground twice in regular pull-up form. 
• Cardio: Twice a week outdoors. Current PR is 37 minutes, 2.2 miles. Tried jogging on Sunday, but I was inadequately dressed for it. Will try again this week. 

Bonus goal:  up to a 15-second L-sit, and getting closer to perfect form. 

 

I am actually really proud of the improvements I've made this challenge. Here's to finishing strong. 

[Manarelle]

Another challenge faced and lessons learned! I feel confident that my ankle is fully healed, and as soon as this class is over (two more weeks!), I fully intend to go back to parkour. My upper body strength has improved considerably (noob gains) and I have a better feel of when I should go for things and when I should back off. 

 

Goals:

• Ankle recovery: Stretching is improving, and I can wear my boots again. I'm counting this healed. Grade: Pass
• Upper body: New PR of 15 second negative pull, working on consistently getting lift-off on multiple pull-up efforts. Due to planking for heals, I did not make as much improvement on push-ups (but I did on L-sits and handstands), so that will be a goal for the next challenge. Grade: B
• Cardio: The weather took a cold, wet turn this week - only went out walking once, subbed the other day for meditation/stretching. Have gotten past the noob gains point and am pacing myself for the long run (puns totally intended). Did 3 walks most weeks.  Grade: Pass 

This was a really good challenge. I measured myself today, and all of my measurements went down except biceps (which didn't go up either, boo!). That was really appreciated, because the improvements were modest, and I hadn't realized them until they were quantified. Here's to being done with injuries and keeping those slow and steady improvements!