Oly Oly...

Given a late departure, my only choice was the Olympia Ave. route -- the best exercise on a (time) budget.  5:36 to the beginning of the uphill at the base of Oly Ave, 16:26 to Observatory Drive, 25:50 overall.  Probably within random error compared to the last time of 25:30.

I had some right hip soreness (which I associate with sacroiliac problems, but the SI itself was not sore).  I also felt some twinges down the outside of my right thigh, those went away later in the walk. Overall, the hip was no sorer at the end than the beginning, so I don't consider it to contraindicate exercise at this time.

I'm Baaaack...

Though I haven't posted since last year, I was exercising semi-regularly until the summer hit.  The combination of crazy work agenda and crazy home agenda (including Sharon's international conference and a visitor from Africa) seriously interrupted the fitness program.

Now I'm trying to establish some regularity for fall -- no time like the present to start.  I walked the Olympia Rd. route in about 25:30 -- not great, not bad.  I walked uphill without having to stop, which is good. I had continuing soreness in my left big toe and ankle, but by left-side sacroiliac was not troublesome.  At the very end, I had some soreness in my right big toe, which suggests that my feet aren't used to toe push-off in my stride.

Back in the Saddle Again

I did the Airport Rd. walk in 34:17 on a somewhat muggy day (unusual for this part of the world):

"Lap" times:

Start	End	Elapsed
CUE	Diary Rd	10:45
Dairy Rd	Airport Rd	6:55
Airport Rd	Dairy Rd	6:25
Dairy Rd	CUE	10:17

Not too bad, considering the third "lap" is uphill, but about 30 seconds slower than my personal best on May 28th. Today's pace is about 14'17" per mile.

Still, I've recovered about the same level as before my shoulder injury in June.  I have only a little residual soreness in my shoulder (and related soreness in my neck and back).  So this is encouraging.

Not So Light Day

... but not super-heavy, either.

I did the Dairy Rd. walk at lunchtime, outbound in 10:46, inbound 10:40, total 21:26. I believe that's a "personal best" by about 4 seconds.  It's approximately 15.03 minutes per mile.

I got the improvement over Wednesday's times primarily by upping the pace to about the maximum I can do at this time without real straining (except for the first and last minute-and-a-half, which I walked as a "purposeful" but not quickstep pace as a warmup and cool-down).  I also tried to focus on mechanics, especially focusing on the "push" part of the step (thighs) rather than the "pull" part of the step (calves).  This is in preparation for a changed biomechanics with the hip-swivel, which I'm not ready to try seriously yet, given my recent sore hips.

This rate of walking introduced just a little aerobic stress (beginnings of exercise asthma) to the walkout, so I think that's about the right level for the time being.  I am still on the return-to-practice path after the layoff caused by injury.

Light Day

Even though the weather has moderated (82 degrees, per Weather Underground),  my hip is a little sore (prbably from trying to get out of bed without re-injuring my shoulder), and I decided not to push it.  Daity Rd. in 11:35 out, 12:00 in, at about 120 steps per minute.  Maximum heart rate 90.

More Shoulder

The chiropractor was helpful wen I visited.  Among other things, he repositioned the proximal end of the humerus (upper end of the upper arm bone) slightly in its socket, which helped with arm mobility.  He also did various energy manipulations, which helped my neck (a collateral-damage victim of the shoulder injury).  At the end of the session, he said, "Give it 48 hours and call to let ke know how it's going".  Then he laughed and said "My guess is, you'll forget to call [because the problem will be gone and won't b reminding you]".

That seems unlikely.  Though I'm doing better at dodging those activities that seem to irritate my shoulder, it's hard to totally eliminate them, either because of practical concers (stick-shifting my car), or just habit (levering myself out of my office chair on my elbow, which I have done a hundred times every day before my injury, and only twice today, but that's twice too many).

Shoulder Trip

While in Chicago for my 50th high school reunion, I was taking my exercise walk at a brisk pace.  The weather was smiling and I was happy -- too happy to watch my step.  Next I knew, I had tripped on a cracked and shifted piece of pavement and landed on my knee (skinned) and shoulder (very sore).

After a long phone "exam" by the insurance company's "consulting nurse", she determined that I had not broken anything, dislocated anything, or torn the rotator cuff.  "Just a bad bruise", she opined.  Ice it (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) for 48 hours, then (optionally) apply heat if desired.  Use Tylenol for pain.

It did get less sore and more mobile over the next four days, but then, late at night, I was walking down stairs, very tired, when I must have stepped hard enough to jolt my shoulder.  Ow!  I think it was a small re-injury.  Since, the progress in healing has slowed or stopped.

I am going to see the chiropractor Dr. Kevin Smith today.  I am hoping he can help this situation resolve as he did with my back injury at the end of February.