Thursday, June 20, 2013

international surfing day 2013

today, Thursday, June 20, 2013 is International Surfing Day. happy International Surfing Day, kids!

i may be injured and out of commission, but i still love and respect the environment within which we all live our lives. so save the waves and share the waves!

to learn more, i suggest the following:

Surfrider Foundation: http://isd.surfrider.org/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Surfing_Day
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intsurfingday
Life Magazine: http://life.time.com/sports/international-surfing-day-classic-photos-of-surfers-from-hawaii-to-peru/#1
Surfing for Life: http://www.surfingforlife.com/history.html
History of Surfing: http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring04/britton/history.htm

International Surfing Day has grown to more than 200 different events spread across 30 different countries, and meant to be a celebration of surfing but also a way of raising awareness for the oceans. so take time to educate yourself and others--whether or not surfers, we are all still affected by the resources the ocean provides us.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

a nagging injury bug

i'm having some knee issues, and try as i might otherwise, it seems to have become a nagging bug. it's at the point where the soreness persists almost continuously. i'm not quite sure how this happened.

i haven't been engaged in any activity levels any higher than normal. in fact, my activity levels this year have actually been lower compared to the usual ironman training cycle, and i've actually only recently been returning to some base levels of fitness to resume the ironman training load i typically follow during the summer.

what's happened, however, is that i'm having soreness in the inside and outside left parts of my knee, in what feels like ligaments or tendons. i feel it when i'm extending the joint (i.e., bending it), particularly when i'm putting my weight on the knee--such as when i'm going up steps, rising from a kneeling position, doing a lunge, etc. 

i've tried to rest it, but just when i think it's gone it comes right back. it wouldn't bother me so much, except that 1) i've never felt anything like this before, 2) it seems to becoming chronic, and 3) we all know the magnitude of the risk associated w knee injuries, particularly ligament ones.

i've checked around on-line, but i haven't found anything that really helps me understand what's going on. the best i've seen so far is this:

and these videos:
outside knee pain: http://youtu.be/ULjca96n23o
and
inside knee pain: http://youtu.be/bO3_dJS5ywk
i know that at this point the solution is rest, but the question is how much? and is there anything i can do to prevent it in the future?

i notice that in the videos they mention a knee problem is usually indicative of issues above and below the knee, which is something consistent i've heard w all the physical therapists i've worked with in the past. particularly the point about weakness in the buttocks and lower back--this is something that my physical therapists have pointed out, and something i've been working on over the years. but i'm not sure if this is the source of what i'm experiencing now (like i said, i've not felt this type of soreness before).

i'm going to try these and see what happens:
injury prevention: http://youtu.be/znAZZJwYzcU

still, i'm a little bummed, since i was just starting to ramp the training load. and i was just starting to get back to feeling like my usual self after several months of really bad and really inconsistent training. and it really sucks to see other people going hard while i feel like i'm limited to 50%. i'm hoping i don't have to go to the doctor, because that would really hurt the wallet right now.

let's hope this heals itself soon.

Friday, June 07, 2013

national donut day 2013

yeah, i know. my posts are a little slow. i've been navigating a bit of anomie, and charting things have been a little more challenging than usual. i also had some injuries and a double case of a cold/flu which put me out of commission for a few weeks.

but i'm back on the wagon now--or at least in the process of trying to get back. my workouts lately have been a tale of ebbs and flows, with alternating weeks of progress and setbacks. i think i'm starting to get back to a semblance of fitness, but i'm going to hold off on a definitive declaration until we get further into summer.

what won't help, however, is that today is National Donut Day in the U.S.

yes. yes, indeed.

and apparently, it's not just a made-up holiday, but one with an official declaration, a historical basis in American history, and a charitable cause to raise money for the Salvation Army. good vibes all around to match the fat tire it adds to your waistline. who doesn't want to celebrate that?

you can check it out for yourself:

http://donutdayusa.com/
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/donut
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Doughnut_Day

and there's even a video:
http://youtu.be/4PoVMwjI2jY


rumors also have it that some donut chains are offering free donuts today.

if you're like me, you probably won't resist, and you may take more than 1. or 2. or 3. or 4. maybe more. in which case, we'll all be regretting it at our next workout.

but let's stay positive and take them as little pockets of fat-adding, body-bloating, insulin-skyrocketing, obesity-inducing globules of sugary blubbery gooey doughy goodness that will incite you to get your big jiggly ass out for a workout to work off all that cellulite.

boo-yah! get some.