Healing....and feeling better!!!

Well, I'm finally off the narcotics and have swtiched to 2400mg of Ibuprofin (that stuff works - big time.) The cortisone shot the Doc gave me kicked in and I am feeling so much better. Now it's time to let the healting begin and to take a more "conservative" approach to training. As much I love lifting heavy loads on the deadlifts, playing around with the bulldog and Beast, it's time for me to put things in persepctive! I cannot affort to takes weeks off for healing. The reaility of the situation is that I am not a professional athlete and I have nothing to prove. Trying to stroke my ego by being a big shot is a potentially lethal mistake. Here are some of the things I have learned about myself and life during the past two weeks:

1) Find the Sweet spot in training. In other words find the optimal loading Zone of tissues. Tissue breakdown occurs as a result of either insufficient or excessive load. In my case it is from excessive load. Seeing 8 to 10 clients a day, doing bodywork on alot of them, stretching them, running sprints with them at the track. I was doing way TOO MUCH. That is my probelm, I do too much and my body eventually gives up. As much fun as pusing your body is, there is always a pay off. You must and will always "pay the piper" for everything you do. Do too litlle in training, and you waste your time. Do too much and you risk injury and total burnout.

2) Listen to your body. The older you get and more training experience you have, the stress of repetitive movements accumulates and they do take their toll. Become a master at listening to subtle signals your body gives you. If something feels off and your body is telling you not to push it, don't push it. This is where Ihave failed. My bonehead attitude of pushing through pain has only left me injured, frustrated and on my back with an ice pack. I think I finally learned that this type of attitude has done nothing for my long term orthopedic health and mental state.

3) Think Long Term. How do you want your joints and spine to be in 10 years? 20 years? 40 years? Ken Black has turned me on to the concept of finding ways to make lighter weights feels heavy through unconventional means such as grip changes, angle modification and most importantly, creativity. After seeing my MRI I now know have a much deeper appreciation for taking care of my spine. My disc at the L-4 level is pancaked and highly degenerative. In fact I am a great spinal fusion surgery canditate in the future. I do not want to get spinal surgery, therefore I must think long term.

4) Be Humble and appreciate good health! It is amazing how much I appreciate normal body function and health once it is taken away. When you can barely walk and have unbearable pain, your outlook on life changes quickly. All that matters is your health at the moment. Enjoy life and thank your CREATOR every day for the grace and blessings He showers upon you. Life is gift, and having the free will to choose and make good decisions that lead you to a better life is amazing. My injury was my fault and I must take accountability and responsibility for my injury and spine.

Slowly I will start introduce some Phase One exercises (little to no loads at all) and get my training back on track. That's it for now. It is so nice to have less pain and to be able to walk again.

Healing...

My low back has been jacked up for over a week. The herniation I had in 2001 at L-4 is back again rearing its' ugly head. I will see a spine MD tomorrow to talk about it. Will keep everyone posted!

Be well and don't be a bonehead like I was. Listen to your body and learn when to back off (something I must learn how to do)!!!!

Track Day

Speed Day

WARM UP = 25 minutes
Hip Mobility
Track Drills

3 x 30 meters

3 x 40 meters

2 x 150 meters

Left SI Joint hurts. Slept too long Saturday night and woke up Sunday morning with a stiff low back. If I lie in bed more than 8 hours I get back pain. If I sleep 8 hours or less, low back always feels great.

40 random thoughts...

by Eric Cressey. This is Good.

40 Random Thoughts

Saturday Training

Elbow is getting better. The light resistance is helping my elbow. Blood flow is a good thing.

Military Press (right arm only)

26kg 20 reps / 10 reps

Clean and Press (left arm only)

32kg 1 rep x 4 sets

Snatches (right arm)

16kg 20 reps x 3 sets = 60 reps
24kg (left arm) 20 reps x 3 sets = 60 reps

I can tell that my left arm is getting stronger. 32kg feels lighter than it has in a while. Sometimes we can turn injuries into blessings!!!!! :)

Ken Black is a Genious!

You would think as a Strength Coach I would apply what I know to be true and what I teach my clients. Guess again. After talking to Ken Black yesterday he asked my "Why aren't you at leat performing some light KB moves for your injured right elbow".....................Good point Ken! I tried some light presses and rows and instantly my elbow started feeling better. And today it feels the best it has felt in weeks. Thanks Ken! The recent interview of the Stretch Band guy on T-nation talks about the importance of getting blood flow to the injured area ASAP. It's practical and it makes sense

Deadlifts

135 x 5
225 x 3
315 x 1 x 5

Clean and Press

24kg 5 x 5 sets (left arm only)
8kg 10 x 3 sets (right arm)
12kg 10 x 1 (right arm)

Single Arm Bent Over Rows

32kg 6 x 5 sets (left arm only)
16kg 10 x 5 sets (right arm only)

Deadlifts felt pretty good and no pain in the elbow. Have not performed deadlifts in quite some time. Felt good to pull a little iron off the floor. Low back feels fine today.

Tuesday and Wednesday workouts

Wednesday

Track day = tempo running

Warm Up
Track drills
Hip Mobility

8 x 150 = these felt rather slow - but that's okay. I think I've been running these too fast lately and that is not the idea. The CNS must be left in-tact, and if I sprint them too fast, my CNS reserves become depleted. Need to remember to RELAX and not push the tempo runs!

Tuesday night = Kettlebell Presses and Snatches

I am only using my left arm. Right elbow needs more rest. That whole elbow tendinitis garbage:(

Clean and Press

24kg 3 reps x 3 sets
28kg 1 reps x 3 sets
32 kg 1 reps x 3 sets

Snatches

24kg 10 reps x 6 sets = 60 reps

I am feeling like I've lost some muslce in my upper body. Perhaps I could be the next poster child for the Somalian marathon team :)

Friday Speed

Knee is feeling much better. Time to put on the spikes and run some fast ones.

WARM UP
DRILLS
DYNAMIC Hip mobility

3 x 30 meters

1 x 60 meters

2 x 150 meters

Wow, that felt good. My hammies and glutes are going to be SORE! The speed is starting to come but I realize that taking almost 6 years off was a mistake. Lost alot! I am confident that I will get it back, however, it will take a much more disciplined approach and effort. The quality that is the most easily lost is Power and speed, that ability to produce force quickly. I just don't have the POP I had 6 years ago. At times I can sense that it's coming back and other times it feels like it's gone. This is my objective, to get it back and keep it.

Thursday Training

This week has pretty much been a back off week - nothing to intense. My right elbow is giving me fits as well so that's an issue I need to work through.

Clean and Press (left arm only)

24kg 2 reps x 3 sets
28kg 1 rep x 3 sets
32kg 1 rep x 3 sets

Snatches (left arm only)

32kg x 10 reps x 2 sets

Snatches felt great. Focused on power and speed. No GS style on these ones.

Fun time Pressing

Revolution's new kid on the block John Vandenbrink RKC and myself had a great experimential session of odd types of overhead lifts. I must say that I am impressed with John and how fast he has progressed in some of the more difficult KB lifts. At 6 feett 9 inches tall, his body presents a challenge in many movements for obvious reasons. Never the less, he is becoming much more "Connected" in his body. Check out some of the picks. It was great seeing him experiment and you could see how much joy he had trying new things. It was tons of fun as we were two kids in the candy store tyring to find new ways of pressing objects.

Monday night Training

Elbows have been hurting so no heavy KB's right now. I feel very flat and like I need to tweak my training a bit. Doing presses, snatches, and pull ups is getting very boring and I can feel my body regressing. HMMMMM. Perhaps all I need is more restful sleep?


Walking Lunges
2 x 20kg KB's 5 x 5

Rope Waves 20 waves x 5 sets

Halo's 6/direction x 3 sets

Swings
32kg 5/10/15/20

that was it. That was not too hard.