Sunday, May 23, 2010

Restraint

I've been doing well with my exercise ever since I recognized my plateau for what it was -- a sign that I needed to get off my duff and get moving again. What's killing me with it, though, is the need for constant vigilance and restraint.

I want almost nothing more than to hop on my treadmill and run. Shoot, if nothing else I am a lazy woman and running gives me the biggest caloric bang for the time I expend. But my orthopedist was very clear that I need to do this stuff sensibly and methodically. In light of our upcoming trip to Glacier and Waterton (the Canadian side of the park), I need to work more on incline and distance than speed. I also need to walk on terrain outside of my treadmill. My big concern with moving this party outdoors (other than the TOTAL lack of air conditioning outside... I mean, how rude!) is that if my legs get tired and I need to stop, I can't just stop. I have to return home from wherever I am, then I get to stop.

And by then it could be too late.

If I just want to walk in an endless loop around my neighborhood (0.7 miles around -- I've checked), it's not that bad. But it's also mostly flat. I live in Florida, folks -- we aren't dealing with a bunch of contour to the land here, yanno? However, if I leave our subdivision and walk on the sidewalk paralleling the state road beside our development, there's actually some reasonable incline work I could be doing. In fact, there's a good two mile stretch one-way from our driveway to the intersection up by Publix that I could do for a four mile round-trip walk...

... but again, what if my legs decide they're done and I'm over a mile from home? While I want to get a good workout in and part of me is champing at the bit to get moving a bit more intensely, the one thing that holds me back is the absolute knowledge that if I don't take this slowly I will most certainly end up parked in a chair again, likely for more than just one month the next time.

My caution isn't based on an irrational fear. I'm still dealing with intermittent instability in both legs from the fractures, so the risk of re-injury is a very real possibility. And the only thing I want more than to just dive on into a more intense workout is to avoid re-injury.

Slow and steady. I'm the tortoise.

Bunnehs are cuter... dammit.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey i live in FL too! Did we have this conversation already? LOL walk or run in this heat ... crazy girl ... it was mid 90's here I am on the gulf side...

Amanda said...

I'm slightly closer to the gulf, more Bay area, but very much inland -- we don't have any ocean view here LOL

Patsy said...

I've been to Glacier/Waterton! Absolutely loved it there! Although I stayed at a REALLY creepy hotel - The Prince of Wales... (Have photos on facebook).

Unknown said...

Can Choreboy or someone else follow you in a car? Just until you feel strong enough to do the course on your own?

Unknown said...

I'm like you, I hate restraint!
I went to camp in Waterton, it's so beautiful!