Archive for the ‘Physical activity’ Category

Phalanges! (Or the Tale of Two Toes)

Posted: August 7, 2013 in diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, friends, Inspiration, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking
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See? I used Latin. Who says you can’t learn anything on the Interwebz?

So, yesterday was the toe surgery. If you’re squeamish, you might want to skip ahead, but know that Supportive Partner Woman was in the room the entire time and kept her lunch down. The root of the problem is that I have hammer toes. This is primarily due to the diabetes and the overpronation of my feet. There are many treatments, most of which involve therapy of some sort, unless your toes are beyond repair, as mine are. The simple fix is that the podiatrist makes a small incision at the base of the affected toe and then, using a scalpel, releases the tendon causing the toe to be bent. It’s not terribly invasive, but it does render you incapable of curling your toes.

Recovery time is about a week, during which the toes stay bandaged (it acts as a splint) and then you are left with straighter toes. This helps to prevent corns and blisters.

It also leaves you with a freaky-looking foot. Although, as my podiatrist has told me, I’ll never win an award for attractive feet. I guess there goes my career as a foot model. Sigh.

There’s been an interesting side effect, though. For the longest time I couldn’t feel much of anything with my toes, except for heat and pressure. As my blood sugar has stabilized, I’ve found an increased level of feeling. That’s awesome, except now I can feel pain again, and, well, the toes kind of hurt. As I was sitting at my desk last night, I could feel the pulse throbbing in the straightened toes and I didn’t know whether to be bummed that it hurt or ecstatic that I could actually feel something other than phantom pain. I settled for Tylenol and a sense that while I hurt, it was a good hurt.

The other drawback is that I’m on the shelf for a week as far as getting outside. Walking up to the mailbox does not make for a ton of exercise, but I can at least lift weights and get something done. Swimming is out, because I can’t get the bandages wet (I have to wear a leg sleeve in the shower. Oh, yes, I look like a huge dork, but SPW is the only one who sees me wear it, so no foul). I can’t do squats or anything that puts stress on the feet, so lifting it is.

Been a few days since I’ve done an inspiration piece, so today’s shoutout does to Linda, who’s just an amazing person. Linda is someone who has been so incredibly supportive ever since I started this blog project oh so many years ago. I can always count on an encouraging word when I need it, and just wholehearted support. I’m incredibly lucky to know her and I can’t thank her enough for the unwavering support. So, thank you, Linda, for everything. We are truly honored to call you our friend.

Bichon/Shih-Tzu puppies

Bichon/Shih-Tzu puppies

All that being said, going to get on with my day. But, since you are my readers and are awesome, I thought I would leave you with an undeniably cute picture, because, well, who doesn’t like cute, fuzzy puppies?

Song of the Day: Lovely to See You – The Moody Blues

Currently Reading: The Brass Verdict – Michael Connelly

Success!

Posted: August 1, 2013 in 5K, Exercise, family, Foot issues, friends, Goals, Inspiration, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
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There’s been some success in my life lately. I actually got service from Comcast… an event I just had to add to the Life Events part of my Facebook page. I got the parts to repair the mixer. I even went to Root’s Market for produce.

The biggest success thus far is not only have I made my original fundraising goal, I’ve made my revised goal. See, after making it to $500, I upped it to $600. Thanks to a donation I received in the mail yesterday, I stand at $601 (for anybody checking out my page, checks take a long time to reflect in your total), which makes me wonder if I should up the ante yet again. Should I make it $750?

Anyway, the contribution that put me over the top came from an old college friend of mine. Karen and her husband Rodger, who I have seen once since their wedding 18 or so years ago, were kind enough to drop a check in the mail.

People do surprise me.

I’ve been so busy carping about Comcast lately that I’ve not given any credit to those who are inspiring me. Today, that honor goes to the lovely and gracious Supportive Partner Woman.

Now, I’m sure some people may think that’s a cop-out answer, but truth be known, SPW is to be admired. She has a stressful job, family health issues and, well, has to put up with me. Through it all, she lets me drag her to the gym and when she gets there, she totally kills it. Take today, for example. I did 2.3 miles at a 3.3 mph pace and she did like 2.6 on the elliptical and another 1.5 on the dreadmill.

Basically, she smoked me like a trout, and I love her all the more for it.

That’s why she’s my inspiration of the day.

Oh, and I only have a few days until the Boot of Shame makes an appearance again. I’ll be getting two toes on my left foot straightened on Tuesday, so I’ll need to be in the boot for a week. I hate missing the workout time, but it should make walking easier. I’ll take that.

Song of the Day: Night Train – Modern English

Trail walking

Posted: July 26, 2013 in 5K, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Walking
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So, actually walked outside today for a change.

It helped that the temperature is pretty moderate, the humidity better than normal, and a nice breeze blowing. Oh, and the trail is very shady.

That’s right… I said trail.

Supportive Partner Woman (Getting serious!) and I have noticed a walking trail a few miles from our house for the six years we’ve been here. About damn time we used it. There’s a nice parking area near the county’s public safety training facility, along with some public restrooms (which we did not have to use) and easy access to the trail.

A curious bovine looks on

A curious bovine looks on

The trail itself is well-maintained. Mostly gravel and cinders, with some muddier spots for good measure. The weeds are well-controlled and the bugs were not bad. It parallels the creek for a portion and it’s nice to stop for a minute and hear nothing but the birds and the rushing of the water. It also runs along some farms and pastures, so even though there are portions with more “fresh country air” than others, it’s not so bad. Plus, you get a curious bovine checking you out, not to mention multiple chipmunks and other fauna.

The best part about the trail is that it’s flat and there’s plenty of places to break into a jog. We managed to do that several times. SPW even managed to capture some video. I warn you, it’s not pretty and you can see how my feet problems have caused my right foot to go to the outside to compensate for the missing toe. Here’s the 12 seconds in all it’s glory.

Like I said, it’s not pretty, but it will improve. Practice!

Quick note… I’m pleased to start working with my Team AllEars mentor, Rich. I look forward to learning from him and getting the benefit of his experiences with various running events. Thanks in advance, Rich!

Again, please consider donating to the Avon Walk. My personal fundraising page is located here.

At any rate, that’s about it for today. Hope you all have a great weekend!

The Ballad of Stubby (redux)

Posted: July 22, 2013 in 5K, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, friends, homeowner's association, Inspiration, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Wanda, Weight loss
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So, it was a helluva week last week.

I not only killed it at the gym, I managed to wound Stubby as well.

See, on Thursday, I was actually running on the treadmill. It felt pretty good… the left ankle was barking a little, but that was the extent of my pain.

When I got home from work that night, well, I found that Stubby had a pretty substantial blister that had developed where there was a corn.

Cue frowny face.

I had Supportive Partner Woman (tender of my feet!) give it a Betadyne bath, then slept with my foot hanging off the bed, allowing it to air out. The next day I called my podiatrist and scheduled an appointment for this morning. He was impressed at how well it is healing and told me I could get out of the Boot of Shame. So I have that going for me. The bad news is that I’ll need to spend a week in it in early August. The doc wants to straighten the two remaining hammertoes on my left foot. Not something that I’m really looking forward to, but what can you do? This will hopefully prevent any more corns from forming.

In the other news, it’s time for a rant.

Got another letter from Evil Bitch Queen Wanda of our homeowner’s association. This time saying that we need to put down a “mulch” barrier to prevent damage to the siding from the lawn crew trimming.

My first thought was, “Seriously, this is the first you mention it after the lawn crew has had SIX YEARS to jack up the siding?

My second thought was a lot less charitable.

I posted about this on FB and one of my friends had the winning comment regarding the “mulch barrier.” She said, “Four foot bunker made of bags of mulch. Check.”

Amen.

So far we’ve established that the foot is healing nicely, me running isn’t pretty,and, oh, yeah, Wanda is an evil bitch.

Not bad for a day’s work.

So, on to the fun part of today’s post… Another fine inspirational story.

When I was in elementary school I had a very good friend named Mark. We played together pretty often and we kept in touch well through elementary and middle schools. At that time we went to different schools, and as frequently happens, we lost touch. Fast forward 20 years and we reconnected via Facebook. I’ve been very open about the health issues I have faced, and he had faced some similar issues. It’s been a long road for both of us, but he’s done some running and it inspired me to get in better shape. It’s kind of funny that I can find inspiration from someone I haven’t seen in over twenty years but still think the world of.

Thank you, Mark, for your friendship, inspiration, and also your donation to the Avon Walk. Every little bit counts.

Speaking of which, if you want to contribute, visit my personal fundraising page at

http://info.avonfoundation.org/goto/BrianT.

Have a great day, everyone~

Loot

Posted: July 15, 2013 in 5K, Comcast, Exercise, home improvement, homeowner's association, Physical activity, Walking, Wanda, Weight loss, Xfinity
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Greetings to all!

I’m proud to report that I’ve discovered another way to get a workout.

Yard work in the heat.

It makes you sweat, but you still manage to make the yard look better. It’s a win/win! Speaking of yard work, many of you might remember the tale of Wanda, the evil bitch queen of our HOA. Got a missive from her complaining about weeds around our air conditioning unit.

Weeds we had already pulled.

Sigh.

So, I started on Thursday with my latest Xfinity run-in. This time, the internet was down. I called Comcast and talked to a rep who seemed to be less interested in solving the Mystery of the Missing Internet and more interested in getting me to subscribe to HBO, Skinemax and whatever other overpriced crap they can foist on you.

No, if I wanted to upgrade my package, I’d have called that department, or spoken to somebody regarding TV. All I wanted was the Internet to work. That’s all, folks. Also, when scheduling a repair appointment, don’t hold that appointment hostage to whether or not I want to buy a service protection plan. That’s kind of bush league, guys.

I also managed to hit the driving range twice this weekend. Saturday was far more entertaining. There was a guy in a bad toupee (I know, there is no such thing as a good toupee, so calling it a bad toupee is redundant. It was seriously heinous, though. If there were war crimes trials for bad hairpieces, this bad boy would be guilty of crimes against humanity.) all by his lonesome in a stall about four spots behind me. After every shot, he’d say (loudly), “Now that’s a golf shot!”

To himself.

My first thought was, “Well, no shit, Captain Obvious…. You’re hitting a golf ball with a golf club. Of course it’s a golf shot!”

My second thought was, “I can’t make this stuff up.”

Now, I finally got around to finishing the mulching. So I’m a little behind. My advice is to not spread mulch before you go to the gym to get in a strength training day. It tends to make things a little sore all around.

On to the meat of the post, though. It was a good day in that I got my first donation for the 5K. So, a huge thanks to Janet for breaking the shutout. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated. Anyone wanting to join Janet in backing my 5K bid can do so by visiting my Avon fundraising page.

We’re getting to a point of the year where it’s easy to backslide. It’s so hot and oppressive that it’s easy to not get your work in and stay in the air conditioning. If you really want to stay in the AC, go to your local mall to walk. Many malls have information about how far one lap of their building is for the walkers and it helps break the humidity. You’re still that much farther ahead of the guy on the couch.

I’m going to do better with my writing this week. I’ve slipped a little of late and I’m not happy about it. Hope you have a great week and stay comfortable. If you must be outside, remember to hydrate. It’s important.

Song of the Day: If I Had No Loot – Tony! Toni! Toné!

Yet another in a series…

Posted: July 2, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, friends, home improvement, Inspiration, Mickey Miles podcast, Physical activity, Team AllEars, Walking, Weight loss
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It’s Tuesday and I’m a little loopy from sniffing polyurethane. Yes, I was in a well-ventilated area, but that stuff is pretty potent.

Progress continues to be made on my shelf project. All parts are cut and sanded, and all but a couple of sides are stained and polyurethaned, It should look pretty good when it is finally complete. Next job will be to find a place to hang it. Yikes!

So, I had some more inspiring folks I wanted to give a shoutout to. Todays co-honorees are my Team AllEars co-captains Michelle and Mike.

These are folks I again met through Magic Meets (are you sensing a pattern?) and they’ve always been great friends to myself and Supportive Partner Woman. Michelle is actually a frequent Words With Friends opponent (she usually wipes the floor with me) and has been subtly encouraging me to join the team. They have seen my struggles to keep up with the crowd at Reunion and seen me suffer through the blisters from hell. While I was in the program, both Mike and Michelle would check in with me to see how I was doing and it was hard to tell who was more excited when I committed to join the team from my hospital bed. They even sent a lovely flower arrangement that lasted over a month.

It’s hard to express how much their encouragement has inspired me, but if you want to talk about great leaders leading by example, I would be hard pressed to find a pair of co-captains who exemplify that adage more than Michelle and Mike. I’m proud to call them my friends and my inspirations.

So, second shift is going well after one day. It’s not a crazy busy week with the upcoming holiday, but it works just the same. I even got out for a 1.5 mile walk on break with a nice detour through Home Depot for air conditioning. Have to do it again tonight, assuming the weather stays dry. The foot looks fine, so I think it’s safe to say that the blister crisis is averted.

More a little later in the week.

Song of the Day: Nineteen Forever – Joe Jackson

Sunday morning

Posted: June 30, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, Formula 1, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Wegman's, Weight loss
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It’s been a good weekend so far, for the most part. The blister appears to be pretty much healed, I got to do the sanding on my project, and the British Grand Prix was a helluva race.

In the other good news, Supportive Partner Woman (Getting her work in!) has been hitting the gym with regularity. This makes me very happy that she’s been doing this. I know how much of a difference it has mad in my general health and well-being and I hope it has the same effect on her as well.

Yesterday was also a chicken BBQ day at the little Mennonite church on the corner. Pretty tasty stuff and, for me, two meals. 🙂 I ate the leg and thigh yesterday, I still have the breast and wing, so it might actually become a three-meal chicken dinner. I knew there was a plus to this surgery thing.

As for the blister, well, I protected it with moleskin when we went to the gym yesterday and stayed on the arc trainer and lifted weights. That was more for some protection, just in case. After I got home and took a shower, I figured I’d go without, since things seem to be really well-healed. After a few hours running errands and the like, I found that my sock was bone dry and the foot seemed in great shape. It’s a far cry from the last blister. I’m taking that as a positive sign. As for today, I’ll probably put moleskin on for the gym visit, just to be cautious, then I’m going without for the rest of the day. See what happens. I’m hopeful that there will be a Wegman’s trip today, which will be a nice change for the foot.

Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen

Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen

I’d also like to give a shoutout to Nico Rosberg on his win at Silverstone today. Looked like it would be another Vettel runaway, but Nico was there when Vettel’s gearbox went and managed to hold off a charging Mark Webber for the win. Also, mad props to my boy Kimi Raikkonen for scoring his 25th consecutive points finish, setting a new record for consistency in Formula 1.

That about covers it for the day. Hope to post more frequently this week and maybe give a fundraising update. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Check out my Avon Walk fundraising page here!

Song of the Day: Slit Skirts – Pete Townshend

Guess who’s back… back again?

Posted: June 27, 2013 in 5K, Exercise, Foot issues, Inspiration, Physical activity, Team AllEars, Walking
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The blistering is back… oh, yay.

It was a surprise, too. After a good round of workouts yesterday, I went out for dinner with Supportive Partner Woman (survived that early gym time!) and decided to hit the sack when we got home. Took off my shoes and socks and found a bloody spot in the sock. I looked at my toes… they were fine, but I found a broken blister on the ball of my right foot.

I was crushed. Seriously crushed.

Things had been going really well with my walking… what could have caused the issue this time? I’ve been checking my feet regularly. Near as I can figure, the one thing I did differently yesterday was to not air out my feet as long as usual before putting shoes and socks on. Sigh.

It’s frustrating… I briefly considered chewing my own foot off, but I realized I’m nowhere near flexible enough for that. Plus, it’s messy, unsanitary, and I’m assuming my foot wouldn’t taste very good. After a friend posted that if I tried chewing off my foot, she would spray my foot with bitter apple and make me wear the Cone of Shame, well, I tabled that idea.

I decided to go with the tried and true… I air out the foot when I’m at home and use drying agents to enable the healing process. I’m staying away from walking for a few days, and I just settled for lifting weights today. I just have to do something to keep up my fitness level.

So, as for today’s entry in the “Folks who inspire me” category, we’re going to talk about Melanie.

I first met Mel at a Magic Meets event back in the day. Her and her sister Julie had come all the way to central PA from the Denver area to take part in the festivities and we were introduced by our friend Brad who knew them through Team AllEars. We were all part of a large group that had gone for dinner at a local watering hole.

We didn’t see them again until the Magic Meets cruise in 2010 and, well, in one of our group nights at the champagne bar (and there were a lot of those nights), Mel said I should consider joining TAE. I was a little skeptical at the time, figuring there was no way I’d be able to do that. To her credit, she didn’t give up and told me to think about it.

I never forgot that initial nudge. And I did think about it. And when I joined, I’m not sure who was happier… Mel or myself.

So, me joining TAE is partially her fault and she should get part of the blame. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of such a great group.

Speaking of the team, my fundraising site when live yesterday. I’ve agreed to raise $500 to go toward the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Any donations are tax-deductable, so if you want to contribute to a worthy cause, click the link below:

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/DIY/General?px=3294847&pg=personal&fr_id=2350

Thanks again for your support as the journey progresses.

Song of the Day: Once in a Lifetime – University of Wisconsin MadHatters

It was a grand day out

Posted: June 26, 2013 in Exercise, family, Physical activity, rights, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weather
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Today was a good day thus far for a couple of reasons.

1) I woke up (and let’s face it, being alive is better than the alternative)

and 2) Supportive Partner Woman (making the healthy change!) opted to trek along to the Rec with me this morning.

I’m so thrilled that SPW came along… she’s been saying that she needs to do this. It was perfect, as she had been up most of the night (turns out Netflix added The Avengers to the library and she was watching it after only getting home from the office at 2 AM.

So, we went and hit the dreadmill. I got over 2.5 miles in and she did 2 miles on the dreadmill and another mile on the elliptical. All in all, a pretty good workout. I can do 2.5 miles at 3.3-3.5 mph and have my pulse top out at 114. Guess that means my cardio fitness level is getting better. Used to be I’d be up over 130 for a similar workout, mainly trying to hang on because I c ouldn’t move my stumpy legs that fast. I’ve also found that the wifi at the Rec is fast enough to support streaming. I’ve taken to bringing my tablet with me and streaming something on Netflix. It’s big enough to cover the display screen so I don’t have to focus on how much time I have to go or obsess on how far I’ve gone. Tablets FTW!

The short work loop

The short work loop

At work I’ve taken up going for a walk during my break. It’s a nice .75 mile loop that I can easily do in the 15 minutes alloted. Even on a warm day. It’s nice to actually be out in the air and physically move around.

On the project front, most of the cutting is done. I still have to notch out the shelves and cut the back, but after that, it’s only going to require sanding, staining and assembly. Oh, and a good coat of polyurethane. Always helpful.

At any rate, that’s about it for today. More tomorrow, I hope.

Oh, and congrats to SCOTUS for the decision in United States v. Windsor. I’ve long been of the opinion that you should be free to be with the one you love and if two men or two women want to be together, that’s no one’s business but their own. I honestly don’t see any reason why this “threatens the institution of marriage” any more than the sham Hollywood marriages of Kim Kardashian et al. Maybe now some of the best people I know will finally be afforded equal protection under the law. It’s about damn time.

Song of the Day: California Soul – Marlena Shaw

Who pwned who?

Posted: June 19, 2013 in Exercise, Gratuitously Naked Guy, home improvement, Inspiration, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
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Today I made the elliptical machine my bitch.

Or was it the other way around?

Jury is still out on that, but I can say that it felt good to do something other than pound the treadmill. While my legs are STILL a little rubbery some 6 hours later, my ankles and feet feel fine.

This week and next week are really booked up at the clinic’s fitness center, so I’m only getting one session each week. I just need to make up the time at the Rec. There are worse fates. I might try to get some weekday swimming in… although the probability of a Gratuitously Naked Guy sighting is much higher during the week. But, dear readers, I’m willing to risk it.

Now, I know I’ve posted about my inspirations for losing some weight and getting healthier, but there’s one that I keep overlooking. So, I’d like to give a shoutout to my friend Matt. I know Matt through the Disney community… he was a fellow Magic Meets volunteer and, like me, was a big guy. Not as big as me, but a bigger guy nonetheless. I hadn’t seen Matt since the last Magic Meets, but would spot him on Facebook from time to time. Then there was one post that blew my mind. Matt was running in last year’s Disney World Half-Marathon.

Wow.

Not only that, but he was deep into martial arts and just really seemed serious about getting healthy and making the lifestyle changes. That was in the back of my mind as I progressed through my program. There’s someone who was doing it. Someone I knew.

I knew that I could do it, too.

The road is long and anything but smooth. I’m getting there, following the footsteps of someone whose success and determination has really been an inspiration. Thanks, Matt, and keep up the awesome work.

From here on in, I’m going to make an effort to recognize those folks who have inspired me to keep going. Who knows, I might even have nice things to say about my jerk co-worker who really got the ball rolling.

I wouldn’t hold my breath, though.

Tomorrow will be more of the same… gym, work, and maybe playing with power tools. We’ll see what the weather is like after work.

Song of the Day: Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
Currently Reading: The King’s Deception – Steve Berry

P.S. I think the elliptical won… word of the day? Ouch.

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