Back in training, Bandages off....

Finally ventured back into the Gym on Tuesday night. Trained chest and triceps.

Flat dumbells: warmed up with 30lb for 12 reps, followed by 40lb for 10 reps, 50lb for 2 sets of 8 then 6, back down to 40 for 8 reps
Incline dumbells: 45lb 3 sets of 8
Cable crossover: 3 sets of 12 at 20lb,30lb and 40lb (very strict with a good stretch)

Close grip bar: warmed up with 30kg for 12 reps, followed by 40kg for 2 sets of 8 reps
Rope pulldown: 80lb 4 sets of 10 (I think... was chatting at bit.....)
Dips: 3 sets of 6 (nervous doing these in case I slipped and landed on my foot!!)

Foot was throbbing by the end of the workout - I guess the elevated blood pressure from training.....

Went home, showered and removed the bandages from my foot - at last.... here are the pics. You can see there is still quite some swelling.












On the subject of pain - Two days later I am severely sore from Tuesdays nights session! I guess thats what happens when you don't train for nearly a month!! Realistically I think the December deadlift comp is looking bad. I'm no where near being able to bear any weight on that foot - the best way I can describe it is this - Imagine having a little marble taped under the ball of your foot - thats what if feels like when I walk or take any weight on my right foot - I think its just from the swelling. Physio tomorrow so I'll ask Stuart.

Anyway, if I cant do the deadlift comp I'll offer my services to referee again - it was fun and I as I love this sport I'd like to put something back into it. I know I'm not the only one that thinks like that as my fellow nationals competitor Louise Vu-Duy was also at the novice bench press last weekend in an official capacity doing the scoring.

Tonight I'll be in the gym again to do a little leg work, leg extension and leg curls.... about all I can do really. Probably throw in some bicep work. Cant even think of doing back or shoulders with my chest jammed up the way it is. Ohh the pain, the pain.... :-)

Best laid plans....

Been a while since I updated.....

Email offering a free shirt arrived the other week and being a sucker for such things I read on.... Corporate games participants get a free Oracle Shirt..... I want one! So checkout all the different sports on offer.... tennis, badminton, poker???, running - ahhhh 5 or 10k run. Thinking this could be a great motivator to rehab my foot I put my name down for the 5k run..... Then a planned post op visit to have my stitches removed (ow ow ow), bandaged up with waterproof coverings and then into the physios's room, where any thoughts of running were quickly dissipated...... a subtle reminder from Simon "you've just had surgery on your foot - no running for at least another 10 weeks - you can go a for a long walk at about the 6 week mark say 1/2 an hour...." Set some exercises for me - bending the toe up to get the range of movement back and have to try to walk as 'normally' as possible. Next physio appt is this Friday.

Finally this week I can get out of the 'spastic shoe'. Recommended footwear for the next 3 months..... runners (no way!!!), sports sandals (yuck) or Crocs - well the best of bad bunch - hopped online to crocshoes.com.au and ordered a pair of purple crocs.

Physio has given me the ok to start training upper body however the deadlift comp in December is looking a bit doubtful. I am recovering quite well I think and have managed to get out a little with Leigh taking me to the movies the other week and weekend just gone I reffed at the novice bench press comp (my fist reffing!!!) Prior to the bench press was the strongman comp which I managed to see the tail end of.... different..... and I finally picked up my trophy, medal and bucket of oats from the nationals.

Sunday was a surprise party at my sisters place for her 60th birthday coming up later this week. All the family was there, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and their children too.... Introduced Leigh to my family, fortunately Leah's boyfriend Andrew is also new to the clan so Leigh wasn't the only 'newbie' at the do! :-) It all went off pretty well, lots of food and a pretty relaxing afternoon. I really need to get back in the gym!!! LOL

Life goes on

Stardate Monday September 10. Captains log:

Manning the lonely P1 pager, trouble brewing in the outer regions, data corruptions are coming in. 5, nay 6 P1's, one immediately shot down to yellow alert (P2). 3 handed over from the earlier US shift and deflected thru to India, 1 closed and another denied.

So that was the first day back on the job, along with a tonne of email (delete, delete, delete...) and a crap load of work in my queue that had bounced back to life while I was 'on sick leave'. Working from home has its advantages.... good coffee (although the coffee shop in the foyer at work is good too), get up at 7.30 for a 8am start, stay in my jammies all day.....

As of today I am crutchless....


Noooo..... Not that kind of crutchless.... This kind......


Finally the end of the day and I'm off to make myself a latte and retire to the lounge with my book - Skin Privilege by Karin Slaughter.

I am alive !!

Had my operation last Tuesday. The Doc was happy with the result. The nerve block was bliss - no pain, however it lasted a little longer than expected and that delayed my release from hospital until Wednesday afternoon.



Once the nerve block wore off I was on mild pain killers (digesic) and Ibuprofen (bugesic) which I was alternating every 2 hours to keep the pain at bay. This worked quite well.

The girls have taken good care of me, Madi mastered the art of latte making and Leigh's been over to visit a few times, even bringing Oden the wonder dog on Friday and helping me to get down the stairs and out onto the decking for a bit of fresh air and sunshine. I'm making pretty good progress now but I am keeping my foot elevated as much as possible

Walking around does take its toll tho'