June 21 2010

Three weeks since my last post and a lot has happened.  The worst of which was my Dad passing away at the grand old age of 89. I'm not going to dwell on that now except to say that it was hard saying goodbye and I will miss him dearly.

The news on the shoulder front just keeps getting worse.  Have been to see one of the top shoulder surgeons and his assessment is that I definitely need to have a arthroscopic debridement and very likely need to have an open subscap repair to cut and reattach the bicep tendon.  That 2nd part is nasty and will put me out of action for 6 months but long term it will be better for my lifting longevity.  Anyway he will asses that when he does the artho and if need be he will switch to a full shoulder op so that its all done in a single hospital admission.

For the time being however I'm just going to continue with the rehab, naprosyn and letting pain be my guide.  I need to get thru Nationals and World Masters before I can consider surgery.  One of  the guys at the  gym, Kirby, suggested a lectric soda pack at night before bed to draw some of the fluid out, it worked well the first night and I was able to finally get a full nights sleep, but wasn't so beneficial the next night.  I will persist tho', cos the nagging dull ache a night makes it hard to sleep.

Had  bit of a giggle tho at the letter Dr. Hoy send to my sports doc. Personally,  I there's a typo...

"Vicki is a 47 year old right hand dominant woman......"

I think it should be:

"Vicki is a 47 year old, right handed, dominant woman...."  

LOL


Other than that, training is good. I've settled in pretty well with the guys at Apollo/ESP.  Hmmm, well I think I have anyway.  I'm not shunned for being female nor for being IPF and there a couple of other IPF lifters there. :-)
I dont get treated any different to anyone else and I dont want to be.

One of the things I enjoy there is being under pressure to perform.  I don't like to be a pain in the arse so I try to keep up with what they are lifting, as best I can at least.  Martyn puts me the group with lifters who a closest to my level or are lifting raw so I'm not massively behind them but it gives me something to strive for, pushes me to my limits and if the guys think I should back down the weight a bit, Martyn just says no, she'll lift that, and I do - or I die trying :-)    He doesn't let me back down and I like that - a lot!

It's a good training environment too with everyone in the group giving constructive feedback while you're lifting, giving cues that help to build the right habits. Even Bro, who's not training with us will yell  'knees out,  spread the floor' and this works for me!

We just recently moved into the new compound in Spotswood.  Its at least 3 times the size of the ESP gym in Footscray with an extra mono-lift and heaps more equipment.  Like being in a new playground!

This morning:
Max squat
Box squat - low, half suit & belt.
60x5, 100 x5, 120 x3, 140 x2, 150 x1 150 x1 150 x fail

Good mornings
40 x12, 50 x12, 60 x10, 70 x8, 80 x4 x2sets

Glute/Ham raise 8 x5sets

Standing ab curl
30 x12, 35 x12 x3sets

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