In Other News

Having taken about a week off from doing anything with my hip outside of walking, including only going to the gym twice, I did a bit of "running" yesterday. While playing frisbee. So at most I sprinted for 5 seconds a couple of times. But having walked to and throughout the park, I found my hip was starting to pinge some. It felt like I was back in the early stages of recovering from the surgery, when I could jog or use the elliptical but was very limited. Additionally, I've been getting some weird pain on the outside of my knee. I think it's due to how my right leg/foot is being used while walking; I must be stepping incorrectly. I plan on going to Big Peach running or some similar store that videos you on a treadmill and can make recommendations regarding gait and appropriate shoe.

I did a TANITA BODY COMPOSITION ANALYZER FOR BEST HUMANS reading on Friday. On 1/11/10, I weighed 164# and had 10.6% body fat. On 4/8/10, I weighed 166# and had 8.4% body fat. On 8/27/10:

Weight: 164.2# (-1.8)

BMI: 23.9 (+0.1)

Fat %: 9.3% (+0.9%)

Basal Metabolic Rate: 1795 Cal (-24)

Impedance: 447 Ohms (-48)

Fat Mass: 15.21# (+1.2)

Fat Free Mass: 149# (-3)

Total Body Water: 109# (-2.2)

So, I got fat over the summer. I was on vacation for most of it, sick for part of it, and without a schedule to adhere to ate out a lot more than I normally do. So... back to the gym! So I can realize my dream of stepping up to the streets and serving people and dunking: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/thelife/news/story?page=goingviral/082710

Did Iverson Ever Dunk?

The surgeon said that I had tendinitis and would need to avoid any leg exercises for a month in addition to taking a daily dose of super ibuprofen. Of course I didn't listen. I ran a few more times, did some more squats, played basketball and football. And predictably, the symptoms continued.

I finally realized that I have to stop using my legs for any exercise, period, until this pain is completely away. I remember earlier this year, working out 4 times a week, hiking four days in a row, and not feeling this pain. I have to get back to that. Even if it means losing a lot of the leg strength I've built up.

I hate giving that up. I really enjoy being active and athletic. I was running 5+ miles at a time. I want to keep upping my squat (I did manage 200 pounds!). I want to keep playing basketball and football. BUT - at what cost? Would I knowingly return to a state of constant pain because I can't sit still for a few weeks? At this moment my right leg is sore and throbbing. Random muscle fibers are twitching, my calf muscle seizing... who knows what's causing that. My left leg is fine. I'm sure there's some imbalance owing to the surgery and recovery. I hope I'll be smart enough to seek professional physical therapy once the pain subsides.

So, with that in mind, I have to choose: pursuit of dunk, or pursuit of pain-free life? Despite my past stupidity, I'm making a pact with myself to not allow this condition to worsen. I am going on hiatus. I'll return to this and post more once I feel fully functional again.

You gotta dunk that shit!

Dunk-OH

As in, "uh-oh".

I think I may have aggravated my hip injury. The original symptoms I'd had starting reappearing this past week. Before I left for a long weekend in Cocoa Beach (with me ma), I'd done some longer runs and pretty intense leg workouts. I think that the combined stress set off my pain again.

Normally my hip would only feel strange after squats. Other leg exercises - leg press, quad-extensions, hamstring curls, and box-steps - did not have that effect. I chalked it up to the continued strengthening of that joint and switched to performing squats to every other workout. But when the normal soreness did not disappear after 4 days of rest, combined with the reappearance of the traditional pains (outer thigh at knee, back of knee, back of calf), has me very worried. I've made an appointment for August 10th with the surgeon (most likely a two-hour wait and a six-minute meeting). Standard cures are acetaminophen to reduce swelling (has never worked for me), and I'm hoping we can avoid another MRI and instead I'll get an injection of cortisone.

I also hope he'll be able to tell me what types of exercises are OK and which ones are potentially harmful (doubt it, as this would require the doc to pay attention to me). At the very least, I'll stop doing squats in favor of more controlled exercises (although squats are the better workout, I do not want to risk a re-injury).

I've only run twice since returning Tuesday and that hasn't made the hip worse (I think). I can now take a standing jump onto a stone post that is 38 inches high. Hopefully there will be good news on Tuesday...