ActiasLuna’s training blog

The blogging. Feh.

Have walked faithfully every weekend (that the wind chill was above 10 fahrenheit). Not so much faithfulness on keeping the blog of the activity.

Update on the arm problems: the second IVIG treatment happened back about thanksgiving, and the brachial plexopathy was considered in remission by the neuro.

Unfortunately, the past couple weeks I’ve had electric-shock-like nerve tingling and pains, and today I’m partly back where I started… partly because though both arms are weak, the right arm is still somewhat mobile, while the left is pretty much limited to anything that doesn’t require the movement of the upper arm to more than about 5 degrees. Fine muscle control is crap in both hands, and the semi-working right arm has to hold the elbow nearly shoulder-level to get food or drink to my mouth, and I’m back on a straw for anything that needs drinking.

While I’m not happy about this, I know the drill now.

Walked 4 and a half miles this morning before light, only to find at the halfway point that my local *bux doesn’t open til 7 am weekends. What other *bux in the known universe doesn’t open by at least 6 am all days?

Weather was really nice for the walk, it had been unseasonably warm and foggy and the streets were wet, the air cool, and the walk helped me forget I couldn’t play basketball to save my life right now. (or play the violin, if you get my point)

Starting over with the neurologist next week, I intend to get to the bottom of what this is. Fears: MS? (probably not)… Most likely is HNPP, as my siblings, mom and niece have all had problems that indicate there’s a genetic predisposition to nerve problems.

Reminder that the time change happens tonight, so if I am going to catch the early morning coolness I will have to get up at my weekday time. (which is a good plan anyway as it’s harder to sleep in on the weekends and keep up the early morning weekday routine.)

Last weekend was a visit from J. so I didn’t record the activity til this morning. Since he likes to sleep in I just crept out and walked and by the time I returned he was ready with his coffee and morning routine done.

The weather here is absolutely gorgeous, mornings in the 50’s and the highs in the 70’s… and the fall colors are coming on… I love the campus walk when it’s pretty much devoid of people. Today is a home game so the fans are pitching their tents, setting up their dish tvs and barbecues, and the campus always begins to look like a festival on home game day. Campus corner, on the other hand, more closely resembles Bourbon Street. (people are slobs so Sunday morning is always time to marvel at the amount of garbage that doesn’t make it to the trash cans.)

Since this is probably my favorite time to walk, and since the Uni campus is a great parklike place to do it, the only thing that could be better would be if I had actual hills to walk up and down. Oklahoma is very flat, and though there are nice trees on campus, there is not enough shade here for my liking.

Exercise-wise, I think I need to stretch better before my walk, I believe I’m having some ITB tightness as when I stop the front part of my hips hurts pretty bad… will have to increase the stretching time and add some of the stretches I used to use before playing soccer, and see how that works.

8900 steps at a time… getting fit.

And the arms are working better (weakness in the upper body is also a contributing factor to the hip pain I’m sure)… will have another treatment week after next for the brachial plexopathy and hopefully will be building up the strength over the upcoming weeks. Haven’t recorded the arm exercise as it’s something I now do at every idle moment… using the weight of my arms for the most part and moving them overhead as much as possible. Must present an amusing image to the people around me but what the heck… I’m getting better!

Happy beautiful Autumn day to those in the northern hemisphere…

-K

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 11/01/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00
• Distance: 4.25 miles
• Average Pace: 18:48.53/mile

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 10/26/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00
• Distance: 4.25 miles
• Average Pace: 18:48.53/mile

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 10/25/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00
• Distance: 4.25 miles
• Average Pace: 18:48.53/mile

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 10/19/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00
• Distance: 4.25 miles
• Average Pace: 18:48.53/mile

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 10/18/2008
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 10/15/2008
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00

It was harder than I thought it would be. Not due to arm issues (probably) but more due to not having been on a bike for a while. The difference in walking and cycling became really obvious pretty fast, so I took it way easy with a long break at the coffeehouse in the middle… Still, it was nice to get out and ride. The bike itself is a basic, basic 5 speed (kind of cool, a vintage John Deere bike, total low tech.) and it does its job. Was fun rolling around the OU campus on a cool cloudy morning.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 10/13/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00
• Distance: 4.5 miles
• Average Speed: 6 mph

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 10/12/2008
• Time: 12:00:00
• Total Time: 1:30:00.00
• Distance: 4.5 miles
• Average Pace: 20:00/mile

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 10/11/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00
• Distance: 4.2 miles
• Average Pace: 19:02.86/mile