Turning the corner, road to 2020 begins

Time to make a change.  No more pastry or carbs.  Also think it would be good to take a break from sweet coffee in the morning and drink green tea with out sugar for a while, and maybe just water with lemon.  I topped out at 154 lbs this week and now that I can shop, there is no excuse for eating badly.  It won't take me long to get back now that I can go to the gym.  I'm wearing the brace when I walk away from home.  Looking forward to my first gym workout on Friday.  Going to bike and do some new PT.

The time has come. 

transitioning to weight

'Almost' off crutches and transitioning to a meniscus off loading brace.  I can limp around with the bace on, no crutches for short distances around my house.   I have 95% of range of flexion and I think I may be able to walk to work next week.   It's improving rapidly.  Next weekend I will be starting a few new PT exercises including calf raises, no resistance stationary bike, and hamstring bridge exercises.  I really want to push ahead to more advanced exercises but I won't do that without Dr's permission.  I see Dr. LaPrade in just over 2 weeks for my first post op. 

Looking forward to doing more cardio as I'm in bad shape.  Unfortunately, real good exercises like resistance biking, aqua running, and hill walking are not on the schedule until April; elliptical and swimming early May; stairmaster and rowing not until late May/ early June, and beginning running end of June... which seems like a long time.    It gives me a year to train for 2020 Nationals. 

Having run out of food and not able to easily shop, I've been on take-out food and my diet has been bad lately, up to nearly 152 lbs.  Not too far gone. 

Core and upper body

Workouts now consist mostly of core and upper body, but have been doing some left leg calf pumps with rubber tubing.  My leg is about 6" short of normal flexion.  I'm assuming it'll be 100% in 2 weeks or so.  Swelling /cyst is gone. 

8 X tabata bicycle abs - 20 sec on, 20 sec rest 

12 pullups 

2 x 25 pushups 

8 x 20 L calf sets with rubber tubing

My weight is good, just 148 lbs but that is partly due to loss of muscle.  Definitely higher body fat than when I'm usually at this weight.   (Still fighting off the temptation to eat bad foods at 'drive up windows').

The next set of new exercises beginning in March include no resistance stationary bike, body weight calf heel raises, hamstring bridge sets.  By the end of March, I can bike ride with resistance and do 30º body weight squats.  Early April, some careful hiking and leg press from 70º.

Just 17 more days before I transition off crutches.  Come on March, get here. 

Halfway

Halfway done with the crutches, and healing well.   I am able to do leg lifts, core work, and some upper body.  I've got 85% range of movement in flexion.  I should be off crutches in 20 days and transition to a meniscus offload brace.

One issue that has been annoying in my leg extension has been the Baker's cyst behind my knee.  It is a natural consequence of knee surgery / injury, an over flow area that catches extra knee fluid.  It literally changes hour to hour.   Thankfully, today I haven't yet felt it and my knee has unimpeded extension.   In just a few weeks I'll be able to do no resistance bicycle and new PT exercises designed to strengthen.  Still icing every evening or when I feel the cyst, but today it feels better than it has in a while.

I have scheduled my followup with Dr. LaPrade for March 11.  I arrive early the day before with Roya so we'll have an opportunity to do some sight seeing.  I'll be off crutches by then.

I should be ok to bike ride and do some light hiking by wildflower season this spring.   It's going to take a while to restrengthen the leg after all this inactivity.

Looking forward to watching the 2019 Millrose Games on NBC today and seeing the results of my GPTC team that won M40 and M50 4x400m last yr.  Looks like SWS are back so they'll be the favorites.  Been missing track so I generally don't do too much watching it and let my Runnerspace membership lapse.

One year ago, I got the regional Athlete of the Year Award for my performance in Korea (World Championship 200m, Silver 400m).  Chuck presented me with the award at Millrose 2018:







Will be interesting to see how my USA teammates do in Poland.  The M55 400m is really stacked.  I put in my travel insurance claim so I hope to get my money back for the plane ticket I bought.

Support 2019 M55 400m World Leader and US National Champion David Pitts to go to Poland!  Here's his GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/let039s-help-david-pitts-go-for-the-gold?


One year ago at the Millrose Games - my brother, father and nephew and his son:



Weight remains good, about 149 lbs.   I'm happy to say I've kept my diet under control.   Not competing this season and disabled from being able to grocery shop, I could easily feel entitled to relax my diet... but I have yet to eat any drive through fast food, no crap like pizza or ice cream... about the worst things I've eaten were a few Panera pastries.   Actually, I haven't had ice cream in my refrigerator but just one or 2 times in the past 5 yrs.  ( I think that might be the converse for some).

UPDATE:  Sunday, I feel like my knee has turned the corner.  No more cyst or swelling, it's feeling virtually normal and I haven't used pain medication in a week.  Best it's felt since the surgery.