week 20

otherwise known as the week between christmas and new years.

tuesday, dec. 27.
stairmaster - 10 minutes.
stretching.
exercises - step ups on the 18" platform (20). balance: first the single leg bosu throws standing on the round side (30). then standing on the flat side, double leg squat throws (10 x 10). floor touches (36). single leg stick squats w/ my foot on the floor touch thing (3 x 10). double leg broad jumps (to the front and back). skips (there, back, there, back). single leg hops for speed to the leg extension machine and back. squat jumps (20). wall jumps (2 x 30). crab walk. leg press: single leg - 3, 4, 5 plates (20, 15, 10); double leg - 5, 6, 7 plates (20, 15, 10)... sometimes i do the double leg ones first, othertimes the single leg. can't remember which way this visit. shuttle with 3 bands (3 x 10). leg extension: 15 lbs (3 x 10). hamstring curls: 20 lbs (3 x 10). step downs (2 x 10). calf raises (3 x 15). wall squats (5 x 30sec).
hydrotrack - 2 miles. about 4.5 mph to start, then 4.75 for the last 0.4 mile or so.
flexion - i think i've got about 3 inches to go.
takeo came in today. i was in the middle of a set on the shuttle. he jokingly said, "hey slow it down a little." we talked for awhile about christmas before he went to change and get in the hydrotrack. i got in the hydrotrack after he was done. later when i was icing on the bench next to his, reading the new people magazine chris brought me, he and i briefly talked about jennifer aniston and jessica simpson (both on the cover). i also told him i saw his article. he said thanks and that he thought it turned out well.
so today marked the last water treadmill run of my PT life. chris told me to bring my running feet thursday. i was a bit hesitant about being excited... part of me was scared for sure. probably about 75/25.

thursday, dec. 29.
stairmaster - 10 minutes.
stretching.
exercises - step ups on the 18" platform (20). balance: first the single leg bosu throws standing on the round side (30). then standing on the flat side, double leg squat throws (10 x 10). floor touches (36). single leg stick squats w/ my foot on the floor touch thing (3 x 10). double leg broad jumps (to the front and back). skips (there, back, there, back). single leg hops for speed to the leg extension machine and back. squat jumps (20). wall jumps (2 x 30). line jumps: single leg! - forward/back, side/side. no diagonals, and i don't think i did the boxes either. leg press: single leg - 3, 4, 5 plates (20, 15, 10); double leg - 5, 6, 7 plates (20, 15, 10). shuttle with 3 bands (3 x 10). leg extension: 15 lbs (3 x 10). hamstring curls: 20 lbs (3 x 10). step downs (2 x 10). calf raises (3 x 15). wall squats (5 x 30sec).
the treadmill!! ok. so, when i came in this afternoon and got on the stairmaster, chris said to me, "so, tell me something good." to which i responded, "i get to run on the treadmill today!" so then it came time. i dunno how fast i was going - maybe around 3.75 to 4 mph. and i only ran for 0.5 mi. but still, it was running. the first running. i did start out dropping my feet on the treadmill kinda hard, so chris told me to concentrate on stepping lightly. after about 0.25 miles, i started limping some. not really because of pain (thought there was a little i guess), but more of a feeling of weakness on my right side. like i couldn't extend as far, and i didn't feel as strong through the entire range with my right leg. and it was hard to make myself not limp - i tried looking in the mirror and forcing my steps to be even. i tried taking smaller, quicker steps. i got through the half mile. probably not the best half mile i've ever run, but the only half mile i've run in the last 5 months... so... regardless... i did it.
flexion - i got to hang out and stretch myself for awhile... then chris came over to distract me with a little computer talk as she pushed on my foot. the general use computer they've got started shutting itself off randomly - or perhaps after a specific period of time upon bootup. anyway, the distraction worked i guess. either that or she was just more persistent than usual. when i cried uncle, she basically wouldn't have any of that and kept pushing. i got warnings at about the 1/4" and 1/8" marks... and then i got a butt-touch. man, it was like when i first started having to do the flexion stuff - pain, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. she let it up a little then held it in what was still an uncomfortable place but better than with my heel touching my ass. i guess it was good to get there, but i'm not looking forward to doing that again next week. jesus.