Everyone Has to Start Somewhere: #100DaysofFitness - Day 1

Yesterday morning was my first day back at the pool, as I had mentioned.  So far so good with the meniscus, my knee is a bit tight but not intolerable.  Post-workout, I'm in the locker room and I overhear a conversation between two women about how crowded the parking lot and locker rooms were, to which the other replied that she shouldn't sweat it, most of the New Years resolvers would be dropping off soon enough.  While I certainly have been one of "those' people in the past bemoaning the onslaught of newcomers into the gym every January, and getting annoyed when "my" locker was being used by a new comer or by the lack of available parking-  being on the other side of the coin… i.e. A new resolver (even if its not technically a New Years resolution), I couldn't help but realize how judgmental the collective we can be.    Instead of criticizing the new members, maybe reach out and make a friend.  Everyone needs encouragement everyone  even those who have been at the gym for years and years.  We should be celebrating the fact that people took the step to better themselves rather than cutting them down because they inconvenienced us.  Even if these new years resolvers didn't hear those specific comments, certainly their own self doubt, and perhaps similar comments from other people weigh them down enough that they do drop off and stop coming. So instead of discouraging people, we can all make an effort instead to encourage people.  Even if it means having to walk ALL the way from the back of the parking lot into the gym (I mean, really we're all there for exercise anyway), and even if it means having to get a locker ALL the way in the front/back instead of settled nicely in the middle by the showers -  maybe one person will stay encouraged enough to see their goals through.  So, that’s my take away for the day.  Everyone- even the storied athletes started with Day 1.  Find a new someone tomorrow or the next time you are at the gym, and help them to Day 2, Day 14, Day 86, whatever it is.  There's enough discouragement out there, lets try encouragement for a change :)  

My Meniscus & Me: A Soap Opera

Hello - Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy New Year - etc.  Yep, it's been a long, long while since I've posted.  According to the lovely reminder on the back end of Blogger, it informed me the last time I logged in was June.  Yay me.   So the quick and dirty on what's been going on of late.  As you know I was having major problems with my knee.  After a second opinion and a lot of smarmy comments about someone like me (read:fat) doing triathlons and how dangerous for my joints it was... it was finally determined that I did in fact have a tear in my meniscus.  Unfortunately the tear is too small to warrant surgery.  So, its just a waiting game.  It can take up to a year for a non-surgically repaired meniscal tear to heal.  I have good days, I have bad days.  I was having a lot of good days Thanksgiving through Pre-Christmas. I thought 'Hey! Look at me! I'm on the road to recovery!'  Then, I hosted Christmas Eve...and I didn't just host Xmas eve- I repainted three rooms in my house, reorganized as a result of the new paint-  we refinished our cabinets in the kitchen and just all-in-all did a whole lot of work the 2 or so weeks leading up to XMAS. (In our defense, it wasn't just some psychotic need to give our house a quick face lift-  we had been entertaining the idea of selling our house and had filled cracks, painted ceilings, updated trim over the summer, and had to "finish" our facelift work).  Christmas eve comes, dinner is yum family has fun. I get up off the sofa to say goodbye to someone and BAM! Back to square one - well really like square 4 1/2.   Then the ice storms cometh and well, its not really easy for a meniscus to heal when its a skating rink and a snowy desert as far as the eye can see.  Unstable snow isn't exactly the best thing for a trying-to-heal unstable knee to be walking on.  Needless to say, XMAS injury has been slow going healing wise.

HOWEVER- I'm determined to help the healing progress further.  I need to build the muscles in my legs and core back up- Im thinking that if those are stronger that will take some of the pressure off the joint.  So its back into the pool I go.

I saw a blog a few days ago about a woman who committed to 100 days of fitness.  In exactly 100 days from today Mr. Millie and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary on a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.    I have made this whole 100 days of fitness thing my new goal (here's hoping I can stick to it)

Tomorrow morning is my first day back in the pool.  We'll see how good of friends the old meniscus and I are post-workout.  I'm going to take it slow and mentally Im committing to 100 days of fitness, of course Im simultaneously afraid of mentally committing to this because of my stinkin' knee.  But, I have the pool - which is low impact and one of those bouncy medicine balls here at home, and I'm hoping between the two I can commit to doing *something* every day.  Let's hope.

Major fingers crossed that tomorrow post- workout I don't have another meniscal episode