Thursday, July 14, 2011

Rehab X: Seven Squared and Beyond

On June 30, I was bemoaning turning 49 on Facebook, when Neil Berg remarked that all the birthday meant was that the Earth has gone around the Sun once more with me along for the ride, and I didn't feel so bad.  But I was older and was feeling older because I'd been seriously injured three months earlier, losing lots of strength and fitness as a result.  Bad feelings were tempered by the fact that I got a new bike, a Llewellyn, which I picked up on my birthday.

The first ride on the Llewellyn followed the next day.  The bike felt wonderfully smooth and stable and springy, just as a very well made steel bike should.  The next day, I hatched the idea to ride every day of my 50th trip around the Sun.  That sort of undertaking is blog-worthy.  So blog-worthy, in fact, that it deserves ITS OWN BLOG.  I hope I'm not spreading my writing too thin, but I think riding and writing about it will be fun.  The biggest challenge may be riding the day after double centuries, the days on which I usually nap and do as little as possible.

As for the other stuff, my rehab is ebbing and flowing.  Two days ago I came up with a brilliant idea to come up strongly on my toes as I walk, almost doing calf raises with every step.  The first day it worked very well.  I had no pain in the foot at all and was walking strongly.  Next morning I woke up with a sore left calf.  I stretched it as well as I could, but it was still tight and I had to rush off to PT.  Wayne mercilessly manipulated me, all to the good and the calf felt better than before therapy.  In late afternoon, I went to continue my streak at VeloSF.  After 50 minutes of pedaling nowhere fast, I rushed off to catch the bus, walking the fastest I've walked since March.  This fast walking didn't feel so good, but I didn't want to miss my bus and persisted.  I made the bus.  When I got off the bus the foot hurt badly and I limped for the first time in nearly a month as I walked a block to my car.  Yeah, hundreds of calf raises, PT, high cadence pedaling, and fast walking all piled together were too much too soon.  Four Advil and some ice abated the pain a bit, but it was still sore the next morning.  Things improved as the day went on, but two days ago I felt better.  I live hopeful than in two days I'll feel better than I did two days ago and certainly better than today.

 .

2 comments:

Tom G. said...

" As the Japanese say... Raku wa ku no tané; ku wa raku no tané"

Pleasure is the seed of pain; pain is the seed of pleasure.

Niksul Valsidalv said...

Is that like "it feels good when I stop" only put much more beautifully?