<p>I was on crutches a while back for 3 three weeks when I hurt my calf.</p>
<p>Rather than doing anything for me muscle- or fitness-wise, the crutches pretty much wrecked my shoulders. It took longer for my shoulders to recover from the crutches than it took for the torn muscle in my calf to heal.</p>
<p>So be careful with them.</p>
<p>I’m putting most of the weight on the hand grips. </p>
<p>It wasn’t the top of the crutches that did in my shoulders; I did the same, but it is still the shoulders that support all your body weight.</p>
<p>It probably also depends on how much (if any) weight you can put on your feet - I could not touch my injured calf to the ground, so I was basically swinging from the shoulders in order to get around.</p>
<p>I am hopping back over to this thread as I am moving towards athlete status after doing a few running races this month. I went to a PT to get tips on repairing my IT issues back in early April, and I was pretty religious about doing them, while only walking daily and then eventually doing jogs 3 days a week on flat terrain. Now I can run 3-5 miles while training (and talking) with friends, and I completed a few 5k trail races, albeit slowly.</p>
<p>I’ll lurk here to get tips on how to carefully ramp up my speed and miles without creating new injuries.</p>
<p>Lurkers welcome, Snowflake! All are welcome! </p>
<p>abasket, I won’t be running daily after July 4th. I liked BB’s advice on using the MarathonRookie site and will be following their newbie plan. Right now I’m just running daily to complete the Runner’s World streak challenge. I did it last year and it really got me hooked. Don’t worry, I’ll stop, ease off, take a break if anything starts hurting. Ironwoman I am not! </p>
<p>“I am hopping back over to this thread as I am moving towards athlete status after doing a few running races this month”</p>
<p>Snowflake, welcome! I say that “doing a few races” qualifies you as an athlete already! On the trail where I run, athletes come in all shapes, sizes, and speeds, and no one judges no one! 
And they do so in this thread. </p>
<p>Basement workout for me before dinner. Good solid punch the clock workout.</p>
<p>I had been taking my water aerobics class in the city outdoor pool that just opened.
Only instead of just needing my suit & a water bottle, I now need a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and since I noticed bees in the water that were still alive!, my epi pen.</p>
<p>Its pretty nice swimming outside but when you get out?
Its still Seattle & it gets the wind off the sound.</p>
<p>I know what you mean about getting out of the pool! We swam outdoors (Masters) all year in Dallas. Our coldest outdoor air temp was 2 degrees. The water we splashed on the deck froze! We had these giant white robes waiting for us in the chairs. It was SO neat to be in the water. Getting out- not so much.</p>
<p>Crutches are driving me crazy and are very tiring. I know I’ll build up stamina, but by the end of the day yesterday I was shot. In 2007 I remember tooling all over the mall and going to concerts. I’m not sure how I did that.</p>
<p>Finished two days of my 3-day charity. I did 10 miles both days and got some horrible blisters. I can’t seem to avoid them–believe me I’ve tried every thing. Made it through 3 miles today (was going for 10) but decided to stop. I figure I raised money for a group whose work is valuable and I burned a bunch of calories so I don’t feel to bad. I’ve done the full 20 each day six times, so I’m OK with being part if a team and doing sections this year.</p>
<p>Bromfield, congrats. I’m just like you when it comes to blisters. 
I cannot avoid getting them, but I found that some things minimize them: Lanacne (or Body Glide), Injinji socks, breathable shoe uppers, wider toebox and good inserts. </p>
<p>That sounds like plenty, Bromfield! Congrats on the miles and the fundraising!</p>
<p>I’m back from the southern reaches of interior Florida. Though we rode a bus with tourists through the Florida pine woods and cypress swamps; saw alligators, snakes, and plenty of mosquitoes; hiked in the blazing noon sun at 90 degrees and dodged black, menacing thunderstorms by afternoon; the most frightening part of the daylong trip was losing our way on a poorly marked trail, and finding a herd of beef cattle staring nervously our way as we emerged into their pasture surrounded by barbed wire. Those animals are BIG. Fortunately, no aggressive bull ventured our way, and we escaped by calmly picking our way over an edged cattle control grate. </p>
<p>I walked this morning, jogging a bit to catch up and return a lost baby cap to the mother of triplets power cruising with her triple stroller.</p>
<p>Congratulations, Bromfield! </p>
<p>Go Snowflake! I enjoy and gain much from this thread, even not being an athlete!</p>
<p>Thanks for the video music suggestions, BunsenB. I will look at Russian music. Even the regular old classical music options were just inappropriate–played out, or even worse–electronic, music-box sounds…so not the earworms I have when I hike. </p>
<p>For anyone looking to encourage a hubby to do more healthy grilling this summer, how about a Father’s Day color-coordinated combo: [Instant</a> read thermometer](<a href=“http://www.thermoworks.com/images/product/pocket/thermopop_misc_z_d.jpg]Instant”>http://www.thermoworks.com/images/product/pocket/thermopop_misc_z_d.jpg) and [Cooking</a> timer](<a href=“http://www.thermoworks.com/images/product/timers/timestick_misc_z_d.jpg]Cooking”>http://www.thermoworks.com/images/product/timers/timestick_misc_z_d.jpg) on a lanyard that can be worn around the neck out it the backyard.</p>
<p>Good morning. Plantmom, sounds lie a adventure! Kudos on te running, Broomfied. Good ideas, idad, but after an managing to lose the remote control for the awning, I’m not optimistic that the lanyard would help given our track record ;)</p>
<p>My workout activity ths weekend involved another 2.5 hrs of weed whacking a meadow on an incline. I’m guessing just wearing the respirator mask (allergic to some of the stuff up there when its being mutilated, including poison ivy) in the sweltering heat likely got my heart rate up </p>
<p>I would like to report an ACTUAL workout, but frankly, after scraping and painting a very old rattan couch for three hours (mostly squatting) and then the riddiculous meadow project up the hill I ddnt feel lie doing anything but float around the pool.</p>
<p>Bromfield, congrats on your walk. Blisters are no fun. I have somehow acquired a weird rash on one of my feet - seems to be plant related in origin. I felt a stinging sensation in my foot while wearing slides and now have hives on my foot. Very painful. </p>
<p>Sounds like a busy weekend for home projects. Lots of cleaning, including scrubbing of tiles/grout yesterday. 4 mile trail run yesterday, 2 miles this morning. We are apparently on the waiting list from h*ll to get our new HVAC installed. The pollen and humidity are going to do me in. </p>
<p>One little lesson from all this (me and the sacral stress fracture)… Whatever injury one of us might get, it REALLY pays off to be in good shape going into it. I do not know how I would be able to live my life, get around the house and work on the crutches etc if I wasn’t in the condition I’m in. It is exhausting, but I feel good that I can live somewhat normally since I have the stamina to deal with the crutches (well, sort of). I know @Teriwtt has said the same thing about her recent surgery. The women who are struggling went into it with a lot of extra weight and not in good physical condition. </p>
<p>Run/walk for 4.27 miles this morning. I had low level pain in my left knee, so will keep an eye on that. I only run every other day in deference to my aging joints – I’m thinking/hoping this is nothing serious. As so often happens, I really didn’t feel like dragging myself to the gym, but when I finished I was glad I had. </p>
<p>My weekend also involved lots of cleaning, including tile and grout scrubbing. May I just go on record that this has got to be one of my all-time least favorite activities? But, the house is clean, and our dinner party was quite the success. (I use the term “our” loosely since H basically just showed up!)</p>
<p>I know this topic has probably been covered on this thread, but what’s the deal on maximum heart rate? Am I endangering myself in any way if I’m above it when I run? </p>
<p>^^^^ Glad to have so far not have to agree with this from experience, but I think you are probably very correct. Yes, injury and/or illness can affect anyone - in shape or not - but being in shape hopefully puts you at an advantage in terms of the coping and managing aspects.</p>
<p>Another week started MOWC and some more crutches days to cross off the calendar. You need to get someone to yarn bomb those crutches. </p>
<p>CBBBlinker- the max heart rate formulas/estimates are usually woefully inaccurate. No- if you are “above” the supposed max, then it is not at all YOUR max! The only real way to find out your max is to do a max stress test or a simulated one with either bike intervals or 800 meter repeats on a track. I’m sure you probably aren’t interested in doing either! The point at which you are bent over with hands on knees panting like a dog (to borrow from iDad) is getting close to your possible max. I’ve had mine tested a couple of times over the years and have approached it at the end of 5Ks, so I know it hasn’t decreased that much. Max HR is NOT a sign of fitness- it varies quite a bit between individuals. It is a nice number to know, though, so you can more accurately set up your heart rate zones for training and recovery. My daughter’s max is way higher than mine so our zones are not even similar.<br>
Resting heart rate is a sign of fitness. You aren’t doing any harm by going over the “suggested” max.</p>
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