Slow Start

   Sorry I haven't written in awhile. As some of you may know, back in January I strained my right fibula and right latissimus. So of course 2 of my favorite activities, running and pull ups, were out of the question. It was so infuriating. I had hoped to compete in my first marathon, which was also the first marathon here on the Treasure Coast. I think it was also a qualifier for Boston. As for pull ups, I was up to 14 reps. I know if I had kept it up by this time I'd be at minimum 16 , possibly at the big 2-0.

    Oh well, no point in crying about it. I know it sounds cheesy but what separates the champs from the chumps is getting back into the grind as soon as you can. Which I have. I also stayed active during this time. Unless you're totally out of the game , such as being on crutches, laid up in bed,etc., it's important to substitute with as much as you can, safely of course. In my case I was able to do most strength training exercises , although overhead presses were limited. Basically I would do kettle bell circuits in the mornings and power lifting exercises at night. With the kettle bell I could do swings and even lunges ( very carefully of course ) in different planes of motion, usually from 45:00 -1:00 +. I did this to simulate aerobic activity although I must say it was too low intense for major results . I also added as time went on, and my fibula and lats  healed, step ups ( without added weight ) and push ups ( only shoulder width ).


    As for "maximal strength" basically I've been doing squats or dead lifts 4 nights a week . I've used a 5 x 5 routine . 5 sets x 5 reps. Obviously the weight has had to decrease, at least in the beginning. 2 nights I did variations of these lifts like straight leg dead lifts or front squats. What's good about these lifts is they are also a good intro to the explosive Olympic lifts.

   In the last few weeks I progressed to the point of  full extension of the ankles such as in the snatch and clean and jerk. I also was able to hop over the kettle bell with alternating feet, do low rep jumps, and eventually  jumping rope  for a few minutes .  Jumping rope was really important not only as a step forward ( no pun intended ) but also my first real intensive exercise done for time, my first somewhat aerobic activity . As for pull ups, I tested how I felt by hanging from my pull up bar. I made sure not to hyper extend my arms at the bottom position.


    As for the rehab side of the equation, I started off with traditional Chinese bone setting to fix my fibula, then little by little added mobility exercises , foam rolled trigger points, ice of course, practiced my Tai Chi Chuan/Chi Kung to realign my structure as well as for overall health, and took natural supplements like Omega 3 to lower inflammation .


    Well, this past Monday, April 14, after about 50:00 of circuits I "ran" my first mile in more than 2 months, running it at about 10:00. I won't lie, it was tough . As for pull ups I did 2. Throughout this week I've run a mile a day after my circuits. A few days I would  do 1 pull up as part of my circuits or 2 - 3 later in the day. Friday I ran 2 miles, and Saturday I ran 5 miles.Afterwards I did 5 pull ups. I may have been able to squeeze 1 more in but I wanted to be careful.

   Essentially I've focused on my form, avoiding the "do or die" attitude. While I'm not happy about 10:00+ miles or a measly 5 pull ups I think in order to make progress towards 6:00 miles or 20+ pull ups, these steps are necessary ( Boston 2015, Ninja Warrior 2016!). Keep following my progress folks.

  Extra special thanks to Charlie Chen, Dr. Aihan Kuhn, Ari Globerman, and Bob Haviland for the extra help, advice, their knowledge, and motivation these people have given me over the years