Muscle Loss and Age

[Batya33]

Do you think you forgot to close the door because having your friend there distracted you from your routine? I find I’m a creature of habit so if someone joins me in an exercise activity etc it really throws me off. I’m glad she enjoyed her time and I was feeling stressed when you said she was late for her first lesson - well almost- and her lack of knowledge as to how to approach the horse. Still it sounds like a really positive experience.

[Jibralta]

I was definitely distracted by her being there, but I'm also wayyy out of practice. I haven't tacked and untacked a horse in more than five years. But I probably wouldn't have left the door open if she hadn't been there. It was a positive experience though. I love to share things that I love with people. And even better when they turn out to love them, too. I just have to hammer safety into her.

[Batya33]

I was definitely distracted by her being there, but I'm also wayyy out of practice. I haven't tacked and untacked a horse in more than five years. But I probably wouldn't have left the door open if she hadn't been there. It was a positive experience though. I love to share things that I love with people. And even better when they turn out to love them, too. I just have to hammer safety into her.

 

Yes - I'm so glad you shared it with her!

[Jibralta]

They had us row 3000 meters tonight in Crossfit and now I am WIRED. Just wired. I didn't take any preworkout speed or anything. I should have been asleep, or close to it, 4 hours ago. I have to get up at 5:45 tomorrow. This should be interesting.

[Jibralta]

I've gone horseback riding four times since I started back at my old place. I would have preferred to be up to lesson 6 or 7 by now, but there have been some gaps due to vacation and... insomnia!

 

When I came in for my 3rd lesson some weeks ago, my instructor, Sara, said nonchalantly, "Oh, you're on the new thoroughbred, 'Van.' He's a good boy."

 

My mind dwelled a little on the "he's a good boy" statement. Sara never tries to sell a horse. She just expects you to deal with it. I thought, well sometimes people tend to be a little fearful of thoroughbreds.... but Sara was my teacher for 7 or 8 years and she knows that I like them. And, she'd just put me on a thoroughbred for my 2nd lesson....

 

So, the "he's a good boy" statement stood out to me. But I brushed it aside and got on with it.

 

For the most part, the lesson went fine. One thing that did stand out was that Van was remarkably stiff on one side. When going in the clockwise direction, his butt was swung way out towards the center of the ring and his face was sort of pointing at the rail. It felt like we were moving diagonally. It was weird, but not the end of the world.

 

Towards the end of the lesson, a few things happened that I thought were strange. Later, I realized these were all part of Sara's master plan. LOL.

 

The first thing was that Sara had us all line up and canter around the ring one by one. This surprised me because it's sort of a beginner exercise. Yes, I am in the process of re-learning, but we were definitely all cantering around the ring together during my first and second lessons.

 

The second unusual thing was that the teacher skipped my last turn on the left track. This resulted in me going first when we started cantering in the other direction. Sara doesn't usually make oversights like this, and in retrospect I don't think it actually was an oversight.

 

It was during the second unusual thing that sh*t started to hit the fan. We barely had time to line up on the right track when my horse started backing up, dancing to the side. I was sure this behavior was unrelated to anything I was doing. There was some other influence that I couldn't perceive.

 

Then my teacher says, "He's going to be a little difficult on this side because he's an ex racehorse, and they only ran him on the left track."

 

A-ha!

 

That made sense to me. It explained the stiffness I'd noticed earlier, and the nervous prancing that I was experiencing now. I think it also explained why he kept pinning his ears back when I asked him to canter--probably something he did while racing among a group of horses.

 

This new knowledge didn't get me out of the situation, though. That was accomplished with a prayer, fingers crossed.... and baby talk!

 

All in all, it was a successful ride. As I drove home, my thoughts returned to Sara's "he's a good boy" statement. I laughed to myself, realizing why she had said that. She knew what I was in for! And she had a teensy little drop of guilt about it. She has done that to me before, and it's part of what makes her a good teacher.

 

Today was my 4th lesson, three weeks later. I was supposed to ride Van again, but he was favoring a leg. So they gave me this little white mare. I think it was one of the barn girls' horses. The mare was peppy and fun to ride, but not well trained (despite the girl's assertions that she was..I think this is what happens when only one person rides a horse). It was still fun, though.

 

Next week, I plan to go back to Crossfit. I haven't gone for two weeks. One week off due to vacation, last week off because damnit I'm stressed out by work. But next week, for sure.

 

Did you know I can lift 85lbs up over my head repeatedly? It's crazy.

[Jibralta]

I haven't posted in here for a while. Let's see....

 

On 9/11 they had us do 911 burpees. That's nine hundred and eleven. Fortunately, this number was split evenly among the people in the class. Unfortunately, only five people showed up for class. Even more unfortunately, I showed up for class. Burpees kill me. I did what I could, and when I fatigued, I switched to incline push ups. These were actually IMPOSSIBLE to do immediately after all of those burpees. But eventually, my arms calmed down and I was able to do a bunch of rounds. But then my arms gave out again, and I switched to squats.

 

When I left, my arms felt swollen to twice their size. They felt like that for days after. Even the next week, I could feel the effect that workout had on my arms. It wasn't painful. But when I stretched my arms, my arm muscles felt tired. It was sort of like when you work out a muscle group and you're on the edge of fatiguing the muscle. So, I took a break from Crossfit until tonight. The workout tonight was much more reasonable, but I do get out of breath fast these days. I wonder why....

 

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that I can't do Crossfit on Thursday or Friday if I plan to horseback ride on Saturday. My leg muscles aren't recovering on time and I have to stop and rest during my riding lesson. So, my plan is now to do Crossfit on Sunday, Monday, and/or Tuesday. There's a chance that horseback riding could cook my legs for Sunday, but I'd rather be fatigued doing Crossfit than fatigued while horseback riding.

 

Last Saturday, I rode Van again and had no issue cantering. Sara set up cross rails for us, which did not make me terribly happy. I really didn't want to rush right into jumping. Fortunately (for me), Van turned out to be a bit of a dud when it comes to jumping. He goes over, but there's not a whole lot of pep in his step. I guess this did not please Sara, because when I got to my lesson this past Saturday, I had a different horse, Summer. I've ridden her before, and she's good. I never jumped with her, though.

 

Well.

 

Summer is one of those horses that launches herself over jumps like a rocket. The whole lesson, she's trudging around like a slug. Then Sara sets up the cross rails and suddenly I could barely hold the horse back. This horse thought she was jumping an oxer. At one point, I almost fell off and spent a few strides WILLING myself back into the saddle. Each time we went over, the horse got stronger and stronger. And to tell the truth, I sort of liked it. But my teacher was yelling at me. And she was right, but man I'm out of practice, out of shape, and I still don't quite have the strength yet.

 

I cancelled my next two lessons. This coming Saturday, I have a lot to do, and next Saturday, I'll be away. But I also need to take a break from all that jumping. I sort of want crappy fall weather to set in so that we can stay indoors and practice flatwork.

 

I dream of a time when I can exercise regularly, not just in fits and starts.

[Batya33]

You will work towards that!!

 

I really do not understand why 9/11 would be used as a way to measure 911 of anything. I mean sure if it was a happy day it might be fun/funny to use the whole number -like someone's birthday or the anniversary of the opening of Crossfit. To me anyway the number that matters is the number who perished (and yes I can see maybe the symbolism of marking each one with a positive energy kind of activity) and the actual date with the hyphen is of course a date to commemorate and reflect on in any way that makes sense. I am making a big deal but it bothers me that a company would use the number in that way. I'm glad you got a good workout though with only 5 people showing up and I am not making any comments on your choice to participate -it's a number you were told to do, you did it in the best way you could, impressive!!

[Jibralta]

Each Crossfit gym develops its own program. I don't know if other Crossfit gyms commemorated 911. This area is one of the most heavily impacted by 911. Even 17 years after the fact, I am sometimes startled by levity and humor related to 911. Due to my proximity to the event, and the immediate impact it had on me and my life, I don't know if I will ever really be able to appreciate those things. However, this Crossfit workout didn't phase me in that way. Maybe because everyone around here was similarly impacted.

[Batya33]

I understand. Same here. Less than two weeks after I was at a comedy event to benefit 9 11 first responders and survivors. The comedian made a really tasteless joke about people stuck in the rubble. It was a small venue but I got up and walked out. He saw me do that. And I called the place later to express my concerns. But I was the only one who left (well maybe others were offended but stayed). I truly was baffled as to why anyone would find his joke funny.

[Jibralta]

Crossfit has made me ravenous. My regular diet no longer keeps me full. I finish my day's worth of food by lunchtime, and then I have to get more food! So, this week I'm adding a meal to my diet.

 

I've shifted the Crossfit workouts to the beginning of the week so that my legs aren't cooked for horseback riding. I've also (finally) started going in the early morning instead of after work.

 

As for horseback riding, yesterday I saw my first major improvement since I started again. I finally got a horse on the bit. I'd actually forgotten the sensation, but recognized it once I had it. Also, I approached the horse with finesse rather than force. It was so much more effective. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a horse and I were working as a team. It was great. Slowly but surely, these things are coming back to me.

[Batya33]

This is great -I love your description of the horse back riding -so much harmony in it! Are you going to add a specific kind of meal/foods or just what you are in the mood for?

[Jibralta]

Thanks. It is a harmonious experience.

 

My new meal will be planned. Currently, it's one of those Power Bowls from the freezer section.

[Batya33]

Thanks. It is a harmonious experience.

 

My new meal will be planned. Currently, it's one of those Power Bowls from the freezer section.

 

I buy a brand of those sometimes - and very easy!

[Jibralta]

I've been doing pretty good with my AM regiment. This week, I plan to go three consecutive days. If all goes well, I will continue with this setup. It will leave Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday clear for recovery, and my legs will be fresh on Saturdays for horseback riding. As I get stronger, I will experiment with moving my workout later in the week to challenge my legs more.

 

The power bowls have been working out nicely. I didn't realize until today, but they've completely eliminated my intense post-workout need for sugar. I was getting this craving even a day or two after weightlifting. The power bowls contain 38g of carbs, which is apparently very satisfying to my body! Also gone is the intense NEED to eat that would suddenly hit me in the middle of the day: I didn't even feel hungry; I would suddenly just fixate on food and nothing else until I ate. Like a zombie.

 

Today, the workout was mainly clean and jerks. I really love when we concentrate on lifting. I am almost ready to start increasing weight. I have the strength, but I am concerned about my stability. I am somewhat double jointed in my shoulders. My right shoulder, which has a history of dislocating, occasionally rotates backwards when I hold a heavy barbell overhead. This tends to happen more with the snatches, not the jerks (why do they name these things like this??). I haven't gotten hurt yet, but the potential is definitely there. So, I need to be patient and increase very slowly until the muscle memory is solid.

 

Today, I topped off at 75lbs. I know I can do more than that, but how much more is a mystery. I can strict press 85lbs overhead repeatedly for a long time. But that's not the same as moving the weight in a clean and jerk. The momentum changes things. So, I'll play in the 75lb playground until I am more certain of my stability.

 

Most of the women in my class start their clean and jerk series at 75lbs. Then they increase to 95-100lbs throughout the workout. Today, one of the women threw more than 125lbs over her head. You wouldn't know she could do that by looking at her. She's muscular, but quite slender. But she did it, and she did it well.

 

I have to remind myself that it's not a competition! ...Or at least that it's a marathon, not a sprint!

[Jibralta]

I've been out of commission almost all month. I fell on my shoulder. I don't know how I managed to land right smack on top of it, but MAN that hurt. Now I know why football players wear those huge shoulder pads.

 

Anyway, my shoulder is finally better. I still have some residual pain, but I think it's just from disuse. I hired a trainer and had an intense arms and shoulder workout on Saturday (I'm trying to focus on a regiment to improve push ups and accomplish pull ups). I was a little worried about my shoulder, but it's ok. Then I went to Crossfit this morning and exercised my arms and shoulders some more. My arms aren't as sore as I thought they would be, but I have limited mobility!! I think they're actually swollen. Interesting.

[Batya33]

I am so sorry you fell and for your injury and glad you are on the mend!!

[mines]

Ugh, injuries are the worst. As a fellow athlete I totally understand - I hate being out of commission. Sounds like you handled it well - and I'm happy that you're back on track now! Good luck and thanks for your interesting thread!

[Jibralta]

Thanks, Batya and Mines.

 

I woke up early for Crossfit today, and the first thing I thought of was my shoulder, which hurt. I didn't feel this pain yesterday evening. It seems to have bloomed overnight.

 

It's not terrible pain, but my immediate thought was, "Don't go to Crossfit." I have the trainer on Thursday and I will work my shoulder then. If I work it today, I will be overdoing it.

 

I've been up for about 15 minutes, and the pain has mostly faded. But it's not totally gone, and there is a little stiffness.

 

I think I'm going to go back to bed.

[Batya33]

Any chance you've been sleeping in a different position because of the injury, and then it gets worse?

 

I hope you improve and from all you have written here I know you will know when you're ready. Not a lazy bone in your body ......

[Jibralta]

Any chance you've been sleeping in a different position because of the injury, and then it gets worse?

 

I hope you improve and from all you have written here I know you will know when you're ready.

 

Thanks.

 

I wasn't able to sleep on that side for over two weeks. Last night and the night before were the the first times that I could spend more than a few moments on it. So yeah, that could have been part of it. Plus, I think being able to sleep on just one side messes with my body alignment in general. I like to spend a little time sleeping on each side, and on my back. I could feel tension building up from spending all of that time on one side. Actually, I started to have a back ache today, which I haven't had in years. I think it's a combination of my sleep positioning and the recent exercise. I jumped right in after a few weeks of inactivity and my muscles have tightened up. Everything's all discombobulated. It seems that I'm no longer a spring chicken :(

 

Not a lazy bone in your body ......

 

I just don't talk about when I'm lazy ;) hehe

[Batya33]

I hate to say it -I am 52- but I wonder if we just don't heal as quickly anymore...

[SomedaySoon]

Aging is an awful thing in some respects, but I will say I think the wisdom and perspective that comes with the aging process is more valuable than the liberty of youth which incidentally is a bit of a mirage in my book.

[mines]

I'm a lot older than you (55) and it's true we don't heal as fast as we get older. I really think it doesn't start to change until 35 or so, if we are in good shape to begin with.

 

Being an athlete since high school, and having worked out daily/consistently, I think my healing time is pretty good for my age, but, definitely slower.

 

Batya made a good point about sleeping position esp since you're dealing with a shoulder injury. I see a massage therapist occasionally and she advises I should sleep on my back - while I'm a chronic side sleeper. She says side sleeping isn't good because of the poor alignment.

 

Returning after an injury is always difficult. Certain (non-injured) body parts are ready to go, but rebuilding is necessary. At times there is also a fear of re-injury, which is difficult to deal with. Rebuilding is not always easy for the impatient athlete.

 

I continue to wish you good healing....please post on your progress!

[Jibralta]

I hate to say it -I am 52- but I wonder if we just don't heal as quickly anymore...

 

I think it’s actually a proven fact that we heal slower as we age.

[Jibralta]

Aging is an awful thing in some respects, but I will say I think the wisdom and perspective that comes with the aging process is more valuable than the liberty of youth which incidentally is a bit of a mirage in my book.

 

I agree!!!!