The Coronacation Diaries, Episode 6

In Search of a Fresh Start 

On December 1, 2019, I broke my ankle. I was on day 1.064 of a #runstreak, having put in 2,365 miles over almost 3 years. But I was also dreadfully overweight and out of shape, even with all of the running, and I knew that I needed to build muscle and flexibility. I was trying to branch out and learn new skills, and unfortunately they broke me before I mastered them. Fast-forward to now, 3 1/2 months later. I've put on another 15 lbs, and lost what fitness I had. It's time to press reset, and gain back the fitness I've lost (and lose some of the weight I've gained).

I had started to tone up and gain strength over the last 6 weeks by swimming everyday, but then the closings began. With the Y closed and no access to physical therapy, I'm on my own with this thing. So, here goes. It's time for a fresh start. What better time to change it up and take control, then during a pandemic when we've lost control of pretty much everything else in our lives? I've got 3 weeks (or more, god forbid) to start new habits and work on a new me. 3 weeks, 3 challenges. Bring it on.

Challenge #1: Regain the ability to walk without limping, wincing, or generally whinging.

Challenge #2: Regain the ability to do chaturanga without flopping on the ground like a fish.

Challenge #3: Regain an abdominal muscle and find a core somewhere under the muffin top.

I started this week by vowing to walk at least two miles each day. This should be a no-brainer, a time to escape the dishes and the never-ending mountain of laundry, and get outside into the fresh air. Plus, I can walk the dog and get some sunshine. Win/Win! 

I also started rebuilding a yoga practice this week. I found a free yoga series on Amazon Prime, "30 Days of Yoga to a New You." The instructor is ridiculously perky with abs that don't quit, but she breaks down each pose with each muscle that needs to be engaged, and she is easy to follow for beginners and returners. Plus, each video is only about 22 minutes long. Totally doable. 

And finally, I decided to revisit my favorite workout video: "6 week 6-pack" with Jillian Michaels. This video is HARD, but the routine repeats 15 minutes in, it's low-impact, and it definitely builds core strength. I've done this video series off and on for years, and always appreciate how HARD it is, but also how doable it is and how the results are almost immediate. Stronger core, here I come!

By the end of these 3 weeks, I want to be able to comfortably walk around the lake (4.5 miles) every morning, be able to do a full sun salutation A and B, and complete a 30 minute core workout video. It's like a New Year's Resolution, but with fewer fireworks and champagne, and more social distancing.

Today was the end of week 1. This was how it went today.

I started with the yoga. I'm on Day 3 of the 30 days video, having repeated a couple of the days to build strength, and taking a day off because of the god-awful shin splints (more on that later). Today, we spent an ungodly amount of time in chair pose. But I've got quads, so I can do this. Plus, the stretch in the ankle mirrors the PT stretches I'm supposed to be doing, so I can check that off the PT list for the day! All went well until I had to chaturanga again. Yeah, not so much. Still flopping like a fish. And then moving into downward facing dog? Let's just say that I climb to my feet more like a toddler than like a graceful pup. But I finished day 3, and completed a very awkward Warrior 1.

Things took a turn for the worst during burpee time in the core workout video. I can march, I can squat, I can even crunch. But burpee? I literally cannot. By the end of the first sequence (15 min in), I had to barrel roll to try to transition from long-lever crunches back to standing. It wasn't pretty. It took about 15 seconds. That's okay, though, because it got me out of 15 seconds of caterpillar planks, a move that sounds much prettier than it looks. I'm not sure I actually pulled off any of the actual moves. But I did move for 15 minutes, so I'm gonna call that a win.

And then it was time to walk. I wanted to conquer the lake and I enlisted Michael to journey with me. (He was game, because he was actively avoiding going for a run.) Walking this week has been tough; I gave myself terrible shin splints by trying to do all the physical therapy exercises at home, and every step has been painful. But, I've been stretching and icing and elevating and doing all of the recovery things, and it was time to tackle the long walk. The sky was MEH and the temperature was BRRR, and my fastest pace is S L O W, but I bundled up my bloated potato body like the kid from A Christmas Story and we tackled the long walk. For the first mile, the pain in my foot was so severe, that I had to concentrate on every muscle and every step to make sure that I wasn't limping. And then I realized that I was short of breath because I was holding my breath. But still, we walked, and we chatted about the history of the area and the architecture of the houses and the absurdities of the current situation.

At 2 miles in, the sun came out. At 3 miles in, the pain was generally gone. (At 4 miles in, I really had to pee.) But we made it. All the way around the lake. It took forever, and my ankle is now the size of a grapefruit, but we made it. And along the way, we saw some signs that spring might eventually get here. Soon, there will be turtles sunning themselves in the marshes, and the cobra chickens will be chasing us off the road, and there will be leaves on the trees and it will be safe to go back to work and gather in crowds and march in parades and do sun salutations and someday, eventually, it will be safe to run.