Blog

Lots of action today…

A few “little” things on my mind today (while I should be working!):

• Success at the pool!

  
  This morning I got up and walked and walked and walked to the Lower East Side to Hamilton Fish Rec Center to try another outdoor city pool. The pool is nearly two miles from our apartment, which under normal circumstances wouldn’t be bad, but it not convenient to any trains and would likely take just as long (or longer) to get there on the train or bus as it would just hoofing it. (And there’s no way I’m taking a taxi!)

  Anyway, the pool is pretty great! First, it’s Olympic size. I’ve never swam laps in a 50 meter pool. It was awesome! Second, it’s outdoors. And third, even though there were a lot of swimmers there this morning (probably 5 or 6 in my lane), there are a lot of lanes and it was easy to find one that was my pace. The lockers are about mailbox size and there’s no real locker room, so that’s a bit of a problem, but I can manage those issues. The one crazy thing about the pool is that it’s only about three feet deep! With all the swimmers plus the shallow depth, a strange “current” is created that battered me around a little and created small “waves”. It was a fun challenge and reminded me a little of open water swimming.

• Facet Joint Injection:
  I went straight from the pool to the doctor’s office for my injection. Facet joint injections are a little more complicated than normal cortisone shots. The doctor has to use a fluoroscope, which is something like an x-ray machine to watch inside your body and see exactly where the needle is going and to watch how the cortisone disperses in your body. As it turned out, the video monitor for the fluoroscope was in my line of vision so I could watch as well. It was sweet. I could see my spine and joints and watch things move a little as I breathed. I could see his hand and the needle approaching my back and then could friggin’ see the needle go inside me! That helped take my mind off the discomfort I felt from having a large needle inside my back!

  I guess I’ll know in a few days whether the cortisone is helping. He told me to take the weekend off from training and then go see my PT again next week. I’ll work on some core strengthening and my IT band.

• 10,000 Steps:
  I complain a lot about my job. Probably too much. But I have to give them credit for something. Starting July 1, we are part of this program called “10,000 Steps-a-Day”. Obviously, it’s a fitness thing, trying to encourage people to get out and be on their feet a little more each day. They have given out basic pedometers to anyone interested in participating and you log-in and update your step total from each day on a special website.
  
  I average about 14,400 steps per day – something like four or five miles. It has become natural for me to put the pedometer on my waist. I don’t wear it when I’m running, but I estimate my steps based on time and include that in my total. I don’t need any prodding to get out and walk around, but it’s been interesting and fun for me to track my steps. I can definitely see how tracking steps could become a “game” or a challenge for people. In talking with some people around the office, it’s also clear that people are making an offer to get out and walk more. That’s definitely a good thing for some of them!

Swim – August 1
Distance: 1,300 yards
Time: 26 minutes