Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Amping it up

I hurt my back last Monday, lifting weights.  Initially it seemed like a normal stiffness, then it seemed as though my back was in a vice-like grip!  I could not even bend my knees.  Thanks to massages, endless applications of Bengay and the use of those heating pads, it passed.  It also meant that I did no stairs in a week.  Yesterday was the first time back on the stairwell, and it was tough!
I only did 800 stairs and limped back completely out of breath, and exhausted.  Tonight I went back, and did the full 1400 that I had built up to, and guess what....yes, they rocked!  I cannot believe I am saying this about stairs, but I actually enjoyed it.  I felt in control of them and my breathing, and it was only on the last set (the final 200) that I need to stop a few times for 15 seconds to recover.


The plan is to work up to 1600 next week, and do that for 2 weeks, and then wind down a bit in the final week.  I can't believe it's almost time...... I still have some preparation to be getting on with.  Friday I will start a jump rope class at MIT.  Thirty minutes every Friday - that should help with building some dexterity and agility.  In addition to that, I will also swim twice a week.  Since swimming is a bigger challenge for me right now, it will reframe the ESB event, and allow me to be more competitive on the day precisely because the event is 20 feet in the sky, rather than in 20 feet of water.  Not sure if I explained that one very clearly, but you know what I mean!



7 comments:

  1. Take care and keep it going! You are awesome with those stairs...respect! Good luck with the jump rope and swimming!

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  2. credo d'aver capito che preferiresti fare tutto tranne nuotare.... :D mani in alto, ma non ti arrendere!

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  3. 1400 stairs?! Whew. Makes me exhausted just thinking about it. Way to go.

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  4. @ Greenie: Thanks, I learned a good lesson there....

    @ Johann: Yes, I think the stairs are going to be in my future this year. I will use them for the 2 Oceans half as well.

    @ Yogi: Hai capito tutto! Ma a volte bisogna farsi una violenza, altrimenti si va da punti parte.

    @ JK: It's less challenging than it sounds.....you should give it a go!

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  5. Love that picture of yours!

    Really impressive how you're beating those stairs!

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  6. Eppure il nuoto aiuta molto.....
    Ma non avete da quelle parti delle stazioni termali per rilassare il corpo dopo tutto quell'esercizio?

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