Happy Monday, gang! Was it windy today or what? I nearly got blown over walking across our parking lot this afternoon. It's easy to complain when we're all craving some great spring weather, but just think about the folks in Fargo. What a mess. Flooding is bad enough, but blizzards and 50 mile per hour winds on top of it ... I can't imagine.
On my mind this week - the way my body seems to be disintegrating. I've always had bad knees, but last week I really did something to mess up my left one. By Wednesday I couldn't stand to put weight on my left foot so I was gimping around and wearing sweats and tennis shoes to work. I broke down and went to the doctor on Thursday. He told me what I already know - that I have tons of loose "gravel-like" cartilage in both knees. Then he told me what I didn't want to hear - I have to modify my workout routine. He informed me that I should never be doing weighted lunges, and that when I do lunges and squats I should never go down to ninety degrees. As a fitness instructor, this is really hard for me to bear. Yes, it's true that if there was no music playing during a class you'd be able to hear my knees crunching from across the room, but COME ON! Anyway - as one of my favorite people likes to say, "It's hell to get old." If you have any suggestions for leg exercises other than lunges and squats, I'd love them.
This weekend Michael and I made a whirlwind trip to Minneapolis. We left Friday night around midnight and came home yesterday afternoon. It was fun. We've made a pact to do little road trips once a month just so we can see each other. That's how insane our schedules have gotten. I know we'll go to Omaha and Kansas City, and likely Chicago if I take a day off work or work a dayshift ... do you have any ideas for in-state weekend getaways?
Finally a word about volunteering. I recently started tutoring again, and the program I'm part of could use more grownups who want to help kids with their reading skills. If you're willing to give 40 minutes out of your week, you can make a huge difference in a kid's life. Check out www.everybodywinsiowa.org. If you can't squeeze more into your work week, I have a simple way for you to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Iowa. Sonya is doing Team in Training this year and you can donate at this site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ia/rnr09/sheitshusen
That's all for now ... have a great week!
EEK
Posts
7 comments:
My husband graduated from Luther College in Decorah-it's gorgeous up there! I bet you could find a cute bed-n-breakfast and find some beautiful trails. Ask for the trail to Pulpit Rock, it's a wonderful view of the entire valley area.
There is a great bed and breakfast in Newton called Aerie Glenn...gorgeous and fun! We love going there for anniversaries, etc....ENJOY!
I'm going to look into Everybody Wins! I love to read and would enjoy passing that love on!
Thanks for the suggestions - these are great! Evie, thanks for getting involved. I think you'll love the program! EEK
Hi Erin - I 'feel' your knee pain! What I do is practice water aerobics a couple of times a week, and swim some additional laps. In addition, I do tummy crunches on the big ball, and a pilates exercise that I do on the floor on my side. It's great for my legs: on my side, with my head resting on my hand/elbow, I do 10 - 15 leg lifts without touching my other leg. The key is to keep your toes pointed straight out, as if your foot was carrying a glass of wine - then, without a break, do the same number of small circles, both forward and back, and then repeat the leg lifts. Do the same on the other side - you'll be able to tell when you're got your feet in the right position, trust me! I really enjoy your blog - thank you. Otisb924@aol.com, or Jane B.
I grew up in Mt. Vernon and it is a really funky little town - Antique stores, some really cool boutiques (The Silver Spider is my favorite) and a restaurant, The Lincoln Cafe, that has gotten attention from the New York Times and O Magazine. Go early if it's Saturday night or you can wait in the wine bar down the street that is owned by the chef. And Iowa City, which has it's own vibe, is only 30 minutes away.
Thanks, Jane! I'm going to try your moves, and I've been meaning to get in the pool for years - this is just the excuse I need.
Betsy, Mt. Vernon sounds lovely. We enjoy visiting antique shops so we'll check it out!
Post a Comment