d_p_pank’s BodyBlog

Yep. I really hate baseball fields without running water, bathrooms, warning tracks and batting cages. Why? I never get warmed up just right or stretched properly so when I had to tag up on a fly ball to score an insurance run last night my hammy shot some pain. The ice last night was OK. Now to see if stretching will help at all. I was really planning a heavy leg day today also.

I’ve been having a difficult time adjusting to the fact that I really need to have my ACL reconstructed again. I remember how much fun those first few months really were between therapy and taking my brace every where, and wearing it everywhere.

I did manage to get up this AM to do my legs. If I’m going to be knifed I will make sure my muscles are ready for the recovery part. I HATE crutches and I’d love to see fireworks somewhere on the 4th. Oh wait in the Pittsburgh area there is no need to wait they are always around.

Anyhow today was one of those days to lock in. I listened to a quick talk from the US Congressman who represents part of my town, just not my block. Thanks to the gerrymandering during the last drawing of districts they split my town down the middle to get that extra Republican district. Mr Republican Congressman just happens to sit on the ENERGY committee. I am so not looking forward to the $200/barrell of oil that is coming oh so soon (translates into $6/gallon for gasoline.)  At that point I really need to rethink the driving to work part.

Tonights game which was 55 miles from work and 35 miles from home all in opposite directions was rained out due to a quick thunderstorm. Luckily I did not make it the whole way out to the field. I did manage a little evening cardio with some extra free motion squats. My legs should feel great tomorrow.

Tomorrow is game 3 so I need to really lock in and support my team.

I did take some time this am to donate blood. That’s good. I did force myself to fit in at least 40 minutes of cardio tonight. That’s also good. I did resign myself to the fact that I’d need my knee scoped in the next few months to clean out the junk. That’s OK. I did not expect my MRI to show that my ACL that was rebuilt 10 years ago is also gone. Total  Downer. Now I need to think of getting my knee cleaned out as a two parter. Again Total Downer. Now to replan my workouts around the upcoming operation and forget about playing ball this summer.

Once upon a time I put a lock on my locker at my one gym to keep the teen/quick hands crowd out of my locker. I usually have a few toys in my locker at some point (phone, MP3, change of clothes, car keys), so a lock is a normally a must have. My one gym now is infiltrated by a group that’s called silver sneakers. I realized a new reason why I need a lock, several of the silver sneakers don’t remember what locker hey put their stuff in. Yes I do feel sorry for them, but maybe they should buy a lock that sticks out (think hot pink, peppermint striped, and glowing orange) to help remember what lock you are using.

One good thing about the silver sneaker crowd is I can always get a good free weight work out in when they infiltrate the gym at the early hours of the morning. Remind me when I retire to get up early only for 18 holes. I will reprogram my working body to stay up for whatever the late show will be then.

I did have a pretty good leg day. With the rain around this area, planning a team practice or even a makeup game has been impossible, but gym time has been somewhat consistent. That is very good since now I need to look at my calendar and pick a good time to get scoped. In order to keep from killing myself or any of the kids on my team I think its time to get the loose body out of my knee before I either pop something or unleash an inaccurate shot at one of the kids on my team. My luck the errant shot would knock somebody out. Time to take in a little more protein, I plan on donating blood in the morning before reviewing my MRI from last week with my Orthop.

I always set my minimum amount daily of 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes lifting. Sometimes they don’t happen at the same time but I learned that it’s much easier to break it down in two smaller pieces than in one large chunk. Some days the 30 minutes with the iron serve as a mid-day pick me up at lunch. The next trick is getting the daily cardio up to an hour a day for the next few weeks, so I can handle the running and jumping while playing ball this year.