Bootcamp Day 5
After camp and tennis yesterday, by 9pm I was nodding off on the couch. The 2nd time my head hit JT’s shoulder, he told me to just go to bed. I was out cold by 10pm, and still when that alarm went off this morning I did not want to get up… but it’s a commitment I chose, so I dragged ass up.
Today we were divided up into 2 groups to rotate out doing jump-rope drills and doing abs, glute, tricep work. I still can’t do a real full situp without someone holding my feet. It’s not so much from muscle soreness, as there just doesn’t seem to be any muscles in my abs to use to pull me up. I reach down inside to try to sit up, and I get nothing.
Note: You don’t know how uncoordinated you can be until you attempt to jog and jump rope at the same time. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only klutz, and they let us just jog and carry the rope. Still, jogged my ass off today, pushing to keep going and not walk at all.
We ended up doing cool-down stretches in this big circle area of the park that is by some kind of little lake — I don’t really know the park that well, and going in the dark every morning isn’t really helping, but it sure was pretty to see the sun coming up behind the trees and over the water.
Tomorrow: I have one of my two included classes at AtlantaKick. Kickboxing at 9am! Woo hoo! I can sleep late!
Edit 11am: By the time I finished my morning routine and went up to shower at 8, I could barely walk. Shivering cold and so tired. TGIF, since no appointments today, I just crashed back into bed for 3 more hours sleep. I can only assume this is as close to physical exhaustion as I’ve ever been. Not fun, but damnit… I’m hydrated, I’m eating… and keeping up the routine is the only way to build physical endurance.
Edit 8pm: I decided to reschedule my class for Wednesday morning instead of tomorrow morning. I’ve been emailing with my group leader today, and she thinks I ought to take this first weekend to recover a bit, and I certainly agree with her. Now I’ve got homework to do both days instead, but she said that would be easier on me than the kickboxing, which is “pretty fast paced.” I like that these people are available for you to talk to.
Several of you have developed some major soreness over the last few days — these were not unexpected. Most common are shin pains, muscle tightness, minor groin pulls, and ankle troubles. Stretch any areas that are tight. A few of you may have experienced some minor injuries. See the RICE article below. Let us know if you need help or advice.
***If you would like, do your homework assignments out of order to rest the injured part(s) as much as possible.
**Treatment of Minor Injuries**
Treatment and recovery methods for minor injuries are easily remembered with the help of the acronym R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.) These treatment methods are most effective when used within a few hours of the injury, but may offer benefits for up to 48 hours.
REST — Stop or reduce the activities/techniques that aggravate your injury. Rest can often mean the difference between an injury that heals right away and one that nags you for weeks. But don’t use a minor injury as an excuse to quit training altogether. Let the instructor know about your injury before class so you can work around it if possible.
ICE — Ice reduces swelling and deadens pain by constricting blood flow into the injured area. Ice major muscles (ie. Quads, hamstrings) for 20 minutes (any longer can do more harm than good) three or four times a day for as long as you feel pain. Ice joints for 10 minutes. The larger muscles need time for penetration beyond dermis, fat, then to muscle.
It’s not true that ice is useless after the first day. You can apply ice with a pack, a dampened frozen ACE bandage, a plastic bag full of cubes, or a package of frozen vegetables. Just don’t allow uncovered ice to rest directly on your skin. After about 72 hours, “heat” in the form of hot baths, heat packs or hot towels can promote healing. Do not put heat on anything that is swollen… even after 72 hours.
COMPRESSION — Putting pressure on an injured area helps to keep the swelling down. Wrap an ACE Bandage around the injury, or buy a special knee, elbow, or wrist wrap or brace. Wrap tightly enough so you feel some tension but not so firmly that you cut off your circulation or feel numbness.
ELEVATION — Elevating your injured body part reduces swelling by allowing fluids and waste products to drain from the area, much like water runs downstream. If your ankle is injured, you don’t need to raise it so high that it’s perpendicular to the ground. Propping it up on a few pillows will do. Try to raise the injured part well above your heart – a 30-degree angle or so. Elevation works best when used with the rest of the R.I.C.E treatment.
In addition to the above methods, use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti inflammatories such as Aleve or Advil – *NOT Tylenol*) can increase comfort, decrease swelling, and actually speed healing in a huge way. Aleve is our favorite because its effects last 8 or more hours — highly recommended. Take with food if these types of medications irritate your stomach.
**Am I eating the correct amount?**
Eating — This is about the time where it would be very easy to cheat on the eating plan, or stop writing in your logbook. If you spend all day thinking about food, you are probably not eating enough. If you are hungry 20 minutes after you eat, you are probably not eating enough. If you don’t feel a little hungry some of the time, you are probably eating too much. If needed, adjust your food intake so that you aren’t completely miserable. Don’t adjust your eating times; adjust your portions. Try your best to get in 6 small meals a day.
“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever!” – Lance Armstrong
Have a great day!
The Boot Camp Staff
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