As the Year Comes to an End...

At the time of my last blog I was on a bit of a yoga high.  For those of you not following all along, I had a shoulder injury that I was going to physical therapy for, that was painful and sucked all of the joy out of yoga.  My injury was a huge setback in upper body strength because I put off physical therapy and muscles started to compensate for others.  After recovering, I was just getting back into yoga after a long hiatus. I am happy to report that soon after my blog I did a substantial and proper crow pose and held it for a respectable amount of time.  Three times, actually.  It is a long-time goal of mine to be able to do real push-ups and real chatarungas one day, one which I have never been able to achieve because upper body strength has always been a challenge for me. 

Right around the same time Izzy started to get interested in boxing again, and we decided to shop for a new gym.  I always love to check out the very best and most expensive, just to see what is out there and we were able to get a trial day at Reebok Sports Club/NY, which is $217 a month per person for a no commitment membership.  We loved it, but the location and price weren't practical, plus I really don't need 6 floors of gym and supposed celebrity clientele.

I researched gyms in our neighborhood and we fell in love with Quick Fitness in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (right by McCarren Park/Williamsburg).  There is a boxing room for Izzy, and they have the same virtual reality Expresso exercise bikes that I got to try at Reebok.  They also have a Jacobs Ladder, a rope pull, a rock climbing wall, steam rooms, and EcoMill self-powered treadmills.  All of this for $85 a month with no commitment.  Izzy is actually excited now to go to the gym, worth every single penny!

I also reported a knee injury in my last blog.  Long story short, after two doctor visits and an MRI, I have a classic case of Patella Femoral Syndrome.  Could be age-related or a sports injury, and women are more prone to this injury because we have hips which more easily cause bio mechanical issues.  In a nutshell, my knee cap is a little out of whack and I need to strengthen the surrounding leg muscles to keep it in place.  Turns out riding a bicycle is great for strengthening quads, which is perfect because I've been doing lots of that lately!  I've also started to sit against the wall for 2 minutes at a time and the Hip Abductor Cybex machine.   A new prescription is helping to reduce inflammation better than the high dose prescription Aleve that I was previously on.

More great news!  The doctor gave me the go ahead to run, so I ran on the treadmill today for the first time in forever.  Half marathon training has officially begun!  I ran a little over 3 miles at a comfortable pace, and it felt good.  I am confident that I will be in good shape for the NYC Half in March.  And I plan to incorporate more cross training this time.

So just 2 more days til the end of the year.  Will try to get another blog in before that.  Izzy and I have not drank for 6 weeks (we have a $500 bet!) and I have been juicing with my new Breville juicer since I got back from Pennsylvania for Christmas.  And me and Izzy received many fitness-related presents this year, I am sure I will blog about our favorites.