Month: November 2024

Rest, rest, rest

I spent most of today, Friday, resting. Naps, rest, Navy football (big win at East Carolina: down 3-0 at the half..won 34-20. Navy managed to limit ECU to a mere field goal despite several trips into Navy’s red zone, though Navy came up empty with 2 trips inside ECU’s 10 in the first half. Second half: all Navy, save a couple of garbage time drives.

Workout: pull ups: 8 sets of 5. Bench: 5 x 134, 5 x 145, 5 x 150, 5 x 150 (hard), high incline: 10 x 85. Then a 2 mile walk at 14:5x a mile, closer to my normal pace.

That was enough for today; we’ll see how the knee does tonight. I think that I know what to do with the aches.

Money and Thanksgiving

This was our Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, I give money to the food bank and, I’ll say that many (most?) who used what I donated (indirectly) probably had a fancier meal than we did, and mind you, due to our age and my being employed, we probably have more money that we’ve ever had in our lives.

This was COVID #2 Thanksgiving, due to my getting it (faint positive test on Monday, then 3 negative tests, but I am still pretty weak, need to nap frequently, sleeping a lot, etc.

No, it was NOTHING like the last time..at all.

First signs of trouble: unusual aches, lots of mouth sores, fatigue, burning nose and eyes. This time it was “cold+ allergies plus”.

Walk: 2 days ago: 1 mile, 19:14 pace
yesterday: 2 miles, 18:38 pace (plus 6 sets of 5 pull ups)

Today: 2 miles, 17:46 pace

I am still easily fatigued. Some knee ache last night; it is excessive laying down that brings it on.

COVID Part II

I felt bad on Monday. Workout still went ok; 5 k of commuter walking (2 walks) and weights; included 2 sets of 10 pull ups, 6 sets of 5, 2 penalty reps and then:
bench: 10 x 134, 7 x 150, 6 x 150, 6 x 150, high incline: 10 x 85, 10 x 90, 10 x 90, curls: 3 sets of 10.
Tested: faint positive line on Monday noon.

felt bad, weak. Laid around most of the day, taught remotely.
Tuesday: negative test, still felt bad. One 19 minute walk (1 mile)

Wednesday: 6 sets of 5 pull ups (ok..no endurance), 2 mile walk in 38 minutes (2.07; Moss course) Felt very weak.

Knee: mild pain at night; mostly notice it when I have to use the bathroom. It does not last as long and no longer wakes me up. Cold sores: getting better; wonder if COVID brought them on.

Note: negative tests yesterday and today and late Monday night. The positive test had a very faint line. My guess is that my booster worked.

Fever blisters!

The high dose of naproxen I took is causing me fever blisters. So, I’ll get off of it, I think. We will see how tonight goes.
No walking today, though I did back PT and deadlifts:
10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 234, 10 x 254 (4 inch)
6 x 300 6 inch (had more in me)

Knee pain last night: it was there, but short lived.

Football

Harry and I attended the North Dakota at Illinois St. game. It ended 35-13 Redbirds, though it was only 14-10 at the half. North Dakota had no answer for ISU’s running and the Redbirds dominated the second half.

It was senior day.

Here is what I posted about the day’s games:

The game I saw: Illinois State went to 9-3 with a 35-13 win over a reeling North Dakota team. It was 14-10 at the half but the Redbirds took control in the 3’rd. It was cold. ISU is a lock to make the playoffs but probably won’t host a playoff game due to scheduling conflicts for the home stadium.

Note: ISU has had an interesting season. 9-3 is a great season, but ALL of the losses have been blowouts: 40-0 to Iowa (no shame for an FCS team), 42-10 to no. 1 North Dakota State (I was at this one) and 41-7 to Missouri State (that one I do not understand). I expect the Birds to win their first playoff game and then falter.

Illinois: beat Rutgers 38-31 in a very improbable win. The Illini trailed 24-15 in the 4’th but then rallied to lead 30-24 with 3 minutes left. They promptly gave up a touchdown drive to trail 31-30 with 1 minute to go. Then the Illini drove to the Rutgers 40 with 14 seconds left. On 4’th and 14 they tried a 57 yard field goat that missed…BUT Rutgers had called time out to “ice” the kicker! So they went for it on 4’th and 14 and tried a medium pass to get in range for a closer field goal. The receiver caught the ball, split the defenders and scored a touchdown! A 2 pointer failed, but on the kickoff, Rutgers tried lots of laterals, the last one went out of the end zone for a game ending safety.

So the Illini are 8-3. But let’s just say that 3 of the wins were very improbable (OT vs Nebraska, Purdue), this one, plus last quarter win vs Kansas and are perhaps the most fraudulent 8 win team in the country. We’ll probably get matched vs an angry SEC team in the Citrus bowl and get annihilated. We are really a Music City bowl caliber team.

Of course, Illinois has its game against a Northwestern team that got crushed by a mediocre Michigan team. I don’t think the Wildcats can win..but that is exactly when upsets happen.

Notre Dame: crushed Army 49-14; Army got a last second TD vs the ND reserves. This game was a mismatch from the opening kickoff. Army has had great season (by group of 5 standards) but will probably get boat-raced by Tulane in the AAC championship game. ND just needs to beat an average USC team to make the playoffs. But I’ve seen average USC teams upset the Irish before. I think the Irish are focused and will win, but that is why you play the game. USC is coming off of a close win vs UCLA.

Texas: no problems with Kentucky and now heads to Texas A&M. I sure with I could be at that game.

Nothing sets me off in a rage as much as the Aggie War Hymn.

Still there

Last night: more knee pain, though it did not last nearly as long as in the recent past. I noticed it when I got up for the bathroom. The knee brace helped but I’ll have to cut back further on the walking.

So, I am looking at swimming (in a way that does not torch my lumbar) and indoor cycling options, though I’ll try to keep 1-2 mile walking (with knee brace) too.

If this doesn’t clear up in a month, I’ll probably seek medical attention. This is different than the last time, I think.

Yesterday: 4 mile slow walk at 17:30. Sigh.

I think I found it

Knee pain: last night…and I had 4 miles of walking at 14:24 minutes per mile without a brace. I think it is the hard straightening of my left knee that stresses it so.

Tomorrow: easier pace, bent knee walking with a brace, and I need to be disciplined on that for at least a month.

Today, as I type this..feeling ok but the night will be the big test.

Workout notes usual PT; pull ups were just plain hard. One set of 4 singles, 9 sets of 5.

bench press: 10 x 134, 4 sets of 4 x 154 These were hard also.
high incline: 10 x 84, 10 x 90, 10 x 90

curls: 15, 10, 10

Later: a slow commuter walk. Right now: sluggish, achy.

Too much yesterday

Yesterday I did my hilly course 5 miler at a decent clip (14:33); last night the knee aches were strong. I sure wish the ache came on while I was going.

So, today: I used a knee brace for the lifting and did a slow (16 min/mile) commuter walk (5k) Here is what I did…poking fun at my Army veteran friend.

of note: I finally got 6 reps with 134 on my incline press.