Saturday, December 6, 2014

Meniscus Surgery

Thursday I had my third and hopefully last knee surgery.

Trying to wake up in recovery

It all began in February of this year, when I started having knee problems. After visits to the high school trainerchiropractor and my PT, I was sent to see an orthopedic.

X-rays showed the remnants of my old knee injuries, screws, staples, and some arthritis, but it wasn't enough to explain the painful clicking and clacking that I was experiencing.


Eventually a MRI confirmed that I had a longitudinal tear in my meniscus. Since then I have been getting cortisone shots every couple of months and running/working out relatively knee pain free.


Sadly, the instability and weakness in the left knee caused me to have a lot of other problems: in my calf and some tendinitis in my TFL. All three of the doctors felt that the torn meniscus was the root of my other injuries and the only solution was to get in there and clean it up.

My surgery was over in about 45 minutes. Dr. O performed a partial meniscectomy, chondroplasty of the femoral trochlea, and removed loose bodies. Sounds bad, but compared to my previous ACL surgeries it feels very minor.


I have been restricted to some simple leg exercises:

quadriceps contractions
straight leg raises
ankle pumps
heel slides

Starting on Monday and for the next few weeks, I will be rehabbing with Dr. Bri to get my full range of motion and strength back.

Have you had an injury that required surgery?
How did it go?




Friday, December 5, 2014

Flock Workout

With the arrival of winter at Thanksgiving, I've had to take my workouts inside.

The Oiselle Pros are doing the same and recently shared some of their favorite workouts. I don't have all the fitness equipment that they do, so I made some modifications to create my own no-equipment needed Flock Workout.


This workout combines exercises that focus on the abs and legs, but it doesn't leave out the cardio.

Tadas: Otherwise known as "plank with twist" or "plank and rotate." Dynamic planks are reported to be more effective and mimic the natural movements of our core during running.


Jumps: Squeezed in between the core work, the three jump exercises seriously get the heart rate up. By the time I got to the jump overs, I was very winded.

Spiderman Planks: Planking while being out of breath is much harder, but I like that challenge.


My warmup and cool down was a brisk 5 minute walk on the treadmill. In the near future (hopefully), I will run.

This workout is good for anytime of year, but it's especially good to use during the #HolidaySweat challenge!

Fitful Focus

It's time for another #FitnFashionable share! One thing I love about fitness gear is when it is easy to transition from exercise to everyday function. For this workout I chose Oiselle flyte shorts and a stripey scoop neck with the flyte shimmel racerback underneath. After a workout I can throw on a pair of jeans or casual pants and I'm ready to relax or run errands with some #flystyle.




Do you wear your fitness gear outside of your workouts?

 This post is also part of the #FitnessFriday link up hosted by Jill.



Wednesday, December 3, 2014

On-the-Go Egg Muffins

I'm all about making things simple.

The time in the morning before I go to work goes by the fastest. I like to try to enjoy a full cup of coffee while watching the morning news before I leave. No matter how early I get up, it never seems like I have enough time to do everything I want or need without feeling rushed.

I've made packing lunches easier by preparing on the weekends. You can see some of my favorite recipes here and here. mrC helps with breakfast by making smoothies when he is home, but lately I've been wanting something warmer. Hmmm, wonder why?


On-the-Go Egg Muffins

6 eggs beaten
shredded cheese
shredded ham
shredded spinach

Preheat oven 350 degrees
Grease muffin pan

Fill with ham, spinach & cheese
Pour egg mixture

Salt & Pepper to taste

Place center rack 20-25 minutes (to light brown)
Let cool before removing from muffin pan


So good. So easy to grab a couple and heat them up for a quick breakfast before I leave. I can even toss a couple in a baggie and heat them up at school if I want. In fact, they make a pretty good lunch option that way too.


Sometimes I don't always eat right after a run/workout because I don't feel like making something. On-the-go egg muffins also make an excellent post-run or workout snack because they're packed with protein which is good for muscle recovery. In my recipe spinach is good too because it helps muscle growth.


What do(would) you like to put in your egg muffins?



This post is part of the #WIAW link up hosted by Jen





Sunday, November 30, 2014

Fitness Center Workout: Body Blast Interval

I love pinning workouts on Pinterest, but what I love even more is when I actually use them! While waiting for the power outage to end here in New Hampshire, I took advantage of the hotel fitness centers and my Pinterest page.

Yesterday I created my own morning workout with a mix of strength and cardio. I am a big fan of HIIT workouts because even though they make me breathe harder, they burn more fat calories.


My RPE was level 5 on the stationary bike and I tried to keep the RPMs in the 70s. Not an easy task. Each round on the bike got harder and harder. My legs were basically jello.

Each circuit got harder after the first because I was out of breath from the bike. At times I didn't think I could even move my arms let alone my whole body. Those are the moments that leave you smiling after the workout, right?


You can find the Body Blast workout that I pinned from Pop Sugar here.

Fitful Focus

Today's #FitnFashionable look is all Oiselle. The Off the Grid Knickers were perfect for this fitness center workout in front of a wall of windows. Plus the side zipper pocket kept my room key safely tucked out of sight. I'm a big fan of racer backs and the Winona Tank doesn't disappoint. It's form fitting but without revealing the insecure spots (my gut!)




Do you like to create your own workouts?
Any fitness clothing you are loving right now?





Saturday, November 29, 2014

Saturday Sweat: Turkey Burn

My highlight of the day yesterday was going to the morning #SurfnTurf class for the annual Turkey Burn Workout at TI Fitness. I would have loved to do the Bootcamp class AND the 5K Run, but the whole no-running thing squelched that option.


I watched about 15 people leave after the Bootcamp class ended and then noticed that I was the only one remaining. I guess the other people who signed up for class were no-shows (not cool). So I basically had a private session with the owners.

We did a new move on the board during Surf called reverse table and added some leg lifts. I could feel my whole core working on that one.

The focus for Turf today was arm strength. We did 4 stations with dumbbell exercises and weighted transitions in between. I struggle with arm exercises and love being pushed out of my comfort zone in class. We also took a "break" from the stations for a little HIIT with the jump ropes and kettle bells plus some pushups added for a kicker.

My body felt like lead and my heart was pumping hard. Turf is seriously challenging for me!

I always look forward to seeing how many calories I burn during these 25 minutes Surf and 25 minutes Turf classes, but this class was shocking. I think it's my PB for Surf classes.




Have you ever shown up for a class and you are the only one in it?






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