Hello, dear reader. It's been a while.
As I mentioned briefly on New Year's Eve, I re-tore the ACL in my right knee December 28th during sparring class. This is the knee that started all this business almost exactly 2 years ago.
I ducked under an opponents punch way too deep, with my right leg forward, and tried to explode upwards with a back fist while most of my body mass was still moving from right-to-left. I made it about 3/4ths of the way up, then my right knee bent sideways and I went down.
Last Monday, January 11th, I had an ACL revision done on the knee. The procedure is much the same as ACL reconstruction, except with a lot more prep work and bigger hardware. The prior ACL is removed and loose tissue cleaned up, and the old fixative screws are taken out. (I have my old screws as a token now.)
As with the prior 2 reconstructions, I opted for a femoral nerve block with a spinal block so I could observe the procedure. Good news is that the meniscus continues to be well anchored, with no signs of damage save for a tiny floater they caught doing laps in the saline on camera.
Again, like in December 2008, the spinal wore off a bit prematurely and I had major cramps in my lower back due to the position I was in on the table. Also, I began to feel the pins and needles in my right leg as the spinal wore off, and the tourniquet was removed. Yes, I could have opted for some sedation or pain killer, but I weighed the cost of $100 a pop against my short term discomfort--we have new insurance that would have me paying more out-of-pocket now--and I decided to save a buck or two.
Because the bone tunnel necessarily has to be enlarged, the replacement tendon and hardware are also larger. The original upper fixative screw was installed into the end of the femur 'from below,' essentially within the knee joint. This time, the screw was installed into the end of the femur from above, which meant my quads took a beating from being retracted while this somewhat gruesome business was conducted. I saw that bit from the arthroscope and realized that it's gonna sting like the dickens when the blocks wear off...
On a funny side note, Dr. K had some difficulty tightening this upper screw, losing his grip at one point and nearly knocking over some monitors and IV poles in the operating room! I suggested perhaps an impact wrench might not be a bad idea, but he replied that using motorized assistance tightening screws could result in over-torquing.
Once Dr. K was done and the other surgeons could take over closing things up, I reminded him of my request for a t-shirt from the clinic; I figure a guy is due something for his trouble after 3 operations! He not only made good on the promise, netting me a nice long sleeved Under Armor shirt with embroidered logo, he even put it in a gift bag with a birthday card and delivered it personally while I was in stage 1 recovery.
The card reads "Each year the wishes just get bigger and better!" with a note: That's 3 years in a row! Enough already! (Just kidding.)
So the first 36 hours post-op sucked as usual, peaking on Tuesday night when I had a major charlie horse in my thigh that felt like a dagger was stuck there! Fortunately a bit of Tylenol with Codeine took care of that and I could sleep peacefully. Since Wednesday I've taken nothing but Ibuprofen, a good thing and par for the course.
First PT session was Thursday. My prior PT clinic has closed its doors due to the recession, so I opted to do PT at the clinic where the surgery took place. There I met Ben, who will be my main PT this time around. I was encouraged by being able to toddle around the house with just a cane already, a very positive early milestone that the knee can bear weight well already.
Surprisingly my quads were firing quite well, and I could do straight leg lifts without too much difficulty. I even have a bit of hyper extension, already nearly equal to my good knee. Flexion is only at about 60 degrees while on my back, maybe 70-75 hanging over the edge with assistance from the good leg. The biggest stopper right now is the local knot of swelling to the outside of the quad, the result of insult to the tissue from installing the fixative screw.
Last night I was wide awake at 3am with a mild fever coming on. So on top of the typical post-operative pain, I had body aches as well, and lay awake for probably a good 2 hours trying to find a comfortable position. I should also mention, it's the first night back in my regular bed upstairs, and not on the totally comfy couch downstairs, so re-adjusting to sleeping on the mattress probably contributed to lower back cramps. Meh.
Well, tonight I'll be hanging out with Mrs. Shaft while G-Shaft goes to a schoolmate's birthday party for a few hours. We plan on tossing back a few Amaretto-Sour's while watching a movie and enjoying a new recipe for cold Thai peanut noodles.
More tomorrow, possibly pictures, and what the future holds for Paul "Hack Shaft" Pederson.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
3rd time: NOT a charm...
I'll be brief since we're heading out the door to a New Year's party (Happy New Year, by the way).
Monday at sparring I tried ducking under my partner's kick and coming up with a back fist from underneath.
At a guess, I was moving sideways too much, and tried coming up while the mass of my body was still shifting sideways.
The result: That too-familiar shifting sensation of a joint dislocating.
Tuesday was the MRI.
This morning's visit with Dr. K confirms that I re-tore the ACL in my right knee - the first knee that started this blog in 2007.
Surgery in 2 weeks. Sorry, everyone.
Monday at sparring I tried ducking under my partner's kick and coming up with a back fist from underneath.
At a guess, I was moving sideways too much, and tried coming up while the mass of my body was still shifting sideways.
The result: That too-familiar shifting sensation of a joint dislocating.
Tuesday was the MRI.
This morning's visit with Dr. K confirms that I re-tore the ACL in my right knee - the first knee that started this blog in 2007.
Surgery in 2 weeks. Sorry, everyone.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Best Foot Forward
My #2 ACL tear anniversary was on election night a few weeks ago. No big deal, but it is an opportunity to reflect.
My broken rib healed nicely, and I've been to sparring classes the past two weeks.
My first class back I made a real effort to pick one thing to concentrate on, besides returning to fighting with my right side forward. That one thing was getting my arm defenses up to snuff, and it really paid off! Rather than getting knocked out of matches with no points, I was at least pushing things to equilibrium--forcing the match to come to the final point to decide a winner.
My regular partner in class and sparring, John, said he really noticed the difference in my defensive abilities, and that I was getting back into the groove. He and I both liken sparring to dancing, and I was finally relaxing enough to just enjoy the dance and not worry about the steps!
This past Monday I began to re-think how I should be fighting.
I've been trying attacks that my body can't execute fast enough, so I really focused on defenses, reading my opponent, and scouring for counter-attack opportunities.
It paid back in spades when I bested one of the guys I consider a top adult fighter, one whom I've hardly had opportunity to score on since returning to sparring, and whose kicks I usually end up eating far too often.
At the end of class, I was again facing the same fighter--but this time with all eyes on us as we finished our match. I think the score was 3-2 in my favor, and the winner is first to 5 points. I watched carefully for a twitch, a sign of commitment to some move from my opponent. Then it came, in the form of a big roundhouse punch! Vigilance paid off as I leaned into a defensive side kick, catching my opponent in the side as the punch bounced scoreless off my shoulder.
I could hardly believe the referees called 2 points in my favor, ending the match 5-2!
That was a beautiful end to a fruitful night.
My broken rib healed nicely, and I've been to sparring classes the past two weeks.
My first class back I made a real effort to pick one thing to concentrate on, besides returning to fighting with my right side forward. That one thing was getting my arm defenses up to snuff, and it really paid off! Rather than getting knocked out of matches with no points, I was at least pushing things to equilibrium--forcing the match to come to the final point to decide a winner.
My regular partner in class and sparring, John, said he really noticed the difference in my defensive abilities, and that I was getting back into the groove. He and I both liken sparring to dancing, and I was finally relaxing enough to just enjoy the dance and not worry about the steps!
This past Monday I began to re-think how I should be fighting.
I've been trying attacks that my body can't execute fast enough, so I really focused on defenses, reading my opponent, and scouring for counter-attack opportunities.
It paid back in spades when I bested one of the guys I consider a top adult fighter, one whom I've hardly had opportunity to score on since returning to sparring, and whose kicks I usually end up eating far too often.
At the end of class, I was again facing the same fighter--but this time with all eyes on us as we finished our match. I think the score was 3-2 in my favor, and the winner is first to 5 points. I watched carefully for a twitch, a sign of commitment to some move from my opponent. Then it came, in the form of a big roundhouse punch! Vigilance paid off as I leaned into a defensive side kick, catching my opponent in the side as the punch bounced scoreless off my shoulder.
I could hardly believe the referees called 2 points in my favor, ending the match 5-2!
That was a beautiful end to a fruitful night.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
11 Months
I have a curse, and it occurs every 11 months.
From my first ACL tear in December, 2007, to the next in November, 2008 was 11 months.
From the second ACL tear to a broken rib this month, October, 2009, was 11 months.
I plan to take September of 2010 off from any Karate-related activity, just to be safe.
It's been a while since I blogged, so let me fill you in.
August was busy with a lot of camping, and a severe shortage of opportunities for me to go to core classes. I maintained my conditioning, but didn't really have the new open hand form memorized. It seemed life was pulling me every which way but where I wanted to go!
September was filled with weeks of getting back to the swing of things, most notably the annual 3 school cross-training sparring classes. Members from 3 of the local schools gather together every 2 weeks leading up to the Diamond Nationals, the largest martial arts tournament of its kind, to spend time sparring with other fighters we don't see on a regular basis. I learned tons and was looking forward to sparring in tournaments again this year.
October came, and so did the Diamonds. It's a 2-day event, and I signed up for sparring and weapons on both days. The first day, Friday, is principally an intramural event, the second day is an open event to competitors nationwide.
I cranked out a 1st place weapons form with my Bo, besting 5 other competitors in the 35+ men's group. Then it was on to sparring.
There were 5 of us in the advanced belts, significant in that our rank allowed us to score points with head contact whereas the lower under-black belts have to avoid it. 2 pairs of us were from the same school, so they mixed up our order to avoid fighters too familiar with each other.
Since it's single-elimination and not round-robin, I pulled a bye with 2 other guys. My main training partner John waltzed through the first match, then the other two guys with a bye had their fight. That put my first match for the weekend with John, which had me somewhat concerned as he's a fantastic fighter and one I was hoping not to face right out of the gate!
The first clash had me executing a double side kick. Due to weird timing and physics, my supporting leg just happened to be in the air as John advanced on me, resulting in getting knocked on my butt. Hard. On a hotel conference room floor, devoid of the padding we have available at the school.
I danced a bit to shake it off, and we proceeded with the match. John and I were both going at it hard, and I returned the favor knocking him on his butt a short while later with a nicely executed front kick.
The next clash had me holding him at bay, but he blitzed me with a perfectly timed back punch just as I was chambering for a side kick. Unfortunately I took it full force on my left side, just barely above the protection of my rib guard. I was fine for about a second, then the pain hit me like a 2 X 4! I took some time to recover and finished the match, but I knew something was up with my ribs.
The following morning, Urgent Care confirmed a broken 6th rib on my left side.
I wasn't able to compete Saturday, including my Bo form, so I spent time video taping everyone I could, and made John buy me lots of drinks at the finale that night!
While I'm waiting to heal, I still go to watch the Monday fights and chat up folks, all the time watching...watching...watching...
John and I have talked a lot about what it was that allowed him to slip inside my kicking range, and with input from a few other fighters I've decided to return to a right-side forward fighting stance.
My right side is my bread and butter. My right leg is much more facile, and my right hand faster than my left, and in point sparring speed counts more than power--so it makes sense to get the faster side back in front. That was confirmed by a lot of the video I recorded.
Plus, I have a slight vision impairment in my left eye that results in less peripheral vision, so I can't see someone's big back punch or round kick coming around!
It's been 2 weeks now, and 2-4 more to go, mostly depending on how I feel. I'll gauge my readiness to return based on whether I can do sit-ups or push-ups at all, let alone getting up to any significant quantity of either.
For those of you who spar, how do you determine the best side to put forward?
From my first ACL tear in December, 2007, to the next in November, 2008 was 11 months.
From the second ACL tear to a broken rib this month, October, 2009, was 11 months.
I plan to take September of 2010 off from any Karate-related activity, just to be safe.
It's been a while since I blogged, so let me fill you in.
August was busy with a lot of camping, and a severe shortage of opportunities for me to go to core classes. I maintained my conditioning, but didn't really have the new open hand form memorized. It seemed life was pulling me every which way but where I wanted to go!
September was filled with weeks of getting back to the swing of things, most notably the annual 3 school cross-training sparring classes. Members from 3 of the local schools gather together every 2 weeks leading up to the Diamond Nationals, the largest martial arts tournament of its kind, to spend time sparring with other fighters we don't see on a regular basis. I learned tons and was looking forward to sparring in tournaments again this year.
October came, and so did the Diamonds. It's a 2-day event, and I signed up for sparring and weapons on both days. The first day, Friday, is principally an intramural event, the second day is an open event to competitors nationwide.
I cranked out a 1st place weapons form with my Bo, besting 5 other competitors in the 35+ men's group. Then it was on to sparring.
There were 5 of us in the advanced belts, significant in that our rank allowed us to score points with head contact whereas the lower under-black belts have to avoid it. 2 pairs of us were from the same school, so they mixed up our order to avoid fighters too familiar with each other.
Since it's single-elimination and not round-robin, I pulled a bye with 2 other guys. My main training partner John waltzed through the first match, then the other two guys with a bye had their fight. That put my first match for the weekend with John, which had me somewhat concerned as he's a fantastic fighter and one I was hoping not to face right out of the gate!
The first clash had me executing a double side kick. Due to weird timing and physics, my supporting leg just happened to be in the air as John advanced on me, resulting in getting knocked on my butt. Hard. On a hotel conference room floor, devoid of the padding we have available at the school.
I danced a bit to shake it off, and we proceeded with the match. John and I were both going at it hard, and I returned the favor knocking him on his butt a short while later with a nicely executed front kick.
The next clash had me holding him at bay, but he blitzed me with a perfectly timed back punch just as I was chambering for a side kick. Unfortunately I took it full force on my left side, just barely above the protection of my rib guard. I was fine for about a second, then the pain hit me like a 2 X 4! I took some time to recover and finished the match, but I knew something was up with my ribs.
The following morning, Urgent Care confirmed a broken 6th rib on my left side.
I wasn't able to compete Saturday, including my Bo form, so I spent time video taping everyone I could, and made John buy me lots of drinks at the finale that night!
While I'm waiting to heal, I still go to watch the Monday fights and chat up folks, all the time watching...watching...watching...
John and I have talked a lot about what it was that allowed him to slip inside my kicking range, and with input from a few other fighters I've decided to return to a right-side forward fighting stance.
My right side is my bread and butter. My right leg is much more facile, and my right hand faster than my left, and in point sparring speed counts more than power--so it makes sense to get the faster side back in front. That was confirmed by a lot of the video I recorded.
Plus, I have a slight vision impairment in my left eye that results in less peripheral vision, so I can't see someone's big back punch or round kick coming around!
It's been 2 weeks now, and 2-4 more to go, mostly depending on how I feel. I'll gauge my readiness to return based on whether I can do sit-ups or push-ups at all, let alone getting up to any significant quantity of either.
For those of you who spar, how do you determine the best side to put forward?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Seeing Red
Whew, what a busy month July turned out to be!
I tested for my half-belt (or "stripe") at the end of May, the day after officially having all restrictions removed by my surgeon. It felt like the toughest test I'd done, but I was very proud of my performance and felt stronger than ever.
Throughout June and into July I suffered a string of weird minor injuries, all outside of Karate class.
I strained both quads sprinting way too hard during a routine Saturday morning run, was knocked out of commission for a week with a nasty virus, and two weeks ago I twisted my left ankle something fierce stepping into a pothole on a local walking path that was overgrown with grass.
Waking up with stiff joints and pain has become de rigeur in my morning routine until I've loosened up with a hot shower. I'm OK with it, though, since it's a predictable thing.
What I didn't predict was testing for Red belt just shy of 2 months after my last belt exam!
It went well, but with all my down time I was less conditioned than I cared to be. This was most noticeable when doing slow-count kicks. Remember those??? Well, for Red belt and above, you no longer do them holding a barre or against a wall to steady yourself.
You're in the middle of the room.
And you darn well feel it when the test is done!
I talked to my instructor about having such a short interval between belts after the test. The curriculum requires a progressively higher number of classes between belts as you move up through the ranks, but he feels I'm ready for advanced belt classes based on my progress since returning from injury. Wow, how cool is that?!?
Tomorrow night's class is canceled. My school's head examiner for black belts is personally conducting a special class for advanced belts, which is predicted to be well over an hour long--possibly closer to two hours. It's intended as a preview of black belt screenings, and I'm both nervous and excited to take part in it.
When I went to watch the Family That Fights Together during their final screening back in November, the Examiner spotted me coming into the lobby and took time out--right in the middle of the screening--to offer his condolences, emphasizing that "there is life after this."
You see, he's a 5th Degree black belt with reconstructed ACL's in both knees.
We're an immense distance apart in rank, but wear the same scars marking our initiation into a regrettably elite club.
I look forward to working out with him if for no other reason than to thank him for his encouragement and his faith in me.
I tested for my half-belt (or "stripe") at the end of May, the day after officially having all restrictions removed by my surgeon. It felt like the toughest test I'd done, but I was very proud of my performance and felt stronger than ever.
Throughout June and into July I suffered a string of weird minor injuries, all outside of Karate class.
I strained both quads sprinting way too hard during a routine Saturday morning run, was knocked out of commission for a week with a nasty virus, and two weeks ago I twisted my left ankle something fierce stepping into a pothole on a local walking path that was overgrown with grass.
Waking up with stiff joints and pain has become de rigeur in my morning routine until I've loosened up with a hot shower. I'm OK with it, though, since it's a predictable thing.
What I didn't predict was testing for Red belt just shy of 2 months after my last belt exam!
It went well, but with all my down time I was less conditioned than I cared to be. This was most noticeable when doing slow-count kicks. Remember those??? Well, for Red belt and above, you no longer do them holding a barre or against a wall to steady yourself.
You're in the middle of the room.
And you darn well feel it when the test is done!
I talked to my instructor about having such a short interval between belts after the test. The curriculum requires a progressively higher number of classes between belts as you move up through the ranks, but he feels I'm ready for advanced belt classes based on my progress since returning from injury. Wow, how cool is that?!?
Tomorrow night's class is canceled. My school's head examiner for black belts is personally conducting a special class for advanced belts, which is predicted to be well over an hour long--possibly closer to two hours. It's intended as a preview of black belt screenings, and I'm both nervous and excited to take part in it.
When I went to watch the Family That Fights Together during their final screening back in November, the Examiner spotted me coming into the lobby and took time out--right in the middle of the screening--to offer his condolences, emphasizing that "there is life after this."
You see, he's a 5th Degree black belt with reconstructed ACL's in both knees.
We're an immense distance apart in rank, but wear the same scars marking our initiation into a regrettably elite club.
I look forward to working out with him if for no other reason than to thank him for his encouragement and his faith in me.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
All together now
Before I ramble on in this post, I want to congratulate BobSpar and Black Belt Mama (now legit) on earning their black belts.
Way to go, guys, hope to join you soon!!!
The family and I went for a trip up North last weekend, and taking that time off from Karate and running Saturday paid off. The nasty burning sensation from straining my quads is pretty much gone now. Whew!
Monday night I was back in sparring, and my quads held up well; just a slight bit of stiffness while stretching gave any clue to having strained them.
My first few sparring classes back I was, to put things bluntly, full of piss and vinegar. No matter what I told myself about relaxing, I was getting way too aggressive for my own good!
Monday's class went incredibly well. We worked on some shadow drills, learning how to read others and anticipate their position while concentrating on footwork fundamentals. Then we ran a series of 1-point matches in groups, and I bested 4 people in a row, including one of our assistant instructors.
As my buddy Thunder John keeps reminding me, I just need time and patience to get back what I lost in sparring...but 4 in a row sure goes a long way towards boosting my confidence!!!
There were a few new things I was trying in sparring as well, namely new equipment.
The standard issue boots are just top padding, with straps under your toes and an elastic wrap to hold everything in place. Remember that bruise picture? I blame it somewhat on the boot design, which tended to trip me up a bit the way that I spar, often causing me to stub one toe or another.
I replaced them with fully enclosed Ringstar SuperMaxx sparring shoes and can't say enough good things about them so far. They keep my toes from folding funny, are lightweight, non-marking, and the soles have just the right amount of friction to mimic bare feet on our mats.
Now I know why 4/5ths of the class own a pair!
The other bit of equipment that was new is a rib guard. I had a full chest shield, but it tended to ride too high, exposing my midriff too much. This was evidenced when Thunder John caught me with a square back punch near the liver, which nearly floored me. That same punch on Monday night was much more comfortable to receive, so it was an investment well worth the money spent.
Tonight is the first core class I'll attend 9 days, so it should be interesting. I'm feeling much more put together now!
Way to go, guys, hope to join you soon!!!
The family and I went for a trip up North last weekend, and taking that time off from Karate and running Saturday paid off. The nasty burning sensation from straining my quads is pretty much gone now. Whew!
Monday night I was back in sparring, and my quads held up well; just a slight bit of stiffness while stretching gave any clue to having strained them.
My first few sparring classes back I was, to put things bluntly, full of piss and vinegar. No matter what I told myself about relaxing, I was getting way too aggressive for my own good!
Monday's class went incredibly well. We worked on some shadow drills, learning how to read others and anticipate their position while concentrating on footwork fundamentals. Then we ran a series of 1-point matches in groups, and I bested 4 people in a row, including one of our assistant instructors.
As my buddy Thunder John keeps reminding me, I just need time and patience to get back what I lost in sparring...but 4 in a row sure goes a long way towards boosting my confidence!!!
There were a few new things I was trying in sparring as well, namely new equipment.
The standard issue boots are just top padding, with straps under your toes and an elastic wrap to hold everything in place. Remember that bruise picture? I blame it somewhat on the boot design, which tended to trip me up a bit the way that I spar, often causing me to stub one toe or another.
I replaced them with fully enclosed Ringstar SuperMaxx sparring shoes and can't say enough good things about them so far. They keep my toes from folding funny, are lightweight, non-marking, and the soles have just the right amount of friction to mimic bare feet on our mats.
Now I know why 4/5ths of the class own a pair!
The other bit of equipment that was new is a rib guard. I had a full chest shield, but it tended to ride too high, exposing my midriff too much. This was evidenced when Thunder John caught me with a square back punch near the liver, which nearly floored me. That same punch on Monday night was much more comfortable to receive, so it was an investment well worth the money spent.
Tonight is the first core class I'll attend 9 days, so it should be interesting. I'm feeling much more put together now!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Feeling Torn
For the past 2 months or so, I've been running on Saturday mornings with 2 other people from my Karate school. At 7 am we head out for a perfect 4-mile loop, ending up at the coffee shop a block from the school. It's a great way to kick off Saturdays, and good incentive to get some out-of-the-classroom exercise.
The course is perfect, being flat crushed gravel for the first 2 miles, then rolling hills the last 2 miles. You get a nice warm-up while its flat, and just about the time you've caught your second wind you hit the hills.
2 weeks ago we ran the course backwards, hitting the hills first. Not withstanding the fact that I was still recovering from a nasty cold, it was a much tougher run, and all 3 of us needed to catch our breath at the halfway point. For the second half, we pretty much went from fast walking to occasional 50-yard sprints.
I hit one particular sprint pretty hard, and felt some funny muscle thing in my quads, like a group of muscle fiber I don't usually engage that way. Nothing painful, just new muscles being put to use. I was still sore after a week.
Friday while my daughter was sparring I decided to use the time to work on the Summer Goals program, which includes running our form 150 times outside of regular class between now and the end of August. I went through my Bo (staff) form and everything was fine until the last move, which involves a strike while going down on 1 knee.
I made it about 1/3 of the way to the floor when my right thigh lit up like it was on fire. Ouch!
G-Shaft commented from under her sparring helmet, "Knee problems?" I replied that it was my thighs, not my knees. For the remainder of the time, I simply avoided motions that aggravated my thighs.
Since that day, I researched the problem and concluded that I've got a level 1 quadricep strain. Since I have a week full of meetings keeping me away from Karate anyway, I'm resting and stretching, and will pick up a pair of compression wraps. Walking and gentle running don't hurt, I can bend my knees fully, but quad stretches are awfully tight at the moment.
Sudden explosive movement is what caused the problem, and what would aggravate it further; therefore I'll just run (gently) and attend core classes next week. No kickboxing aerobics, no sparring (except as a spectator.)
So to those of you who jog or run and are considering mixing in some sprints, take it easy! I went all-out, and my thighs are paying for that decision.
The course is perfect, being flat crushed gravel for the first 2 miles, then rolling hills the last 2 miles. You get a nice warm-up while its flat, and just about the time you've caught your second wind you hit the hills.
2 weeks ago we ran the course backwards, hitting the hills first. Not withstanding the fact that I was still recovering from a nasty cold, it was a much tougher run, and all 3 of us needed to catch our breath at the halfway point. For the second half, we pretty much went from fast walking to occasional 50-yard sprints.
I hit one particular sprint pretty hard, and felt some funny muscle thing in my quads, like a group of muscle fiber I don't usually engage that way. Nothing painful, just new muscles being put to use. I was still sore after a week.
Friday while my daughter was sparring I decided to use the time to work on the Summer Goals program, which includes running our form 150 times outside of regular class between now and the end of August. I went through my Bo (staff) form and everything was fine until the last move, which involves a strike while going down on 1 knee.
I made it about 1/3 of the way to the floor when my right thigh lit up like it was on fire. Ouch!
G-Shaft commented from under her sparring helmet, "Knee problems?" I replied that it was my thighs, not my knees. For the remainder of the time, I simply avoided motions that aggravated my thighs.
Since that day, I researched the problem and concluded that I've got a level 1 quadricep strain. Since I have a week full of meetings keeping me away from Karate anyway, I'm resting and stretching, and will pick up a pair of compression wraps. Walking and gentle running don't hurt, I can bend my knees fully, but quad stretches are awfully tight at the moment.
Sudden explosive movement is what caused the problem, and what would aggravate it further; therefore I'll just run (gently) and attend core classes next week. No kickboxing aerobics, no sparring (except as a spectator.)
So to those of you who jog or run and are considering mixing in some sprints, take it easy! I went all-out, and my thighs are paying for that decision.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
