Sunday: bike 25 miles (100 minutes) and 30 minutes stretch

dropped from about 8 F to -5 F so stayed inside and tried out some of those exercises in the pilates videos i shared with molly:

http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=429770#Post429770

should do more of that sort of thing more often in a more concerted way vs just random stretching when i get up from my work chair, though random stretching good too.

pilates exercises, 30 minutes

Oy vey, I just got home from exercise class. One hour. Step aerobics, strengthening bands, lunges, abs, stretching.

This is the one I use to attend everyday before I got so sick. The teacher screamed and then ran over and hugged me when she saw me. Yes its been THAT long, 2 years, since I've done the class.

I stuck with it the whole time, coming off the step when I needed to, altering some of the moves so I don't twist a knee or hip. For abs I went out into the foyer (its at the church) and did my stomach crunches on the couch. My knees are too swollen to get down on the floor. For push ups I did them against the wall with my hands in fists, knuckles against the wall because my wrists are fused. Didn't grab a band, just did isometric holds. I was kind of a freak show if anyone was watching me, but I decided I didn't care. One lady said, "Are ya doing alright?? How long since you've been here??" She just thought I was out of shape, no idea I have AS. Oh well. The people closest to me know, and that is good with me.

This is the most physical exercise my body has seen since.....since.....I can remember. When I finished, everything (except wrists) felt loose and I remembered that exercise fights inflammation. Now I'm feeling like I'm stiffening up a bit all over, hopefully I didn't do a bad thing and throw myself into a flare.

Thanks for listening guys. Happy exercising.

-Donette

p.s. Erika, still thinking about you and your family.

Sunday - 5:30 am I walked on the tread mill as I read my sermon; fell asleep from my own thoughts,....suffered a large cherry from sleeping on the tread as it turned.... climbed the stairs to get my morning coffee.... scooped snow for 1/2 hour in my drive.
Drove to the church where I threw myself into the snow and made Lonnie angels..... no I ah err, shoveled snow for another 30 minutes. sat in snow as I read my sermon - a hot topic...
practiced my sermon gestures in a mirror. giving myself some high fives, pointed and practice my glare to make suspects, members look guilty...
I am getting a lot more leg pain, but I get my injections in 2 weeks...

you guys are all doing great!

Erica,
When most of the family has gone, and reality of never being able to hold you lovely daughter again, sets in deeper and deeper, I encourage you to remember that all of life is a gift. She was a wonderful precious gift from God that made you better and stronger. God knows the ache in your heart, I think he would have you comforted with the reminder that she is now in the presence of complete LOVE.
Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Ps 119:32 I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.

When my heart is overwhelmed, and I seem to be in the desert place, I often learn the most important lessons.

Brotherly Love
Lon

sounds like quite the workout! good for you!

and the nice thing about each passing year is that i think we are less self conscious than the year before, so we just do what we have to do and don't worry so much what we look like to others.

some of those modifications remind me of when i took yoga class, always modified the positions so my knuckles were on the floor rather than palms, tendonitis not fused wrists though.

and other things i modified, like when the class was doing headstands, i did shoulder stands, or when they were doing the bridge, i did shoulder stands, or when they were doing backwards bending exercises, i was doing shoulder stands.......LOL, yeh, you can probably see a pattern here!

hope the exercise only does you good and you don't flare because of it, maybe an extra hot bath or shower, extra time with ice packs or the heating pad on low, maybe?

huggs

lon,

love reading your stuff! you are such a great story teller, hope some of the story telling makes it into your sermons! i'm sure it does!

Lon - can just picture it all...what a delightful giggle, you sitting in the snow practicing yuor sermon, then using the mirror to practice driving terror into suspicious persons in the congregation! Wunnerful.

Not too much shovelling snow now - take care you. OK?

So, that's what Rev. Hoffmeister was doing when I was young at the Presbyterian Church. He was using mind tricks on me. And, I thought he just liked looking at me.

Hi Team,

Today I swam about 600 yds and then played in the pool with one of my grandsons and my 5 great-nieces&nephews.

It really makes me happy that you're all still posting and working out. I am reading and I'm sure someday soon I'll feel more like cheering.