I Am So Lucky

I am so lucky. My ankle is healing quickly. Certain movements still make it twinge, but it's holding up well. I've been testing it. Coming back from an injury always makes me nervous. With the run, it was the first few steps that worried me. Once I'd run a little, I relaxed and really enjoyed it.

On Monday I decided to try hiking. We did a short, easy hike that was new to us. Family hikes are one of my absolute favorite things. We had so much fun. The kids have been finding new places to practice TKD, and the wide trail and a gigantic boulder were perfect. The Artist practiced Do San on the big rock, and the Bean practiced her bo staff pattern with a long stick.

It was a nice, easy hike. The weather was perfect. It was two miles out and back. My ankle held up until we were on our way down. It didn't give out, but it ached. I had to go slow and focus on stepping lightly. It hurt for a little while after we were done, but it didn't swell any more and felt better after about an hour. I was worried it would hurt the next morning, but it was fine.

Did I mention how lucky I am?

Yesterday, I didn't feel great, so I rested. My legs were a little sore from the hike, but it was not too bad. I didn't miss many workouts, but on the days when I couldn't walk at all, I was convinced that I was losing strength. The mind is always the biggest obstacle.

This morning, Moon Dog and I went for our usual walk. I also got in a strength workout. It was unnerving. I haven't lifted anything heavy since I hurt myself. I dropped the weight down a little bit, and I did a shorter workout. The first rep was terrifying. After my ankle held, I had an awesome workout.

Thursday's Workout

Squats  135#  6 reps x 2
Push-ups level 3  15 reps x 2
Won Hyo x 4

Plie squats  135#  6 reps  x 2
Push-ups level 2  15 reps x 2
Won Hyo x 4  (*felt a twinge in my ankle and decided to shorten my workout)

Dead lifts  115#  5 reps x 2
Modified one-arm push-ups level 1  8 reps/side x 2
Chon Gi, Dan Gun, Do San, & Won Hyo  x 2


I've set a new goal. It's simple but will also take consistent effort to achieve it. Perfect for my super busy life. The big, final goal is to be able to do a full one-armed push-up on the floor (both sides). I am breaking this into smaller goals. The first is to be able to do a full rep on level one*. I plan to achieve this by doing daily reps (as far down as I can go). After I achieve that, I will move on to level 2, level 3, and finally the floor.

*When I worked with a trainer, she had me do push-ups on various levels using the bar that holds up the back of the bench. My bench at home has three levels. Level one is the highest setting - the easiest one to do push-ups on. Level three is almost floor level. It's still one of my absolute favorite exercises. My favorite thing to do is max. reps at each level 1, 2, 3, 2, 1. Nothing feels the way my arms do after that.

This workout was one of the last tests for my ankle. I'm feeling a lot more confident. TKD will be the last test, but I think it will be okay. I'm going to be really careful about any twisting motions, but it should be fine. I'm so excited to get back to regular training. I need that daily dose of endorphins. I'm ready to get my strength back.