At Project Walk on Monday, here is Nick doing work to strengthen his lower back. Unable to raise up by himself, another trainer braced Nick to give him enough support to effectively carry out the exercise. After a few reps he was spent. Such a great exercise for his body.
Nick’s first session with Eric since his return to Project Walk. Sept 21, 2012
I love seeing Nick drenched with sweat after a killer workout at Project Walk. This was their final exercise of the two hour session. Eric tried everything to get Nick’s obliques, and finally found something that worked.
Eric held down Nick legs, and leading with a weighted arm Nick pulled his upper body to the opposite knee. The crunch was small because his lower back doesn’t bend very well, but they finally achieved the resistance. Nick’s going to be sore tomorrow buddy.
I’ve been sick for three days now. Boo hoo! I can’t help but feel like a total wuss when I complain about my “pain” to Nick (and you know I’m complaining!) or when I just need to lay down after making an exhausting pilgrimage to the kitchen for more water.
To top it off, while I’m laying around sniffling this afternoon, Nick’s in the other room on the treadmill completely shattering his personal-best of 1/4 mile by walking a 1/2 mile straight!
We got hooked up with a killer deal on a gently used treadmill from our friend Eric and now Nick is able to “go for a walk” any time of day and successfully measure and track his progress. It’s been an excellent motivator for him, especially since it’s so convenient!
Then later, as I was complaining about still feeling lightheaded and just wanting to stay inside, Nick packed up and went to the pool for a few hours. He said it was a wonderful opportunity to practice mindfulness and soak in the beautiful day. He swam a little, peacefully floated some more, and socialized the most. Nicks buddy Lars was there with his parents and they got a chance to get to know each other. Nick really does make friends everywhere he goes, and by the sound of it, they’re like that too. Damn, I wish I could have been there.
Nick goes back to therapy at Project Walk in three short days. It feels like summer break is ending and school is back in session… well, kind of. The only difference is we’re actually excited to get back in the routine and get the momentum going again. Let the countdown begin!
The Dude is super sore after a mini-triathlon at the gym today.
15 minutes on the bike.
10 minutes walking on the treadmill.
30 minutes swimming laps with his new legs and mini-fins.
Of course he couldn’t do them in traditional order, that would be too difficult – and too normal.
The bike was a breeze. At the 10 minute mark, he decided to go for an extra 5, because, well, he totally forgot he was doing a triathlon and needed to pace himself.
By minute 6 on the treadmill he was certain he wouldn’t make it to 10. A friendly passerby even asked if he was okay and needed help. He dug deep and pushed hard to get through the last few minutes.
He then got into the pool by himself and swam for 30 minutes with the mini-fins. Guess who could barely move after that?
He’s training hard, just trying to get himself to a place of walking freely without crutches. He’s doing the work, as tough as it is, because that’s the only way he’ll get his life back.
If you’ve been slacking off or being lazy, get your butt outside, or to the gym, or in your garage and move your body. Break a sweat, fatigue your muscles, elevate your heart rate!
You’ll feel better, be happier, have pride in your actions, and maybe even look better or live longer. Now, go – Get Busy Moving!
