For someone who's "ramping back" I'm still working pretty hard.

[Alan H]

I have done nothing, zilch, zero all week. I was getting "the eye" from the Luminous Joan about going to the gym and potentially messing up our backpacking trip. Ok so I did NOTHING all week. The big Shock Doctor knee brace arrived as well and I bought two budget trekking poles. That had better do it.

[Martin Roy]

That brace looks like a replacement part for Terminator.

I hope it does its job. Good luck with it.

[Alan H]

Well,I'm back from a week of backpacking. It was fun and the Luminous Joan got her summer trip with only one mornings pain/whining/slow hiking from me. The trip out, 1600 foot elevation drop was very hard, but I survived. Yesterday was a rest day, spent driving. Now, I really would need about four rest days from something that hard to fully recover, but I practiced tonight, anyway.

This is the first REAL practice in almost 10 weeks. I've had some gym time, I've thrown 4-5-6 tosses here and there but not had any honest practice since early June, until tonight.

Brendan and I did some WOB. We were both beat up, but I managed a couple of tosses over 12 feet. Mostly, tonight was just helping my body to remember what to do . It took 4-5 throws to do it, but I got there.

Then we threw light hammer. It didn't go all that far, but again, I remember how to do it. After Brendan left I rested for a bit and threw some 22 pound hammer. All 5 throws were over 60 feet with a best of about 63-64 and there's nothing wrong with that. Then I picked up the 16 hammer and dropped a couple in at what appears to be 80+, though pacing off hammer throws at that distance gets to be pretty inaccurate. Still, they were good throws and the "84" footer was definitely over 80. Anything over 80 is a good day in my book.

I knocked off after about an hour and 45 min and called it good.

[Alan H]

yesterday I hurt bad from that workout. Today is much better, except for the knee. Tomorrow AM I have a second Dr's appointment. I'm going to push for a stronger anti-inflammatory. If she won't go for it, I might have to just accept that practice for the season is over.

Well, I had a great evening with the church jazz quartet. Maybe I'll buy a "big" boat.

[Jock Scot]

Without wanting to sound like a boring old duffer, but there comes a time in one's life when it becomes apparent----painfully apparent sometimes--- that we cannot do what we used to be able to do. Perhaps your body is telling you something and maybe you don't want to hear?

Its not what we want of course, but there is life after errrr, ummmm, well , lets just say sometime after 45 , its just a tad different!!!!!!!!!!

Just wait till you get to my age, I still have fun a lot of fun, but its not doing what I used to be able to do!!!!!

Do I miss it? H@LL YES!!!!!!

[Alan H]

Yes Jock, that has occurred to me. It's clear that I need to scale back even more. What's getting me now is that when I have any sort of injury that leads to inflammation, it takes months upon months for the inflammation to go down. That's where I am, now. Today is slightly better. Who knows about tomorrow?
For now, further training this season is on hold. I will still attend three more events. I hope to throw at the two in October but we will just see. If I do, it will just be for giggles and fun, and whatever I get is what I get. The Old Mans Road Trip from Hell with Martin Roy may turn into him throwing and me being a cheering sections, soaking in the hot tub and eating steak, but we'll see. If so, it will still be fun and I'll get rid of the four cabers that are taking up room in my side yard.

[Alan H]

I think this is not the end of throwing forever...just for this season. I fully expect to be back at it next year, just training about 1/2 as much as I'm used to.

I'm also shutting down the practice of helping other people, so I will be able to go out when I feel like it, with obligations to others. It's about time.

[Alan H]

I'm sparing the knee and not training at all, but the weight loss program is going gangbusters. I was 6 pounds down on Tuesday, which is completely preposterous....six pounds in four days is ridiculous but that's what the scale said.

Friday August 21st --- weight 299.6

Tuesday August 25th -- weight 293.6 This is the first time below 295 in at least two years.

I have a little competition going with a friend. Our "final" weigh-in is Friday October 9th. The goal is to drop 20 pounds by then. I'd be 280 pounds. My ACTUAL goal is 265, but I knew it was ridiculous to try to drop 35 pounds in 7 weeks. The "real" goal is 265 by Dec. 31st. but I can humor Hadi and also add some motivation to my own program by engaging in this competition with him.

I need to go suck down about a gallon of water today!

Changes made:

1. No bread. Lose the midmorning muffin snack that I've been doing at work for years. In fact I've more or less completely eliminated carbohydrates during the week.
2. Switch from oatmeal with raisins for breakfast during the week to 2 scrambled eggs. Less carbs. I love the oatmeal and raisins so I get that on weekend mornings.
3. Drink a lot of water.

Seriously, that's it. That's all that I'm doing. I can't eat this many eggs, forever, but I can do it for a few months and then re-evaluate.

====================================

CAVEAT: If anybody gets into this thread and starts posting reams of diet information and advice without me asking you to, I will block you. I'm dead serious about this. The world is full of people who are just dying to tell us all about how they lost weight, about macros and carbs and fat cells and toxins and whatever-product-they-just-love and I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. If you put that trash in this thread I will block you. Period. So just don't do it. Wish me luck, put a smiley face in here and go read something else.

[Grunthos]

Seriously, that's it. That's all that I'm doing. .... I can do it for a few months and then re-evaluate.

That's a good way to go. (Making small changes and sticking with them for a while worked really well for me also.) Best wishes on your efforts; I'm sure you'll do well.

[Jock Scot]

I have no cleaver answer Alan, I have no witty one either, but it does sound to me as though you are working through the situation with a workable plan and that has to be good. All the very best to you.