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

[Spartan Tartan]

I've been working thru some knee issues recently as well. No fun there. I finally broke down today and hit the gym for the first time is a LONG time. Looking forward to the next couple days when my muscles remind me it's been awhile.

Good news for you, though, that surgery is not on the plan.

[Alan H]

This weekend was caber-hunting time. We drove up to a few miles higher than Grass Valley and bought some poles from a fellow that I've been in contact with. Honestly, driving up there we saw plenty of reasonably freshly downed trunks by the side of the road. If I ever need another one, I'll just drive up there with the truck and a saw and not pay for 'em.

These are solid, mostly doug fir sticks.

I got two 16+ footers for the SAAA, to replace the ones that got broken at Costa Mesa.
And I grabbed a huge monster...88 pounds, 14 feet, that is quite gnarly looking. I'll use it for newbs and as a demo stick when I'm in the Living History sections.

Lance got two... a 21 footer that weighed about 128 pounds and a 20 footer that's probably about 85. The former is nicely tapered, we cut it down to 18 feet and about 98 pounds. The 20 footer is a pencil and it's no joke trying to turn 20 feet of anything, so we left it like that and he'll be using it to work on timing.

Chance got two...one 20 footer, bit thick at the handle end, that probably weighs 130 pounds. When cut down to 18 feet it'll be about 105-110 pounds... a good A stick. He also took a 24 foot bean pole, which he'll cut down to about 16-17 feet and maybe 50 pounds. It'll be good for anybody in his gym that wants to try this stuff out.

Lances sticks are partly finished. I have to work on the SAAA cabers and also finish the last redwood caber I got from Stanford.

Knee is no-change. I think I'm going to buy a brace, it's been 6 weeks and no improvement. This is getting seriously old.

[Alan H]

OK, got the word...judging, not throwing at Pleasanton this year... combine 60+ Men and Womens Masters class

[Alan H]

I tried some sheaf last night.... got 20, don't have 22. That's pathetic.

Then again, today I got into the gym and did my usual rowing machine/bicycle/knee extensions. I also stretched a LOT and foam rolled. I tried some goblet squats with a 25 pound dumbell. Knee is not stable. I did five and was done. And there it is, right there. I can't throw 'cause I got no legs.

[Alan H]

Well, there is progress. I did 8 minutes on the rowing machine on Wednesday, then moved to the stationary bicycle. I was going to do another 8 minutes, but my friend, Donna the Trainer came over and yakked at me. 18 minutes later I got off. There was more stretching, 5 rather unsteady goblet squats..incline press and other shoulder work, and then I tried some hammer wind core crushers. I could feel a nerve twinge in my left IT band so I stopped that and did some ab rollouts instead. I finished up with 4 x 5 knee extensions.

My back was miserably painful that night, but the amazing thing was that after 3 Advil and rest during the day, my knee is much better and the back pain is minimal. This is the first perceivable progress on my knee in two months. YAY!

Back into the gym, today.

[Alan H]

Sunday was another knee therapy day, but progress is solid. I'm walking at normal speed now with minimal pain. I ordered a fairly sophisticated knee brace last night. Karma will have it that now that I've ordered the brace, the knee will heal up at breakneck speed, of course. Well, it's totally worth the $80, so....

Sundays workout

-rowing machine 8 minutes
-foam roll
-stationary bicycle 10 minutes
-incline press with a bar instead of dumbells this time; 6 x 135, 3 x 3 x 165...always trying to move the bar FAST.
-goblet squats...2 x 5 with 45 pounds. There's still some instability and pain, but it's significantly better.
-curls/upright row/overhead triceps press complex... 2 x 6 with 70 pounds

then did some abs stuff
knee extensions... getting a little bit stronger, with less pain 4 x 5 extensions, each side. 40 pounds on the left (damaged knee), 45 pounds on the right. When I can extend 4 x 5 x 60 pounds, I'm *there*.

And then for the heck of it, I put 150 pounds on the leg press and tried it. No problem for 10-12 pushes.

Stretch cage and out.

Throwing tonight....probably sheaf and maybe LWFD.

[Alan H]

I got some long pulls on the sheaf tonight...lots of arc, and that's good. Height is still probably 20-22, though.

We also threw LWFD tonight and for once everything was over 45. I even had the seasons first 50 - foot throw. Whoah.

[Martin Roy]

That's definitely good news.

[Alan H]

Yeah, I'm paying for it today, though. Knee is definitely more sore and my lower back, left side is very tight. I will stretch in the gym, today.

It may be that I can practice the straight-ahead stuff..wob, caber and sheaf, but not the rotational throws for a bit longer. Things could be worse.

The good thing about that practice is that I haven't forgotten how to do it, even after 7 weeks of no practice.

Lance is officially "gone" now... so it's just me and Brendan, and Bethany on the rare occasions when she comes by.

[Alan H]

Knee progress. It's just 135 pounds but that's a lot better than nothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm99PxrXP00