Walking the Line

Yesterday morning I went to the 6:30 yoga class I've been frequenting for the past few months. It's less breathing or dynamic moves and more holding stationary poses. Good way to start off the day, and as a result of some more or less consistent attendance I've really noticed some improvements below the ankles. Down dog is especially helpful as it stretches out the deeper lower leg muscles.

Another pattern I've gotten into is heading to the rock gym on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Sometimes a couple of friends show up - automatic belay partners - but last night I ended up solo and not overly intent on top roping anyway. So I spent the evening in the bouldering area. When I first tried my hand at indoor bouldering sometime last year I tended to climb back to back problems. This quickly led to exhaustion, leaving my forearms feeling like balloons and rendering my grip useless for the remainder of the day.

What I've learned, and come to really appreciate, is that rest is essential if I want to climb for any reasonable amount of time. Sitting back and watching others not only provides this rest but also informs one's own technique. An alternative, which I've adopted occasionally and did last night as well, is to cross train opposing muscle groups while letting the climbing muscles refresh themselves. So instead of "pulling" exercises such as pullups or dumbell curls, throw a few sets of pushups or dips in the mix between climbs. This helps balance the workload in addition to enabling one to get in more climbs. Finally, the rests inevitably provide an opportunity to socialize with a group that is generally pretty amiable and encouraging of one another.

I was chatting with another frequent climber last night, and it turns out he really got into climbing as he found himself burning out on running a bit. He talked about a tweaked hamstring that limited him to a few runs per week. He also had dealt with PF, and repeated the advice to sufferers I've heard before that the only real way to beat it is to stop running. Having remembered making eye contact with him during my warmup on the treadmill, I immediately felt defensive, and this has stayed with me to some extent since last night.

On that note, I did hop on the treadmill before climbing (there is a small "fitness" room within the climbing gym) as a reward for getting through the day with minimal discomfort in my feet. I felt good throughout the 30 or so min jog, but it's becoming clearer that treadmill running is sometimes just plain tedious to me. It's a sacrifice I make because it somehow feels safer than pavement, and mentally (and perhaps physically) I need that security right now for the sake of my healing PF.

I felt reassured in my decision to run last night when I got out of bed this morning with no pain. My right foot and calf were slightly stiff, but it's gotten better throughout the day. I'm hoping this healing process is about bringing myself towards a threshold of discomfort, being careful not to cross it, and inching just a little further every time. I know this holds true with respect to other processes, but who knows with PF. Maybe I'll learn that I indeed need to back off completely for another extended period, but I'll cross that bridge when (if) it comes.

This morning I got to the gym early to attend a group fitness class, another pretty regular thing lately. Beforehand I warmed up on a stair climber, which is about the only stationary equipment I feel OK with (rowing is not bad) these days. I have issues with so-called "elliptical" cross-trainers because they don't translate into a functional movement. Stationary bikes, quite literally, get me nowhere. At least stair climbing provides some sort of benefit besides purely cardio, i.e. walking up stairs or steep hills.

Back to the class, the usual instructor focuses on core conditioning type stuff, but today there was a substitute who had some sort of step aerobics vibe that made me slightly uncomfortable. It did provide a decent balanced workout, and I had just a little time to burn afterwards so I hopped on the treadmill for 10 min. Not sure yet if this was a good or bad decision. I'll be reporting more on that later this week. If things continue to feel OK I'm thinking of checking out the trails in Rock Creek park tomorrow or Friday morning.