Is it Sciatica Again?

My right leg isn't quite right. It doesn't hurt. Well, let me amend that statement. Both my quads are a bit sore today, probably from yesterday's 7.7 mile jaunt on the cardio machines. But the outside of my right ankle feels tight, like string pulled taut up along the outside of my calf. There's a vague sense of discomfort, going through my knee and ending somewhere over my back hip, perhaps just under the kidney. Ugh. My first thought is, "This is the leg that's prone to getting sciatica." My second thought is "I should be doing those piriformis stretches." But I haven't. Yet. It's not true sciatica. It's piriformis syndrome where the muscles deep inside the glute compress the sciatic nerve. So it feels just like sciatica, but relief can be achieved from a simple floor stretch.

Fridays I save for whacking the kickboxing machine. I'm pretty good with maintaining a routine. First warm up on the elliptical for 10 minutes, then warm up the shoulders with baby DBs on a flat bench. Stretch the legs, hips and back. Then use the silicone band to do band pulls to activate those much neglected muscles that run down each side of the spine. My shoulders have been unhappy lately, but mostly when I lay on my side in bed. Because they hate being compressed, and my limbs are prone to going numb in the wrong position. I want to make sure both shoulders are thoroughly warmed up before I attack the Nexersys. Having an existing shoulder injury already sucks. No need to aggravate it needlessly.

I like the idea of doing 15 rounds, so I tap in 8 rounds Beginner, and later, 7 rounds Intermediate. No point in doing the Advance level since the machine defaults to SouthPaw and can't be convinced otherwise at that setting. Of course, if I learn to forget about labels and just whack wherever the Avatar lights up, I might stand a chance at the Advance level. It did use to kick my butt on the other machine though. Today I remember to keep my fists tight so I don't suffer any grievous bruising to my knuckles, although my fingers felt a bit iffy. Between rounds, I note a few regulars like Marine, Maroon, WTC, little R and BigMustache.

My leg doesn't bother me at all during my time whacking the machine. I am really tired though, and I'm only good for 20 pull ups. I have to muscle through the remaining six with my teeth gritted. It doesn't help that even though I ate yogurt for breakfast, I'm absolutely famished before I hit the locker room to shower. I don't even stretch — I things to do! Like buy pastrami, Swiss cheese, rolls and spicy guacamole to make bag lunches for Sunday. The Scouts are doing their annual 5-mile hike up Breakneck Ridge. I did it last year, but I don't want to do it again. Going up was okay. Coming down really sucks for bad knees. A hiker died there just a few months ago. The Scouts will cancel if there's rain. Because slippery rocks suck when they're wet.

Me and my big pink gloves

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 95
Miles 0.84

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Band Pulls mid 15
Band Pulls high 15

Nexersys Follow Me
8r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26