I mentioned in a couple of my posts how I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It's true, you can get to that point where you look at yourself and say, "what happend"? I have some pretty good excuses to explain what happened but those don't help me change the situation.
To recap: I have had progressive kidney failure for the last 3 or 4 years that effected my ability to exercise or be active. I used to coach every sport my kids were involved in: baseball, soccer, basketball (I draw the line at football). I wasn't just the stand on the sideline coach either, I wanted to play and show how it's done. I'm retired now, but I have been slowly retiring for a while as my body told me I didn't have the energy or muscles for it any longer. During my dialysis year the treatments and medicine really took it out of me. Something about pumping 10 liters of sugar water in and out of my abdomen nightly was not a positive improvement. I had a kidney transplant in March 2014 removing 10 pounds of diseased kidneys, an appendix and a gall bladder which were very positive but the process of removing them and the empty space left over have been a challenge to rehabilitate. My abs were cut laterally across my belly (impressive 14 inch scar if you want to see it) and even now I still can't feel my belly button. Situps are painful and you'd be surprised what you use your abs for. Did you know that if your abs are weak your back is the only think keeping you upright? I should have a strong back, imagine what will happen if I ever get my abs back? That's a decent list of excuses.
My rehabilitation started in the hospital when they forced me out of my comfy bed and told me to do laps around the hallway with my rolling pain pump and my bum hanging out the back of my gown. After I went home I decided that this is my second chance at fixing my 'sick and tired' situation and I wasn't going to blow it. But I could barely walk down two steps from my bedroom to the den. That turned into walking to the corner and back three times a day. Then around the block three times. Then a mile three times a day. Well you get the point. At some point in June I decided to wake up at 5:00am and see how far I could go, 7+ miles later I staggered back home. In August we had a fitness challenge at work and I was assigned a 9 mile distance that I had to complete as fast I could as part of a relay. I did it all in one shot from 9:00pm to whenever I got done (that was hard). My A.D.D. kicked in at some point and I had to shake it up so I tried to inject some running into the process and my body reminded me that I am not a runner. My compression syndrome showed back up in my shins and I developed plantar fasciitis in one foot that I'm still trying to heal. Discouragement set in and I fell off the walking wagon. I needed something that will work more than my legs and also was varied enough that I wouldn't get bored.
'Here, drink some koolaid'
I have a co-worker named Eric who is a member of this group (it's really a cult) that speaks this weird language all the time. They run into each other and use words I've never heard of: WOD, burpees and kipping. They talk about how they do these completely stupid workouts where they throw-up sometimes and when they are done they all collapse on the floor in pain and exhaustion. They brag to each other when they manage to pick up some crazy amount of weight and hold it above their head and then squat to the floor and back up. Then they were excited to do a different insane workout the very next day. On top of all that, sometimes they get together and have contests where some sadistic person picks a stupid workout that would put most of us in the hospital and they compete to see who can do it the fastest. Unbelievable. Eric talks about it all the time to anyone he can find who will listen. Oh, the name of this cult is called Crossfit and it apparently is not just Eric and some buddies, it's a world-wide cult of people all doing the same crazy workouts. Enough Cult-bashing. I first heard of it during my dialysis year and it just so happens there is a Crossfit 'Box' (a garage with some weights and crazy people in it) not far from my house and my oldest son decided to go try it out with a friend. He comes home soaked in sweat and ready to go back the next day and do it again. My son and I are similar in a few areas, we both get bored doing the same thing over and over and we are a little competitive.
My Indoctrination Begins
I told myself after Paul showed me how much stronger he had gotten from just a few weeks of Crossfit (granted he is 18 years old and doesn't have a bit of fat on him) that if I ever got a transplant I would try Crossfit to see if it could help me rehabilitate. That was September of 2013. Fast-forward 15 months. Here we are in December of 2014, I have a new kidney and a new level of energy that I haven't had in at least 5 years. I have recuperated enough to be able to walk 10+ miles a day. I am the heaviest I have ever been in my entire life. I'm planning on working out tonight doing 800 meters of rowing, run 1200 meters, 20 pushups, 40 ring rows, 60 lunges and 80 situps (or some slight variation since my abs are better but still not normal). I've been going to Crossfit now for two months. I have met great coaches who are more than happy to help me adjust the workouts to my handicaps. I have met people just like me, not quite as old though, who just want to work hard and get better. It's not really a cult at all, it is just different. It is great for my A.D.D. because every single day is different. I don't have to run much, so my 'issues' aren't as much of a factor. I'm doing things that I never thought I could, I dead lifted 330 pounds last night. My abs are still an issue but I can tell they are improving. I'm not losing weight yet because I'm rebuilding years of lost muscle.
It's the people that make a difference. My family has been very supportive and even wait to eat dinner with me after I work out (most of the time). My first coach, Jason, was great for me as he taught me the right form as a foundation and made sure I knew what I was doing before I tried to do too much. I have started at a new Box now and it's the same just different. I'm stronger and I'm getting closer to working out with the big boys but I've got a long way to go. Zak and Rebecca have been very supportive and helpful getting me past my issues so I can keep going when I would normally quit. Josh and Cassie keep me going when I want to stop.
I get to talk the language now with Eric, this koolaid isn't so bad.
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