2018 What's up?

So I started 2017 year end, renewing my membership at Arrichion, saving monies for my personal training with Danielle. My hopes with Arrichion and Danielle I can do things to become stronger.

But I started to realize that I could not do back squats or squats of any kind. My hips, my back and my glutes were so tight no matter how much I stretch. I can squat a little bit but it was painful coming back up. And for the number of years at the gym, I was still not able to do pull ups because of the shoulder injury, the back muscles don't activate. I also realize that my left leg especially the quads are really weak. And what else, talk about balance, there was none.

I was very frustrated but I knew I had to look for something to deal with this tightness. Was it more yoga? Was it more of the same so it gets better? So perhaps it's karma!

Laura , owner of the Raleigh Yoga Company put out of Facebook that she was looking for 5 people who have tightness, in the hips, shoulders, back that she feels she can help us and her remedy was Yin Yoga. You stay in a pose for 2-3 minutes minimum which stretches the fascia to make one more supple and areas feeling more mobile. I sent an email with all my injuries and issues. For the next 21 days, take 3 Yin classes a week and it was all free. How can I not go and try! I try all else.

Initially, the poses are quite difficult. I felt like a wooden doll or the tin man, can hardly move and not able to relax into the pose. I was not able to get to 3 classes a week, and the only two yin classes was on a Sat and Sun morning. Sat and Sun I usually go to Arrichion to take Warrior and Sparta classes. I was willing to give that up to do Yin.

After the 21 days, my shoulders, my hips, my back felt looser. My glutes it was hard to tell but I can tell I was less unbalanced.

I just felt I need to continue doing Yin yoga and fit in some bikram yoga, Bikram poses are hard for me but I am going to do it to get and feel better. Because of that, I am not at Arrichion as often. I just feel at this age of my life, this is more important.

When my trainer was having me do back exercises, she ask if I feel it, I said " yes" and then last week , we work on legs and this was the biggest challenge for me and her. No matter what I do, I can never feel my left glute activate. But this time I said "I feel it on both sides" She remarked on Facebook that all of Sue's pistons are working on the engine.

And this weekend I went to see my massage therapist Tim Hackett whose specialty is neuromuscular reprogramming and he always does muscle testing and he said " this is good, both glutes firing today"

I am so excited about this that Yin is working. I told Laura.

Now I need to go on Facebook and let people know what I have been doing and let people know about Raleigh Yoga Company.

So perhaps those squats and sitting on my knees will happen some day!

Wish me luck!

2017 updates

Towards the middle of last year my trainer left. I was left with sessions so I sought another trainer. Russ was good but with long work hours I was not able to keep going buying sessions. I stopped my training after finishing up my sessions.

I starting back swim classes at Gypsy Divers. I had relearn everything. I guess trying to learn to swim when you are older is much harder because you have a lot more fears. But I was willing to try again.
My first teacher was a young lady named Jessica and I liked the way she taught with progression. At times, we would do one technique for the whole class and for a couple of weeks. Each part was done such as kicking, then the hand movements then the breathing. Let me tell you the breathing was the toughest and learning to put all 3 together was even harder.  I would not say I got the techniques. I was frantic of the thought of going to the deep end. My god, it is 13 feet deep! I guess the fear of drowning goes back to the time when a group of us went to Dorchester Park, a huge park with a huge lake in Endicott, NY. We went canoeing and it tip over. I hell on to my breath and I thought I was going to die and it turns out I could stand up. From that day on, I was very afraid of drowning. No matter what the teachers said, I still find it scary going down there.

I got to the point I can swim freestyle from the shallow to deep and back, of course, I had to take a rest down the deep end before coming back. I was in the midst of learning other strokes but because it was on Tuesday night, I was missing going to Yoga class at the YMCA and other activities. So I am taking a break.

I had had to take a break from going to Arrichion because of work schedules. I don't do Crossfit anymore. I wind up with more pain and injuries. Perhaps for me it was not for me. Also, my calves would tighten up and it was determine I have something called exertional compartment syndrome so I had to give up running. I was bummed out but like Crossfit I realize it's not for me.

I try to get with my trainer, Danielle Forgetti twice a week. I told her that I have some issues with my glute not activating and shoulder and hip and back injury. So her workouts for me is help me get better through proper functional exercises.


For a while I saw the Physical Therapist at Run Raleigh PT but I really feel I need to do something about the injuries and tightness by doing more than just dry needling.

The year 2017 with other issues of personal life just made me very frustrated. But I am going to do better for 2018.

My old trainer after many months did contact me, to let me know why she left and that she hopes things can mend. Yes, I was upset with her for not say nothing and just left abruptly but I let it go and wish her the best of luck. Since I do not go to Fitness Connection anymore and she no longer works there, the chances of us getting together is probably pretty slim. I do wish her well.

I have been very lax about writing in the blog. There should be no excuses.  I guess I just felt  life is just not very interesting. But I am changing that thinking.

Enjoy!