Week of 06/10/2007 - 06/16/2007 (Separated 2nd Metatarsal Joint Week 5)

EMPIRICAL ASSERTION #1 --->

Where the quantity Q sub T represents the quantity of training (in hours per week) and the quantity Q sub S represents the quantity of shopping (in dollars per # of amazon.com purchases per week).

I'm not really a shopper by nature. Much to Uncle Bain's chagrin, I only buy two types of things: athletic equipment and food. The last time I bought so many things was when I bought my bike last summer, the last time I couldn't run for a really extended period of time... coincidence? the mystery continues...

The hypothesis is that the compulsive shopping is my way of soothing the demons. I can't *train* to make myself faster, so maybe I can buy new shoes, lighter bike parts, a new HR monitor? I have to feel like I'm still in touch with that world, I have to feel like I'm still doing something to make myself faster, even though, in a saner mindset these are not really the things that matter. Maybe its a desperate plea to the heavens--look how much cool new stuff I bought for my hobbies... oh, please don't take this away from me forever...

Sunday 06/10: Off. Hair-cutting and gu-making with KB and Ian. HOLY CRAP MY HEAD IS SO MUCH LIGHTER! I had been saving this occasion for the day when I'm at the edge of something... 19:01 or maybe even 18:01 or 3:00:01. But I guess its okay, maybe we have to take the leap of faith in advance of being there. Feel like my hair is now more compatible with my lifestyle.

Monday 06/11: Back to the gym again, added leg curls, one at a time. Incremental gains in lats, delts, free weights... but a bit consterned about lack of progress in the bench. Core strengthening, stretching. Disgruntled about "summer hours". Basically the 8 pm - midnight crowd now gets mashed into the 8 pm - 10 pm window, so everything is really crowded, and I'm not really at the point where I feel entitled to complain to a 200 lb guy that I still have a set left on the bench.

Maybe this is very snooty and elitist of me, but I personally feel that there is a pecking order for athletic facilities... People who are actually serious about something should have priority, and then within the set of equally dedicated individuals, priority should go to the greatest need, and then lastly to greater ability. But it rarely comes down to that. Mostly its about the level of dedication. When it comes to the track or the elliptical, I'm very pushy, but I know I'm just at the gym to pass the injury time... let the muscle men have their weights.

Tuesday 06/12: Rest day. Dinner with Dr. Rossi. Consult on the foot indicates low probability of stress fracture based on symptoms. Felt moderately encouraged. Prognosis on the compulsive shopping was more grim--the path that starts with improving one's bike usually ends inevitably in the buying of an entirely new bike, apparently. Thankfully, thus far I do not present with such symptoms. Perhaps my lack of being a high net worth individual has a retarding effect on the progression of Bike-buying-itis.

Wednesday 06/13: Some improvement at gym. Same set as Monday, but with incremental gains across most of my sets. Accidentally put more weight on the bench on my last set and almost died. Mostly a good day, except for the unfortunate circumstance of having forgotten to bring a t-shirt to change into since I went directly after work. Decided that my dignity was not worth the 20 minute round trip to retrieve this item, so looked like an idiot and was moderately uncomfortable.

Core strengthening and stretching afterwards. Unsuccessfully tried to extract the Bowerman book out of Matt and/or Mark. Got something about twinkies instead, to go with the theme of obesity.

Thursday 06/14 - Saturday 06/16: Sadly for me, woke up on thursday with a sharp pain in my left shoulder, probably from that last set of bench press. Decided to take a few days to let that heal a little bit. Was foiled in our attempt to view a Freeway Series game. *shakes first*

In other news, went back to el doctor unit on Friday... got told to wear the boot or the flat shoe for another 2 weeks, mehhhhhh... thankfully if it survives this, then I'm good to go. Joint has been feeling a lot better recently, with full range of movement, the only issue is that there is this residual tenderness/soreness associated with a little bit of swelling over the top of the joint. It's just slightly painful to the touch, and the improvement has kind of plateaued, which is concerning. I suspect though, that this is really more associated with the trauma of the incision site, rather than an outgrowth of the original condition.