Pain In The...

Dragon boating is hard! I always knew that it would provide a good arm workout, but I was not prepared for the way that it requires the whole body to commit to the activity. The most surprising part is the way that my behind has been in agony for the last three days!

When I tried this sport for the first time they told me that if I rotate my hips just right and engage myself properly that I would have sore glutes afterwards. Well, when we were done I didn’t really feel like that part hurt any more than the rest of me so I assumed that I needed to work on my form. The next morning showed me that I must be a natural (which, incidentally, is what a couple of people on the team have kindly told me). My butt was so sore!

Right in the centre of each cheek it ached like crazy! Wow, was it ever tender… I even found myself standing up more often, rather than sitting for long periods, in an attempt to avoid putting pressure on the sensitive area. This lasted for about three or four days and eventually I was good to go again.

Then, a week after my first attempt at dragon boating, I had the opportunity to go out on the water again this past Sunday. Cue the reappearance of my prior pain! This time I felt it before I went to bed, but I was at least happy about the fact that I was still doing the rowing correctly. Yesterday and today there was no relief in sight for my poor buttocks, and then this evening I went to another training session! Yikes!!!

Oh, the hardship (all puns intended) that my poor, unsuspecting derrière has suffered! I would turn the other cheek, but – alas – one is feeling as bruised as the other. I may become the butt of many jokes for saying this, but I feel like I have hit rock-bottom… like I am behind in my healing and will remain so until this form of exercise begins to sit right with me. On the other hand, paddling may initially leave me tender, but it also strengthens my fundamental base as pain takes a backseat. I do hope that if this injury begins to affect my stroke that my teammates don’t think I am just resting on my haunches, as nothing could be further from the truth! I really am putting out a maximus effort!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 pear
- 1 pan-fried banana and light peanut butter wrap on a soft tortilla shell
- 2 golden delicious apples with cinnamon
- 3 cups spinach salad with cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, red pepper, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 1 glass of rye and diet coke
- 1 lemon and rosemary game hen breast
- 2/3 cup coleslaw
- 2 cups pasta, broccoli, green beans, and onion with Alfredo sauce

EXERCISE:
- 45 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (15 minutes long and 30 minutes long)
- 45 minutes of rowing a dragon boat