Last week I did a light workout. I’m not a newcomer when it comes to working out, so I’m pretty in tune with my body’s limits. When I’m starting up after a long period of sloth, I take those already low limits and move the decimal point over one place to the left.

At this point we’re basically talking five pound hand weights or the bar.

Did I mention I start out really slow?

Last Tuesday I did one of my beginner workouts and felt fine. I never push it. I start out with a set number of reps in mind so I don’t push it. My goal is to get my muscles used to working again without putting on a lot of strain.

This usually works great. When I slowly reintroduced my body to exercise three years ago after chemotherapy, I felt good.

Last week I felt really good too – until I woke up the next morning. I couldn’t move. Not to walk. Not to stand up. Not to sit up. Every muscle group felt like it took a few laps through a newspaper press. It’s nearly a week later and my body still isn’t right.

Five pound biceps curls. Five pound triceps extensions. Ten pushups. Five pound bent rows (bracing myself on the bench to keep the weight off my back). A five minute, light jog.

Now I’m going on one week of pain (caveat: I am a wimp). I’ve been eating NSAIDS like M&Ms. I’ve quietly wondered if it has anything to do with the leukemia. Cheryl’s wondering too, just not quietly.

Cheryl’s less quiet in general. I’m not sure I’ve told you this before. Maybe you’ve gathered as much already. Maybe I’ll get to my point sometime.

Wait for it…
This was a great weekend. It was dry and cool in the mornings and evenings. I got use out of the front porch for the first time since April. I got in some quality down time for the first time in… well… a few weeks (since we got back from vacation).

Put it like that and it doesn’t sound deserved. I haven’t worked hard enough for another few days off.

I’ll grant you I haven’t quite earned it at work, but I’ve been worked over by life the last few weeks. So it was nice to have another quiet weekend, even if I couldn’t get up… without a few minutes head start.