Sunday, August 3, 2014

Kayaking, MORE Fireworks, and My Workouts of the Week

It's been a challenge for me to want to get to the gym this week - or even out to do too terribly much of anything - because I've been stricken with an excruciating muscle pain within my left shoulder blade that makes me want to do little more than sob in a corner. It's a rather relentless pain that only lets up when I'm lying flat on my back, so general discomfort has been a big part of this entire past week for me. 

This exact shoulder issue happens to me about once a year, can last for weeks, and is most likely brought on by falling into poor posture while working long hours on a computer. It's the best (albeit the most painful) reminder for me to maintain good posture while I'm working and to keep my core and upper back muscles strong with specific exercises to target those muscles. Having actually gone to physical therapy for this shoulder blade pain in the past, I've thankfully learned some good exercises for just that purpose - some of which I did just yesterday afternoon (see below for 8/2 arm workout).

After the gym yesterday, Dave and I went kayaking down in the English Bay. We rented kayaks from the same beach-side kiosk that we got those paddleboards from a few weeks ago. Paddleboarding had been a tentative part of our plan for Friday evening, but the water was a bit choppier than I would have liked (especially considering my weakened left arm) so we passed and went for a long walk into the city instead. Kayaking was a great alternative for us for yesterday:
 
View of Downtown Vancouver from a kayak in English Bay

View of Downtown Vancouver from a kayak in English Bay
.  hey look, that's me  .

Kayaking in English Bay in Vancouver

Kayaking in English Bay in Vancouver

Last night was the final night of the Celebration of Lights fireworks competition in Vancouver, with Team Japan putting on a pretty good display of pyrotechnics. 

Vancouver's 2014 Celebration of Lights, Team Japan

Vancouver's 2014 Celebration of Lights, Team Japan

That'll probably be the last you see any fireworks on my blog for quite awhile; I've got no more random celebratory fireworks displays in my near future.

And on that sad and low note, here are my workouts from the past week:

7/27 (mostly upper body)
6.75-mile walk into the city
5 mins elliptical
3x:  12 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand
3x:  12 overhead press, 10 lbs each hand
3x:  12 rear fly, 7.5 lbs each hand
3x:  12 bent over rows, holding 20 lbs
3x:  12 deltoid raises, 7.5 lbs each hand
3x:  12 tricep extensions on exercise ball, 7.5 lbs each hand
12 seated leg press, 40 lbs
12 seated leg press, 50 lbs
12 seated leg press, 60 lbs

7/28 (lower body)
5 mins elliptical
3x:  13 sumo squats, holding 30 lbs
3x:  40 diamond clamshells each leg
3x:  40 calf raises, 25 lbs each hand
3x:  40 bridges

7/29 (core)
2x:  30 weighted v-sit twists, holding 15 lbs
2x:  30 cobras
2x:  30 Russian get ups, holding 5 lbs
2x:  30 alternating weighted side bends, 20 lbs each hand
2x:  30 lying overhead raise + double crunch, holding 5 lbs

7/31 (cardio)
16 mins biking
15 lat pulldowns, 30 lbs
15 lat pulldowns, 40 lbs
15 lat pulldowns, 50 lbs

8/2 (upper body)
30 alternating shoulder raises on exercise ball, 5 lbs each hand
3x, prone on exercise ball:
   - 15 M, 5 lbs each hand (prone row)
   - 15 Y, 5 lbs each hand (wide front raise)
3x:
   - 15 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand
   - 15 close grip chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand
3x
   - 30 alternating chest flys, 5 lbs each hand
   - 15 overhead tricep extensions, 5 lbs each hand

I slept in later today than is typical for me - I didn't get up till 10:15! Normally I'm up an hour or two earlier than that on the weekends. Hopefully it's not setting a lazy precedent for my entire day. The sun is shining and I should probably be outside! Actually this weekend kicks off Pride Week here in Vancouver, which draws hundreds of thousands of people to the city each year. The Pride Parade is this afternoon downtown, so if we can make it down there in time to catch some of it, we will!

I hope you've been having a great weekend! What are you up to today?

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9 comments:

  1. Great pics from the kayaking, the water looks lovely! I'm feeling very guilty reading about all your work outs last week (well done!), hopefully that will motivate me to get myself into gear this week in the exercise department! Have a great week :-)

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  2. What a lovely weekend (sorry about your shoulder pain)! You take such lovely photos, Bailey! Okay, so this is my post for tomorrow (already scheduled) but I ditched my desk chair for a yoga ball over the weekend for that exact reason. I've worked so hard to correct my posture (it was baaaaaaaaad), and the positions I'd contort into at my desk in my chair were ridiculous. Maybe give that a shot?

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  3. YAY KAYAKING i hope to do that a bit when i go to saskatoon in a few weeks. i miss kayaking in vancouver.
    and i hope your shoulder gets better. funny my left shoulder has been acting up too. make it hard to lift the weights...for the me the pain in somewhere near the front and also behind my shoulder blade.
    Jenn
    A Beautiful Zen
    Jenn
    A Beautiful Zen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wonder if you are dealing with a posture issue too? When your shoulders slump forward (from long hours at the comp), it shortens/tightens the muscles across your chest while overstretching/overworking the muscles in your shoulders/upper back. That's the problem I run into anyway! So it's kind of a double whammy of chest and back pain. Mreh! :(

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  4. We need a workout video! :) Have a great day Bailey!

    Lulu
    simplylulustyle.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe, I've thought about filming one, but I might be too camera shy for that!! ;)

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  5. I had to watch all the Japan fireworks through instagram LOL! I wish I was there!

    Macarons and Mischief

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    Replies
    1. You can find them in full video form on YouTube, if you want to watch them!

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  6. I'm so sorry about your shoulder pain! I hope that clears up ASAP so you can kayak constantly...because that looks gorgeous!

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