Racquetball and Photography

Racquet © Tim Pannell Photography

It’s been a while since my previous post……sorry about that.  I’ve been super busy writing content for a photography workshop I’m teaching online in October for moms that want to take better pictures of their kids.

It’s coming along pretty well, but it has consumed almost all of my free time.  I haven’t done any P90X workouts since my initial 90 day period.

This week I have been playing racquetball for 1 to  1  1/2 hours a day.  It’s been good to get back in the court, but I haven’t played as well as I used to in the past.  My go to shots are rusty to say the least and more than anything I think I’m sidetracked with my photography workshop to the point that I’m having a hard time getting my head into the games.

That’s a new problem for me.  I’m also struggling with my left knee again.  It is sore as crap and my left heel is bruised from a poorly timed landing.  I’m falling apart, quite literally.  I have stuff just hanging on by threads at this point in my life.  Another adjustment, I was pain free for the last 3 months….it was nice!

I’m playing somebody new this morning and I’m concerned I’m too sore to give him any kind of run for his money.  I guess we’ll see.

I will be starting round 2 of P90X on September 1st and am looking forward to getting back into those workouts.  I’ve taken a little time off just to see what happens to my body and I can tell my arms especially are getting a little softer.  I will do some weightlifting next week, but not an all-out P90X assault.

I still weigh 268.  I have been there for a month now.   At the beginning of this journey one of my main goals was to not get discouraged if the weight didn’t just fall off my body even when I was working out hard.  I know that I’m healthier and more fit when I’m exercising consistently.   I’ve been riding the bike the entire month of August except for this week when I started playing R-ball every day.

I’m gearing up for September with the goal to hit it pretty hard.  I’ll do P90X workouts and ride the bike at least 6 days a week and throw in some racquetball for good measure unless my knee and heel keep flaring up.

It’s been a fun ride so far.  I’ve gone from a high of 310 down to 268.  I have a total of 58 more pounds to go til I hit my goal weight of 210.  Once I’m there I’ll make some decisions about what comes next.  I may decide to lose a little more weight or I may decide just to maintain, depending on how I carry it.

Well……I went and played racquetball this morning and I think I totalled my knee.  I hit a kill shot along the left wall and went to slide out of the way.  My left foot stuck to the floor as if it was nailed there.  That almost never happens on this court.  My knee hyperextended and buckled and I went down.

As is typical for me, I got back up and played.  My adrenaline kicks in and I’m kind of stupid “old school” that way.  You never quit unless stuff is actually falling off you.  It was really sore yesterday and if I wasn’t paying attention it would buckle and just give out.

I woke up today and can’t even put any pressure on it without it collapsing……..how fun is that! ? !  Getting my knee scoped right now is so not good timing.  I guess it never is, but I have so much on my plate at the moment.  Today’s Sunday.  I’ll stay off it all day and see if it’s any better at all tomorrow and if not……..off to the docs office.  I hate doctor’s offices, I know I shouldn’t feel that way, but I hate going.

I also hate surgery.  I had 60% of the cartilage in my left knee removed when I was 18 years old.  That’s why my left knee has continually given me trouble.  I had xrays done a couple years ago and it was pretty close to bone on bone at that time.  Who knows how bad it is now.

The real bummer for me is that for the first time in years my knee was pain free the whole time I was doing P90X and riding the bike.  No pain, no swelling, no problems.  Maybe it’s time for me to give up on racquetball.  I hope not, I love the game.  It’s also great exercise.

I’ll keep you posted.