After spending 9 hours in a mild panic attack at work today, on top of everything else (I hate month end at work!), I am feeling much better after a 45 minute round at the gym.

We had planned on walking in the pool this evening. After taking it easy all of last week because of my knee, I had a very low level pain day (maybe due to actually taking a half of a pain pill this morning), even with the panic chemicals floating around in my body all day, I felt like I just needed a shot of endorphins. I NEEDED the accomplishments.

I started off with my usual stretches to get everything going, put on some Kid Rock on my headphones and blasted my ears off (figuratively speaking of course)

I tested my knee out with a mile on the stationary bike, stretched my calves and shins again on the cool little rocker thingy they have there, and checked out the treadmill.
I walked for a couple of minutes and couldn't resist any more....got the speed up for a jog and breezed through 60 seconds, slowed it back down to a walk and then my knee woke up asked what the fudge did I think I was doing?!

I tried out the elliptical again...I tried it several months ago and my hip joints can't handle the shape of that movement, and found that they still cannot, lol, so the elliptical will remain permanently OUT of my routine.
I moved on to the thigh adductor and abductor machines, 3 sets of 15 with 30 pounds for each.
Chest press 3 sets of 7 with 10 pounds (thats the sissy setting!)
Curls 2 sets of 7 with 10 pounds (I never have had any upper body strength)
The pull down bar thingy (don't know what its called but it works the back muscles), that one I can do 3 sets of 15 with 30 pounds.

Followed everything up with a quarter mile cool down back on the stationary bike followed by stretches and ice on my knee when I got home....just in case.

After it was all said and done, I am favoring my knee only slightly and my calves are still quite sore....I think they have been bothering due to being a bit overambitious in the pool on Saturday.

I am still going to take it slowly and not risk damage to my knee, if it is my knee and not my sciatic or something else, either way...I am not going to risk damaging anything. Tomorrow is an evening at home with stretching and resistance bands only, and Thursday we will actually go walking in the pool again. No more heavy stuff or jogging until Saturday at the very earliest.

I feel much better, feeling very accomplished and a bit more at ease about life in general.
I am proud of my solid 45 minutes at the gym and for making a healthy dinner after I got home and resisting/avoiding the carb overload that the room mate made for dinner. I made a turkey burger with lots of fennel and savory in it, along with asparagus and green onions steamed in a bit of chicken broth.

I knew I was an endorphin aficionado before....but I think I am quickly approaching junkie level!