Intro to Ladders and dealing with a shoulder injury

Today was ladders, and they really made me feel out of shape. It can be frustrating to see how I have stayed or even gone backwards from where I was before the injury, but I try to take inspiration in seeing how others in team 5pm have progressed, and it gives me comfort to realize that I will improve as well.

Jump Squats: 17
Chin-Ups: 7
Burpees: 8
Ab mat sit-ups: 100

With the injury report, the shoulder is feeling much, much better. With my four-day weekend I did very little physical exertion, except on Saturday I worked out in a Chicago gym. I had two choices, physical therapy or crossfit. For the first time, in a long time, I wasn't feeling any pain in my shoulder. None at all, not even any discomfort. I decided to put down the barbell and pick up the power band. Performing the exercises was a little tedious, but in the end I felt good.

When coming back from an injury, you have to park your ego at the door. You can't push your self, because you will push your body past its breaking point. Now, how do you know the breaking point? Just start slow, and just add a little bit each day/week. When it hurts, just back off again and wait some more.

It can be maddening, but ask anyone who's had an injury: ignore it and it will only worsen. Push too hard and you'll be out longer. Everyone will tell you (and you to back me up here Forts), impatience will lead you to a possibly permanent injury.

I've noticed I talk a lot about "listening to the shoulder". I've realized I'm not even sure how to define what that means, but I'd like to try to explain. I've got a little bit of martial arts background, and my first style that I learned was wu-style tai chi at a very, very good school in Dallas back in high school. The style involves listening to the body, and really focusing on what goes on in the body. In about two months tai chi healed my carpal tunnel syndrome, so I highly recommend taking tai chi. It doesn't mesh well with the mentality of crossfit, but at least in my opinion, that's what makes it so beneficial. So that's what I am trying to do when I exercise, I focus on the shoulder and really, really try to hear what's going on in there.

The Logistics of Physical Therapy

I'd say the most difficult thing about recovering from my injury is how it interferes with work. Right now I have it scheduled for 4:00, but it takes about an hour to get there so I need to leave at 3. That's about 2-2.5 hours earlier than I'm used to, and since therapy is two times a week that's 4-5 hours I have to make up somewhere else in the week since I'm paid by the hour and I don't want to use up my sick leave. Last week I worked on Saturday to make up for lost time, but that was really unpleasant; felt like I never got a break. Now that I'm going to be gone for three weekends straight due to weddings, I'm hoping to start therapy in the morning. That should really help with my scheduling problem. Getting in at 9-9:30 should work ok. I just can't wait until I'm back to full strength and working out like I used to.