Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Shoulder Replacement One Year Later

 As the title states:  It's 100%. I have full functionality and no pain.  No bone spurs cutting into my bicep, no clicking, nothing.  That being said, I am really careful with it.  I DO NOT press overhead anymore. For shoulders, I do shrugs or double kettlebell swings outside the knees with no more than 55 lbs.  I'm trying to preserve my right shoulder which is holding up really well. I can play golf. I can't shoot a basketball. Oh well.

The new job has me traveling a little bit. Been to Seattle and Las Vegas the past couple of months and heading to Phoenix in the 2nd week of January for sales kickoff. I'll say this, for such nice casinos, the Mandalay Bay and the old Mirage had awful gyms. And you can't run outside on the Strip anymore because the storefronts are so built up.  I did a LOT of walking, 20k + steps every day.  We had a group trip to the Sphere, and there were so many buses, we couldn't find ours.  Half the people were going to the Venetian to sing karaoke. Not this grizzled 55-year-old veteran. No interest in sitting through meetings with a bruised liver. Been there, done that. I decided to hoof it back to the Mandalay Bay. It took over an hour. Have to enter into the Bellagio to get to the other side as well as the Cosmopolitan.

The last night was fun, my wife went to a show, and I bailed on an optional group dinner. Threw two bets into the sportsbook drank beer, screamed at the TV screens and made lots of friends. Then went to the blackjack table and lost the 1st 8 hands in a row.  Good times.  

Was in Naples, Florida earlier this month where it proceeded to rain every single day. Finally got to St. Pete and it was sunny. My runs there were awful as usual.  1st mile great, 2nd mile ok, 3rd mile so humid I couldn't get any oxygen in.  I've been running a lot.  I did my 1st 5k in 20 years in late September. My cross-country star buddy who designed it said, "it's a brutal course."  My pal Phil, who is in our high school hall of fame for running came down from Albany, NY to run it with me.  At the 2.5-mile mark, I blistered him in the hills and had a 75-yard lead. He then flipped the switch, did what hall of famers do and blew past me. Beat me by 10 seconds.  27:05 to 27:15. Here we are with our old track and hoop coach.


My 3-4 lifting days are total body, 3 sets of 10-12 one exercise per body part. Don't get hurt. Then, I'll do 20-30 minutes on treadmill, Echo Bike or Stairmaster.  Other 3-4 days are 1 just walking and three 45 minutes of cardio. In good health in the low-mid 190's.  Lots of socializing have led to so so diet. Traveling, college reunions and socializing.  Not terrible but need to be cognizant.  My wife and I did a LOT of hiking at the Blue Hills Reservation near Boston.  Tons of trails and ski slopes to climb. After we go for a refreshment or two at the Trillium Brewery a 1/2 mile down the road in Canton. Our dog loves the hikes, hates the brewery because we leave her in the car in shade.  

What's next? Just keeping on keeping on. It's been a great year and I'm thankful for it. Much better than a year ago that's for sure.  Happy Thanksgiving. 

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