Exercise Log

[cjsmith]

Fever broke last night, so I'm officially healthy today. I'm at work. So I took an exercise break!

Today I managed to go once around the building (left turns). The camber is really getting to me -- the way the parking lot is done, going straight ahead with the building on my left is a continuous left turn. It seems I'm braking on the one side as much as I'm pushing on the other. Steering by differential braking is going to be something I learn early. Already the brake mechanism itself is becoming a little more natural for me.

Already, too, I'm a LOT faster in this thing than I am when I'm walking. (On level ground, anyway!) Once my arms get a little more used to this I'm going to be very very tempted to bring it in the building and use it all day.

Right turns tomorrow. If I think ahead I'll time myself. I may wash the wheels, too, at least the part I grab to make myself go. It's grubby enough that I came back inside with dark gray/brown palms.

- Time: ???
- Right arm is screaming at me, left doesn't care
- Mild sweat
- Embarrassment diminishing -- met a coworker, and he just mentioned the weather (phew)
- Current goal: able to go once around without feeling tired

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

See about getting a pair of padded-palm weight lifting gloves. All the wheelchair racers I've seen use them.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. Most people in wheelchairs don't use gloves day to day, but then most of 'em are a lot more used to it than I am. I probably won't callus up for everyday use unless I do a lot more everyday use.

[genderfur.livejournal.com]

the person I know best who used a chair for several years used gloves. She called 'em her "brake pads".

I don't understand how people *don't*. Because of that getting-filthy-hands thing.

Btw: did you know that there are wheelchair races? Wheelchair basketball games? You can still be an athlete!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Various designs have the gripping rail (rim, whatever -- the part you grab) at various distances from the hub of the wheel. I naively guess that the farther from the ground it is, the easier it might be to keep clean.

Absolutely, I've seen the races / basketball games. Never with women, of course. But hey, I don't need medals, I would just like to be fit and exercising outdoors.

[genderfur.livejournal.com]

and the further it is from the ground, the further it is from your hands, too. So that must be the limiting factor - you don't want to have to slump.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the racing wheelchairs in particular seem to have the person lower (with the legs in a totally different position) and the rim closer to the hub. I suspect the low center of gravity helps stability.

[kateyule.livejournal.com]

The gloves I like for weightlifting are the Harbinger Cross Trainer, which they market to bicyclists and kayakers. The seamless palm is textured neoprene with some cushiness and a great grip. I'm not a screamingly serious weightlifter by any means, but the hard pressure on the palm was exacerbating nerve problems brought on by too much knitting. These helped.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation! The description sounds like they're very comfy.