Footless fencing?

[Peach]

. . . So the podiatrist points at the x-rays of my back foot and says, "Those are fractured sesmoids, that's a possible stress fracture in your first metatarsal, this is a bone spur, and those lumps you've noticed are plantar fibromas. You must have a high tolerance for pain."

While I wait for the MRI and the next appointment, I should really work on other things beside footwork and I should really do something besides running for my cardiovascular workout. I chair-fenced tonight (got at least one touch in every bout!) but wasn't sure what to do.

Any other suggestions for (a) stationary fencing and (b) cardiovascular workouts?

--Delia

[damianip]

Delia,

For stationary fencing, I remember reading somewhere (Fencing and the Master, maybe?) that bladework drills conducted with the student sitting in a chair a very beneficial to achieving a relaxed shoulder.

You might also try "bench fencing" which, I guess, is similar to chair fencing. You sit at either ends of a bench but in distance and away you go. Mensur for the sane.

On the alternative exercise front:

I'm always trying to get weight off, and I'm always damaging my feet and legs in the process. It's catch-22 for me: Need the workout to lose weight, get impact injuries because of the weight.

My problems:

Shins splints and achilles tendonitis.

I've tried stationary bikes but, even though I was a very avid cyclist in my twenties, it's the most boring exercise in the world (and it's the slowest time in the universe). I've also found that it doesn't seem to work the leg muscles the same way as fencing.

Lately, I had been running on a treadmill, but the shin splints are "creeping" back.

The solution offered by the trainers at the local gym has turned out to be one of those elliptical trainers. It's not boring (there are different programs and headphones pass the time), I don't seem to be injuring myself, and I seem to be getting a good workout for CV and weight loss.

It seems to be helping my endurance and speed in footwork. You may want to give one a try if you have access to one.


Paolo

BTW, épée is easier on the feet than sabre...

[Peach]

Thanks, Paolo - the doctor mentioned an elliptical trainer too. What is that? I think we might have one in the exercise room where I work, but I'm not sure. The bench thing sounds cool--a woman at the club just had knee surgery and we were considering fencing last night (talk about addicted!).

Epee certainly is easier on the feet but recommending it to me is like suggesting a housecat take up knitting--I suppose it could be done, but the results would be exhausting to watch.

Dern doctor had the temerity to say I was "getting to that age where stress fractures are an issue." Grrrr.

--Delia

[damianip]

Delia,

Here's an URL to the type I use at our gym:

Precor Elliptical trainer

This model works only the legs. There is also a model which works the arms too, kind of like a Nordic Track. I used to use a Nordic Track myself but the action seemed to get my achilles tendon inflamed. Nordic Track also makes ET's too but I've never used them. If you go to one of their many mall stores, I'm sure you can try it out just to see if the action causes pain.

Paolo

[MikeHarm]

Theres always wheelchair fencing.

Mike

[Bugaboo]

I enjoy wheelchair fencing.

[Haze]

Yeah I was going to say swimming. I love swimming. The doctor suggested it back when I was a little kid to improve my asthma. By the time I was 12 I had a lung capacity about 1/5 higher than it should've been for my age/height/weight. Its great for improving stamina.

[veeco]

Swimming doesn't improve stamina. Swimming is a cardiovascular exercise that will increase your endurance, but not your stamina.

[Cutter]

anything that does not involve impact on your feet and legs. I have been fighting with my club for months to change our training program to lessen the amount of impact excercise we do for warm up. Running and jumping are too hard on feet, legs and back. Can also lead to spider veins, shin spints, bone spurs, stress fractures, etc. They are now finally starting to listen to me as we are now seeing people drop like flys with leg and back problems.

[epeemike81]

Originally posted by veeco:
<STRONG>Swimming doesn't improve stamina. Swimming is a cardiovascular exercise that will increase your endurance, but not your stamina.</STRONG>

What exactly is the difference in this case, veeco?

According to The American Heritage Dictionary:
stam·i·na1
n.
Physical or moral strength to resist or withstand illness, fatigue, or hardship; endurance.

en·dur·ance
n.
The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress

They seem the same to me.....

-m

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: epeemike81 ]

[oiuyt]

I agree with Mike, I don't really see much of a difference between the two....

-B

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: oiuyt ]

[epeemike81]

Originally posted by oiuyt:
<STRONG>Well, that's ONE definition of stamina, here's another:

sta·mi·na2 (stm-n, stm-)
n.
A plural of stamen.

sta·men (stmn)
n. pl. sta·mens or sta·mi·na (stm-n, stm-)
The pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower, usually consisting of a filament and an anther.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

So swimming COULD in theory REDUCE your stamina. If you had any stuck to you they might wash off while swimming.

-B </STRONG>

Brad, don't be a dick.

-m

[veeco]

Sorry I guess I must brush up on my English. English is not my mother tongue and I have always thought that stamina was meaning something like the ability to have fast reflexes and energetic responses. I guess I was misinformed.

[Haze]

Well I guess if you had a lot of stamina then you would be able to have energy, fast reflexes, etc. for longer than others.

I don't claim to know much about this sort of stuff, but I like swimming because I can swim an extra 100 metres, or try to better my time, and I can be fairlysure I'm not going to injure myself by doing too much too quickly. No doubt someone will now come up with a reason why I am wrong.

Rowing sounds like it could be good too. I'm feeling inspired - I might have to persuade some of my friends to come canoeing with me!

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: Haze ]

[Peach]

Paolo - thanks for the picture, it helps! That's what we have in the gym at work, but it's the one you describe as working the arms as well. I think I'll try it out. I can't use swimming for cardiovascular because it drives me crazy with boredom (don't ask me to explain why I don't get bored working out in place on a machine, I don't get it either).

--Delia

Originally posted by damianip:
<STRONG>Here's an URL to the type I use at our gym:</STRONG>

[Haze]

Originally posted by Peach:
<STRONG>I can't use swimming for cardiovascular because it drives me crazy with boredom (don't ask me to explain why I don't get bored working out in place on a machine, I don't get it either).
</STRONG>

Some people are just odd.

[edew]

Originally posted by Haze:
<STRONG>Well I guess if you had a lot of stamina then you would be able to have energy, fast reflexes, etc. for longer than others.

I don't claim to know much about this sort of stuff, but I like swimming because I can swim an extra 100 metres, or try to better my time, and I can be fairlysure I'm not going to injure myself by doing too much too quickly. No doubt someone will now come up with a reason why I am wrong.

Rowing sounds like it could be good too. I'm feeling inspired - I might have to persuade some of my friends to come canoeing with me!

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: Haze ]</STRONG>

No, those who are good in endurance sports generally won't be too good in quick-twitch sports. Of course, there's exceptions: the Tour de France is a stamina/endurance sport, but certainly, you need the quick twich muscles to beat the other guy on a sprint to the finish, or do a very quick time-trial sprint.

Most runners do either the sprints or the long-distance runs, and can't do both very well. Same goes with many other sports (swimming, slalom vs x-country skiing, etc.)

Fencing has a bit of both endurance and quick-motion activities. In the grand scheme of the total tournament, it's an endurance sport. You need to pace yourself for the whole day, you need to know when to drink, when to snack, when to rest. But when you're fencing, you gotta move like it's your last point at every moment. You're racing back as fast as you can, you have to make that super-fast jump lunge, or advance-lunge. Sometimes, you have to go super-slow, and then BAM! hit gas pedal for some motion.

That's what makes fencing physically tough.

[Haze]

I think I should keep quiet in future.

[its_me_mango]

dear peach: once i broke a bone in my foot doing some fancy sparring in the living room with a friend whos elbow was almost as wide as my thigh. i limped around for a month before i got to a good dr. i found a real md who specialzed in athletes, he took care of a rugby team. he taped up my foot real tight, excactly so and i walked on it no problem, but i had to switch to something else for a while, so i went to kathak class (indian dance) i maintained that for a year and then went back into karate for an addition 3 years. bye and good luck, one thing, if possible, don't go into surgery unless absolutely necessary, you'll screw up your fencing. bye and good luck again.

[Peach]

Thanks mango - I avoid surgery scrupulously. I've been stationary fencing for the last week (a refreshing experience losing to everybody, but I'm getting at least one good point in each bout), and tomorrow I go to the physical therapist. Looks from the MRI like the metatarsal isn't fractured, it's just a bad bone bruise in the bone before that. It won't be bad for me to take it easy for a while, I agree. I chose my podiatrist because he works with athletes. Kathak sounds interesting!