Sitting on the calf machine. I have switched my focus onto leg development. Still working upper body but now doing legs 3 times a week instead of two. I work out 6 days a week and ride bike all seven.

From the time I bought Mary Lee I have struggled with atrophied muscle. Getting off pain pills and this absurd fatigue. My first summer working on Mary Lee I had to take a pain pill in the morning. Wait until it started to work, then drink an energy shot to give me enough boost to get moving. Even then I had to fight exhaustion to make myself move. I hid what I was going through pretty well. But I was already cutting down on the pain pills and pretty much felt horrible the whole time.

So about noon, I would be hurting and exhausted to much to continue. I would take a pain pill, lay down, and as soon as the pill started to work, drink energy shot and get moving.  By evening, as I knew the pain meds were part of the problem I had falling to sleep, I drank about a half bottle of rum for pain relief. It was not much help. I think I had been on strong pain meds for so long that I never noticed any kind of buzz or relief of any kind. Kind of takes the fun out of a good bottle of rum.

I knew the whole time as I worked on Mary Lee that my physical and mental condition were not really up to speed. As disappointed as I was when the engine died, In retrospect, I was not even remotely ready to go. As it turned out. I found broken motor mounts and other problems the next summer while repairing the engine.

So with that in mind. It was really a good thing I was not able to get going. I would have had so many problems.
As it was, there were still problems. But I get ahead of myself. I house sat for a friend in Thompson Falls, MT. I started walking all I could. It was a mile and a quarter to the post office. I would walk there every day. I had to really fight with myself to make the return trip. Since there was no place to sit and rest in the snow. I had to finish the walk. At first that was all I could do. I kept doing it and was soon walking much more. I started yoga. The instructor told me after a time that it was painful just watching me try to stretch. It was pretty painful doing it. Still the exhaustion continued. It was all I could do much of the time to just lift my feet to walk to the kitchen for a glass of water.

So I quit doing yoga and joined the local gym. I forced myself to go every day. When I started I was only able to make about 3 minutes on the elyptical machine. I was soon making 45 minutes on it and then going to the treadmill for another 45. I was going on sheer will power at that point. The first step was just as exhausted as the last. It would sometimes take me over an hour of sitting on the bench to find the strength to walk home. No surprise, it was the same effort to go to the gym. By the time I needed to get back to the boat, I was quite a bit better off than I had been. Still taking pain meds and using the energy drinks body builders use before working out, but better.

So I got the engine in. Headed south, still had problems. Hurt my back the beginning of the 3rd day pulling up the anchor. Was 3 or 4 days hurting so bad I could not get out of my seat without help. It was pretty bad. Then the exhaust broke. First sign that something was amiss. found new motor mount had worked loose. Same one that had been broke before. Couple days later the prop broke. I dove on it and found out for sure. That hurt. Good old boat U.S. Towed it into a marina and once again I went to stay at a friends for a rest.

I regressed physically while in the cold during my stay in Maryland that winter. I am not sure how far it went as it is sometimes hard to remember just how bad it was without considerable thought.

Soon it was time to get back to Mary Lee. It only takes so much time away and I start getting the bug again. I replaced the prop and headed to North Carolina. I spent the summer with a friend there. I was totally beat down. Still not understanding the severe fatigue. I got off the pain pills completely in Oak Island. I also started riding bike and built a dinghy.

Of course I put the biggest basket I could find on the bike. It is handy but to date, I have not seen another one like it on any other bikes :-)

Still the exhaustion. Trying everything I can think of foodwise. Cannot figure it out. I wake up early, then fight with myself until I am going. I know the circulation in my legs is bad. My calves hurt from just laying on my back for a long time. Just the weight of my legs while laying down made them ache. So I have been fighting that since the beginning. How much was exhaustion from lack of sleep?? How much from to many pain meds and a poor diet for so long??

So it was finally time to move Mary Lee to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

It took 12 hours but I finally arrived.
Exhausted.

I have spent the last couple months trying to sort out a better diet and rebuild muscle.

Why the recap?? Partly because I forgot what I posted the last two times. But also because I am finally making progress with my recovery that is really worth noting.

 During this last week, I have finally had a break through in figuring out the solution to the exhaustion I have been fighting for so long. I have dubbed these times of improvement as reaching new plateaus. I have pushed myself to work on Mary Lee almost out of desperation since buying her. This innate desire to not fail at achieving this goal. Mostly I have been to exhausted to even sit and daydream of the things I had planned to see and do with her.

For the very first time since I got hurt in March of 2006, I am starting to feel like I am actually recovering. I find myself once again day dreaming of places to see, and yes, I am even starting to think of the projects I need to finish as much wanted improvements instead of....I have to do that!!

The next stop is Florida. I am not recovered yet. I am just realizing that I can and will. Over 6 months off pain meds and my brain is out of the fog brought on by that.

I will be spending much time in the gym yet. I need more. My body is tightening up. Muscles are getting hard again.
Something I realized by watching Steve and Linda Franko's blog is that the traveling will not be fun for me if I have to fight exhaustion and atrophied muscle just to explore. I am shooting for the level of fitness I had when 30. I felt very good at that age. Also can remember that far back :-)

I am actually starting to get the bug to be boating. I had it before the work began, I found out that My body was no longer able to keep up with my hearts desires, and now I am coming full circle. My body is finally getting strong enough again and my brain is clear. My desire to be boating has never slipped. I just chose to be prudent and get my act together so the boating can be the best experience possible.
If I had felt this good when I bought Mary Lee, I would already have been doing what I want to be doing. I also realize after watching Steve and Linda doing the Canadian loop, I am going to want to do some of that some day.
So there you have it. I have a busy winter ahead of me. But by spring I should be turning over a new leaf. I have done everything I could physically do every day since buying Mary Lee. I end the days completely exhausted and hurt. But I am now able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is coming up fast. I have persevered with dogged determination and the battle is now mine.