Back in the Saddle….or Running Shoes?
Playing weekend catch up?
The manly-man’s perfect meal: pimento cheese smothered filet
Turtle cookies: caramel filled chocolate chip cookies (plus an inside look at casa de SoS)
One hundred and twenty eight days.
That’s how long it’s been since I’ve run.
To be honest, excluding a number of bike rides I can count on one hand, it’s the last time I exercised.
(Oh the irony of having a fitness blog…)
My four-month running injury check-in with the sports medicine doc reveals I’m getting closer and closer to a date with a surgeon.
But I’m stubborn, and luckily my doctor went with the flow. He’s giving me four more weeks to get up and running again or it’s time to seriously talk about going under the knife (which I’m against FYI.)
Countless hours of physical therapy, 128 days of rest, anti-inflammatories, ice, orthotics, cortisone injections, and taping haven’t cut it yet, so this time we’re trying a knee brace.
I resisted going for the knee brace because I assumed it would just mask the problem- not cure it. But that list above is getting pretty long, and I have absolutely no desire to add knee surgery to that.
Apparently my 4 month hiatus of pretty much anything physical (per doctors orders…plus laziness + frustration) has left the muscles in my legs so weak the little bit of strengthening I get from physical therapy exercises isn’t doing my knee justice. The best way to rebuild the muscle is to start running again.
Catch 22 huh? I can’t run because a muscle weakness led to knee injury, but my knee injury is preventing me from correcting the muscle weakness…
That’s where the brace comes in. I only need to wear it when I run, and I’ll continue doing all the other therapy so eventually (fingers crossed) I won’t have to wear the brace.
It’s kinda cool as far as braces go- it has a piece of flexible plastic that pushes my kneecap into place.
Doctors orders: today I get to run 1/4 mile. Woohoo. Hooray!!
If I don’t hurt the day after my super long run, I get to run an additional 1/4 mile the next day, with a 1/4 mile walk in between. And so and so on. If it hurts, I can’t pass go or collect $200.
So now it’s time to go for my run. I’m excited. I’m terrified. I’m restless. I’m going!!
Injury talk on SoS.
The path to injury & recovery.
5 ways to get back to exercising after an injury
Stop running injuries before they start
Learn about 3 common running injuries
Hopefully all that talk will end one day soon. I’m hoping the injury finish line is in sight…
And this would be a super appropriate time to say congratulations to all the Chicago 10-10-10 marathoners!! You guys rock! And way to do it without getting injured 😉
