1. This morning, with 11 miles under my belt for the week, I headed to the YMCA for a bit of cross training. I'm trying to safely yet aggressively regain the fitness I lost when I was taking it easy and then taking it easier. And so rather than taking 2 (or more) rest days this week, I took off Monday and just kept it light today - 30 minutes on the indoor bike and my PT exercises.
I kept the resistance fairly low, 3-5 on an unknown scale, and covered up the display. Mostly because I was studying for my ACE CPT exam, which is in three weeks, but also because I didn't want to worry about RPMs, speed or distance.
2. Speaking of my ACE exam, while I'm getting to the terrified "I'm probably going to fail" mindset, I've been grateful for this injury. Hear me out. The medical process from pain onset to diagnosis to treatment has reinforced the anatomy, prime movers and functions of the lower extremity. I've also done some of the movement screens - specifically, the Thomas, stork and blood pressure cuff tests - which have brought the book to life. I nearly giggled with excitement when my PT (yes, she's mine) said she was going to get the cuff for yesterday's session. She's also been really great about overexplaining things - her words, not mine - so every session is part therapy, part studying.
3. Of course, the therapy part isn't as fun. The PT is taking a multifaceted approach to improving the strain in my hip flexors. She discovered during my first visit that my injury was not new but rather something old that had been aggravated as evidenced by a significant amount of scar tissue in the hip and IT band regions. To break it up, she is doing a process called scraping to break up the capillary system within the tissue and promote re-healing. We're also working to improve the strength of my gluteus maximus and medius, as well as reprogram the neuromuscular pathways in my legs. She says that runners often have problems with the glutes not firing, causing the hamstrings to overcompensate. The hamstrings aren't designed to create the force required for running, which can cause overuse and injury.
4. I have several exercises to do to improve the strength and activation in the glutes that I do in therapy and once a day in between sessions - clamshell with resistance band, glute bridges with a ball and prone glute raises with a bent leg. The key is to activate - or concentrically contract them - before initiating the movement. It sounds easy but it's a real struggle, which means my glutes aren't as strong as I thought. I don't notice it as much with the clamshell and bridges but those damn leg raises are terrible.
5. All of this work - the stretching, exercises, therapy, slow build in fitness - have led to improved pain in running. Where as last week I was becoming aware of the hip by mile 1.5 and ready to stop at 3 or 4, I've been able to run 3 or 3.5 without noticing the area and am finishing with less discomfort and less limping post-run .The PT says I was lucky to respond as quickly as I did - or as quickly as you can with a mound of scar tissue - as it's probably why I'm seeing such results.
Results I am definitely not taking for granted.
You throw down some ACE language in here like a boss. Well done.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the minimus?! JK. You really use that for walking. LOL.
ReplyDeleteThat is so great that you can use this experience to give some real life to your studying. I have been thinking it would be hard to go in to that test cold, without having a teaching background! There is just so much to know, and visualizing it really helps for me!
I hope you are at the point soon where there is no post run limping!!!!
I went through that 'scraping' process when I tore my hamstring and it is not fun. But it paid off in spades. Glad you are seeing positive results so soon!
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky that my PT says she's a bit more gentle than others when it comes to scraping. It's uncomfortable but not all out painful.
DeletePT exercises: Difficult to do right and very unsatisfying (compared to, say, throwing kettlebells around). But they always work, eventually. In my experience, anyhow.
ReplyDeleteYes to all of this. It's so boring and tedious. But, as you said, worth it. Are you going to do TCM?
DeleteIn general, mankind, since the improvement in cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires. comprare Cialis
ReplyDeleteGlad you are starting to feel a little better. I know dealing with an injury is frustrating and recovery seems to go so slowly! But you are making progress, so keep working on it. :) congrats on getting in your long run over the weekend.
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