Feels good to be back

I'm just finished up my first week back in the gym, and I feel really good. I had to keep reminding myself to take it slowly. I still managed to make myself outrageously sore, but I suppose I wouldn't have been satisfied if I hadn't.

On Tuesday I had a half hour of full body strengthening with traditional exercises like bench press, shadow boxing with dumbbells, modified burpees, step-ups and crunches every which way. I also had a half hour of bodywork on my adductors (did I spell that correctly?) and IT band.

Wednesday was another half hour of bodywork and a half hour of physical therapy on my own.

Thursday, another half hour of work on the IT band and 10 minutes of rolling the hip on a PVC pipe. Followed that up with 100 kettle bell swings, 25 kettle bell squats (those felt weird because my knee is still scraping) and a handstand mini-clinic. I think the handstands did more for my confidence than anything else.

Friday was hands-on Feldenkrais. I felt pretty beat up, so I arrived to my training session without any direction or ambition. As he always does, The Sage knew what I needed. All I had to do was show up.

Yesterday I went to a nice slower-paced yoga class. My knee was a bit tender afterwards but I felt strong throughout the class. We're getting there.

This week's chiropractor appointment went very well. The knotted areas where my IT Band is fused have begun to soften. I think we may even get some movement this week! I'm hopeful. I finally received my PVC roller for home and FiveFinger shoes. This newer pair is much more comfortable than the previous because the material is thinner and more flexible. I'd like to try a half size bigger, especially before attempting to run in them. I still have at least another 4 weeks before considering running again though. Baby steps.

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More Whining

I can’t stand complaining, doing it or hearing it. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of it.


I can’t run. Well, I could run if I absolutely had to but it would just cause me pain. I went to see the chiropractor last Thursday as advised by The Sage. My IT Band Syndrome is developing rapidly, causing the hip (TFL) pain that makes me limp.

The way he described it was that two things that would normally slide back and forth beside each other have been so tight that heat from the friction has fused them together in several places. Those frozen spots are preventing my knee cap from moving the way it was intended, and now it is threatening to become immobile. Everything from there is just a series of domino effect compensations I’ve been making while attempting to manage my active lifestyle.
After listening to the rice crispies during a test squat (he actually winced when he heard it), he did something (very painful) to my knee and it stopped its crackling for a few hours. The crunchies eventually returned, but they’re still not as loud as before I went to see him. I had this disconnected sensation in my kneecap for a while. I went out for a little dancing that night – a sad excuse for dancing, really. I didn’t even come close to breaking a sweat out of fear that I would hurt myself or reverse the work I received. Still, it was nice to be out for a change. It was apparent at that point that the Nike Women’s Marathon isn’t happening for me, so why not go out for a drink?

Dr. Hotness (Did I mention that he’s hot? Yeah, it’s a little distracting but a welcome distraction) told me to “take it easy”, which is word for word what The Sage told me a couple of weeks ago when I switched from impact cardio to cycling. Apparently cycling is not “easy” enough? Just when I thought the worst was over, he did some work on my hip too. It hurt like a bitch! Thankfully it was brief.

In addition to rest, he recommended some PVC pipe roller time for both the hip and IT Band.  He also showed me an exercise to strengthen my weak vastus medialus on the right leg (left one is fine) using a resistance band.

I placed an order for my very own PVC roller to have at home. I’ve also gone in for some deep bodywork on the trouble area – even better than just rolling. I have a half hour scheduled for every day this week. I am completely focused on making this recovery as speedy as possible. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED!!!

Dr. Hotness is confident that I’ll be running again with ease. He wants to see my shoes – this makes me nervous because I know I shouldn’t be using so much support. I always buy trail shoes because they aren’t as soft as regular road running shoes, but they’re still evil. I ordered a new pair of “barefoot” runners. Hopefully they will arrive soon so I can start breaking them in. That will cheer me up a little.

I’m extremely endorphin-deprived. I’m cranky. I binge. My energy level is inconsistent. I drink too much coffee, I sleep fitfully and I’m just miserable. I feel like someone else, not myself. I don’t even know who this person is. She is getting on my last nerve with her constant complaining. Three weeks! Three weeks is how long I am to “take it easy” to figure out if the physical therapy is working. No leg workouts for three weeks? Can I do that? I’m gonna go nuts! Maybe I am already nuts! Leg workouts are the only thing I know: run, climb stairs, bike, hike, dance. What else is there?

I feel lost. I went to see a therapist on Friday. I told her that I need help to keep it together during this weird transition. It all started with the upper respiratory infection earlier this year. I haven’t been myself since. I’ve been this unrecognizable mess. I’ve been in denial of it all too. Time to turn this handbasket around! I have to accept that I am not invincible. I am getting older. I’m not as physically resilient as I used to be. I need more rest, better nutrition and less impulsiveness. I have to take better care of myself. I’m not a kid anymore. It’s depressing.