Star Pupil

I've done my PT diligently everyday for the past 2 weeks since first seeing my physical therapist, Mary. Aaron has made it his mission to support my PT by adding in all sorts of hateful (but necessary and beneficial) triple extension exercises in our training sessions (lunging with a hop up on the toes, split jumps, hang cleans with kettle bells and with a barbell, etc.). The more I'm on my toes, literally, the stronger I will become and the faster my knee issue will be resolved. Since I've been hitting it hard, I'd begun feeling discouraged and annoyed when my knee still got tweaky at a certain point in my runs. I expected an 8-week long problem to fade away in 2 weeks through my determination.

There were signs that my knee was progressing, but I guess I poo-pooed them until I saw Mary again this week and had a great pep rally. Yes, my knee still gets tight during runs over 3 miles, BUT last week I ran 7 miles with the addition of Kinesio tape along my IT Band and I never felt my knee was about to lock up. In fact, I didn't even need to stop and stretch. There was no fall-out from that run - my knee was not sore for the next day or two as it has been in the past. So, progress. I had a quick 2 mile run where my knee didn't even tweak. Progress. My difficult PT exercises have grown a little easier. Progress. After I shared these instances with Mary, she had me show her the exercises I'd been doing - she could see a difference in my form. That I am better engaging my core now.

She filmed me running again (we didn't watch this one - it will be used to compare and contrast to the next filming in one month to see where changes have occurred), and immediately commented that I am running more quietly (this reflects an improvement in my form) and that I have more extension on my left leg then I did 2 weeks ago. She said I made a lot more progress in two weeks then she expected. She called me her "star pupil". :) I've been given advanced modifications to the exercises she issued in the first appointment and has added in various bounding exercises to do before I run, which includes things like skipping with my arms and knees pulled up high so I'm really springing off my toes, grape vining on my toes, high knee walking on my toes... get it? Toes, toes, toes. This works my calves and is part of the triple extension chain (foot flexion, knee extension, hip extension). Mary told me I'm doing great, that this will resolve, but that it takes about 3-4 months for the body to make changes. In my case, this means it'll take 3-4 months for my body to naturally engage the core while running (to stabilize my hips, which will stabilize my leg so that the correct muscles are doing the bulk of the work). In the meantime, I am watching my pace disintegrate. I'm about 30 seconds per mile slower than I was last year, which is a HUGE deficit. On the flip side, I'm grateful I can run and know that this is part of the natural ebb and flow of athletics. You have good years and tough years, but glory will return to me. I hit 400 miles this week (48 miles behind last year at this time), and the first 7 miles of my 9-miler today were decent. I just need to count the baby steps in my progress.

Joe began PT this week for his biciptial tendinitis of the right arm. He's been receiving ultrasound and traction at our chiropractic office for the left shoulder nerve impingement issue, but is not finding it helpful. The traction system is more like a torture chamber that strangles him a bit - much different than the traction at Froedtert, so Joe will buy his own traction system to use at home, as recommended by his spine doctor. Joe's right knee remains tweaky as well. His acts up in a slightly different location than mine, so it's hard to know if he too is experiencing IT Band Syndrome. After mile 7 of his 9-miler today, his knee wouldn't function right, necessitating a walk home until I could zoom out to pick him up. Now he will look into seeing my orthopede about his knee. It gets tiring dealing with these matters - seeing doctors and PT's. It's time consuming with no easy solutions, but once again, the flip side is that while our level of fitness and activity make some overuse issues inevitable (which is better than not using anything as a couch potato) it's that very level of fitness that allows us to overcome them quickly (though never quickly enough in our minds!).