i almost feel like a runner again
Still working through Pfitzinger rehab and going to PT twice a week but I'm starting to get some decent time on my feet and it feels damn good. I did 2 min walk/8 min run x3 last week and just got back from 10 run/2 walk/10 run/2 walk/10 run a bit ago. Looks like I got in just before the t-storms rolling in. No leg pain to speak of and I generally felt pretty excited to be out running the whole time. Hope to get a half hour nonstop in next weekend.
rehab is going well
It's been about 10 days since the doc said I don't have a stress fracture. I finally got a run in on Sunday. 10 minute walk, 5 minute run, 5 walk, 5 run. I walked to and from the little dirt track around the drainage field a few blocks from the house before starting the prescribed walk/run interval. I ended up with some ankle pain in the left leg but I wrote that off as a side effect of wearing the boot for a week and a half and having all the little muscles in my ankle, foot, and lower leg immobilized for such a long time. The pain lingered for a couple days but hasn't come back since.
I went to my first physical therapy session on Tuesday. A lot of notes taken about things she saw and a couple of stretches recommended to strengthen totally unrelated areas. She thinks the left leg got sore after compensating for weaknesses in my right leg. Sounds plausible.
I spent about 45 minutes on the elliptical on Tuesday evening before going to study for finals. Upped the intensity a little bit to get the HR up some more. I went in for another PT session yesterday afternoon. Got a nice massage on the calf and left leg. She then taped my leg. When she told me she was going to tape the leg to offer some support where the calf muscle attaches to the tibia, I imagined the lower leg being wrapped tightly. However, she took a long strip of sports tape, ran it from just below my knee all the way down towards my shin right on top of the tibia. Towards the ankle, she cut the strip in half and then wrapped it around under my foot. The only thing I can feel is how bad it's going rip out leg hairs when I go to pull it off.
Went for another run last night. 5 walk, 5 run for 30 minutes. Didn't have any issues with the leg. Things feel pretty good today, too. Planning on getting some quality time on the elliptical or the bike this afternoon and then another run on Sunday. Looking at the rest of the plan, I should be running for an hour by the end of June. After that I'll spend a few weekends going to Barr Trail and back and then a couple weeks of training on the summit.
I went to my first physical therapy session on Tuesday. A lot of notes taken about things she saw and a couple of stretches recommended to strengthen totally unrelated areas. She thinks the left leg got sore after compensating for weaknesses in my right leg. Sounds plausible.
I spent about 45 minutes on the elliptical on Tuesday evening before going to study for finals. Upped the intensity a little bit to get the HR up some more. I went in for another PT session yesterday afternoon. Got a nice massage on the calf and left leg. She then taped my leg. When she told me she was going to tape the leg to offer some support where the calf muscle attaches to the tibia, I imagined the lower leg being wrapped tightly. However, she took a long strip of sports tape, ran it from just below my knee all the way down towards my shin right on top of the tibia. Towards the ankle, she cut the strip in half and then wrapped it around under my foot. The only thing I can feel is how bad it's going rip out leg hairs when I go to pull it off.
Went for another run last night. 5 walk, 5 run for 30 minutes. Didn't have any issues with the leg. Things feel pretty good today, too. Planning on getting some quality time on the elliptical or the bike this afternoon and then another run on Sunday. Looking at the rest of the plan, I should be running for an hour by the end of June. After that I'll spend a few weekends going to Barr Trail and back and then a couple weeks of training on the summit.
some good news
Got in to see the sports medicine doc yesterday and after a quick eval and discussion of my symptoms, he told me I likely didn't have a stress fracture. He took a couple x-rays stating that a stress fracture that has been around as long as I've had pain in the shin would show up on film by now. They came back negative. He prescribed some physical therapy for shin splints and recommended I be custom fit for some orthotics to correct the poor alignment issues as a result of my severely flat feet. I'm going to start running again tomorrow evening using the Pfitzinger rehab plan for stress fractures (just in case) and take it real slow getting back up to speed. Hopefully the combination of PT strengthening the muscles/tendons on the medial tibia, added support from the orthotics, and a slow and sustained ramp-up of miles will keep me injury free and I can get back to Pikes Peak training soon.
meh
Still walking around in this stupid boot and doing very little in the way of working out. I'm going to put in a marathon session on the elliptical this afternoon. I've got an appointment with a specialist tomorrow to figure out when I can get back to running.
Spent all weekend in Phoenix, sat by the pool, drank a lot and spent time with Michelle, her brother, and her parents. In a bit of a fog for a Monday.
Spent all weekend in Phoenix, sat by the pool, drank a lot and spent time with Michelle, her brother, and her parents. In a bit of a fog for a Monday.
