Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Wednesday Workout Update - Holy Bruises, Batman!

Between the Astym therapy and using a foam roller on my IT band (outer side of the thigh), my legs are a speckledy bruised mess.  The Astym leaves dime-sized bruises in a neat pattern - as many as six, one after another, vertically, while the foam roller just plain bruises me.  I know that all of this is necessary to break up the knotted tissue that leads (or in my case, led) to muscle problems, but dang...why does it have to hurt so much?!  I'd show you pictures, but seriously, who wants to see that?

So last week in PT I did all kinds of exercises and stretches, both there and at home.  This week, we're trying the "complete rest" approach for a few days - I'm getting treatment at physical therapy,  but my PT wants me to not do anything at home and see if there's improvement.  She's promised me that at my appointment tomorrow, we'll do an outside workout.  It's really a crapshoot to see if one way works better than the other in healing the hamstring.  What I can tell you is that it still hurts to sit on certain chairs (they press at just the right spot to hit my most sore area), and if I make a quick movement with my leg/foot (like kicking off a shoe), I get a sharp zapping pain that lets me know this thing is still messed up. 

I'm still having a lot of ups and downs with this - I'll feel good and begin to think that it IS healing and I will still be able to participate in my upcoming races, and then something will happen that brings the pain front and center, and I plunge into depression again, especially as the race dates get closer and closer.  I was having such a good time with running, even with the hot weather!  And now that we've hit cool mornings, I am not getting the reward of enjoying a cool weather run.  It just stinks.

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OK, enough of the depressing stuff.  Last Saturday, our running club had 10 and 11 miles on the schedule.  It was the first really cool morning for a long run, and most of our runners showed up...I'd like to think it was the breakfast tacos that we'd promised for afterward, but honestly, it was the glorious weather.  I ended up walking some of the route, nice and easy.  Amy and Stephanie were very sweet and walked with me for the first part, which was especially kind because I'd have been all alone in the dark, and who knows when the boogyman was going to jump out and scare me?  My hamstring didn't feel any worse during the walk, but I definitely felt it grabbing as I ambled along.  I couldn't resist running very slowly on a couple of downhill parts (oh how I love my downhills), but that really made it act up, so I went back to walking.

I ended up covering 3.25 miles and was the first one back, which was great, because I got to see everyone else come in at the end of their run, and they all were grinning like crazy - and that's after 10 or 11 miles!  Cool weather...it makes for very happy runners.

Jeff and Phillip - shoe twins!
Stephanie was Runner of the Week - I like the way the cape is blowing in the wind! 

16 comments:

  1. Even though it sucks that your hamstring still hurts, I do like the approach of your PT. Seems to me she is trying everything to heal you as soon as possible and not afraid to try different methods.

    As for the running I'm sorry you can't run now it's finally cooler. I have to say I feel a bit guilty that I can run but don't (yep again a running depression LOL ) while you want to run but can't. Life isn't fair sometimes.

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    1. You said it...in so many ways, life isn't fair. In the grand scheme of things, not being able to run is not that big of a deal, but at the moment, it is to me.

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  2. oh you KNOW I GET the pain depression.
    I wish I could help.

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  3. Your post reminds me to take a moment of gratitude for the minimal injuries I've had. I hope you see major improvement soon!

    (I've meant to tell you that I started the Spellman series, and I really like it! Thanks for the rec!)

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    1. Glad you like the Spellman books - you reminded me to check my status at the library, and I'm next in line for the last book, hurray!

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  4. I'm so sorry this is dogging you and you know that I know personally how it feels! I know it won't make you feel better but let me just say anyway that it WILL get better eventually, it WILL!

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    1. Oh and I would like to see the photos of your bruises... remember how bruised I was when I had Graston done?

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    2. OK, so you are the crazy one...I was fascinated by the line of same-sized bruises on the back of my leg - almost looked fake, they were so perfectly symmetrical!

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    3. I want to compare yours to mine LOL!

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  5. ITB rolling is SO painful! I'm with you, I know it helps in the long run, but it hurts so bad!

    I would be really disappointed to not be able to enjoy the cooler weather now too :( I hope you start feeling better soon and can get back to running!

    Kind of unrelated, is that a running skirt that Stephanie is wearing? Do you happen to know where she got it (or could you ask next time you see her)? I've never seen one that long, and would LOVE to have one :)

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  6. Pain sucks, no doubt, and it sucks even worse when you're not sure when/if it will get better. I'm sorry you're still going through so many ups and downs.

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  7. This too shall pass - I know its frustrating, but better to be safe and take it slow vs. making it worse. I love how colorful the mens shoes are! I have an all white pair and an all blue pair - so boring!

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  8. I do like your PT's approach. When I was suffering from the worst of my sciatica, there were so many positions I couldn't sit in and I couldn't lie flat on my stomach for months. That was all I wanted to be able to do was lie on my stomach in bed. So, so frustrating.
    It's worse as we get older, too. Takes longer and longer to heal.

    Hugs to you.

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  9. Your injury totally stinks. I'm so bummed.

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  10. I'm glad your PT is being creative in trying to get you the fastest cure. That's weird about the bruising though! So I had to look around the internets--its the tendon that is damaged, right? When I had that tendonitis in my elbow, I just stopped doing my weight lifting for months. (that's what Dr. Google recommended--rest...) It is completely gone now. I went back to my weights, but now I do more reps at a lower weight. Okay, I guess this isn't helpful. I guess I was trying to say that it did get COMPLETELY better, but it did take a really long time : ((

    It just sucks because you have worked so hard to make running club a really fun experience for everyone else, and now you should be reaping the rewards from that and you can't even enjoy it yourself : ((

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