Getting Back My Mojo

At the risk of sounding very Austin Powers-ish (yeah, Baby), I am getting my mojo back...my running mojo, that is. I have now run (or is it ran) three times and everything just feels right. I've been following the schedule outlined by my physical therapist, which requires only 24 minutes of running for the first two weeks on alternating days using a run/walk formula, which changes with each run. I started out walking 4 minutes, running 2 minutes 4 times. I'm now at 2 minutes walking, 4 minutes running and should be hitting one minute walking with 10 minutes running by the weekend. I find that I'm running comfortably, with no knee pain. My legs feel more engaged so I'm guessing that means less stress on the knees. Love love love getting back to what I know and enjoy!

So, really, Boston Athletic Association? You have to break my spirit by making the qualifying times THAT MUCH HARDER. And, even if the sun shines just right and the rainbows come out with their pot of gold, and I actually qualify...I will be one of the slower finishers. Based upon the graduated scale, I don't have a shot in hell of acceptance. But that's ok. I'll knock off the State of Massachusetts by running the Cape Cod Dunkin Donuts marathon. I'm sure the post-race food will be amazing!

Physical Therapy: Running Analysis

What a humbling experience to undergo a running analysis - to see yourself running in slow motion. On the one hand, I can still see some MILD quad definition left over from 2 marathons, 6 half marathons and a half dozen other races during 2010. On the other hand, I can also see 3 months of a dormant running life taking its cellulite toll! Sigh, not pretty.

Turns out I have a mild care of knock knees. I actually googled this because I didn't even know if it was nock or knock. Thank goodness Google always asks, "Did you mean..." to which I am always grateful that some wiseguy geek programmer didn't write the program message with "Hey dumbass, what you really meant to ask is..." So due to my knock knee alignment, hip strengthening exercises are even more important for me. No problem - I now have a vast library of exercises to pull from!



The running analysis also revealed that my ankles roll the right amount, my heel strike is good, my arm swing and torso alignment is good (the muffin top not so good) and that I'm in the right shoe "for me." Continued work is needed on my hips as my right hip really drops everytime my left knee strikes the ground. Good news overall and I've been cleared to start running again! For the next 2 weeks, I'll follow a run/walk program, but no complaining here. I had my first "run" today with no pain and I'm over-the-top happy!

Best News from PT

Physical therapy was awesome yesterday. I totally enjoy seeing my PT each week and love that she increases the intensity of my exercises. I tried one legged squats today and can actually see the difference in my form. Best news of all, though. She told me that next week I get to run! She told me to pull my hair up in a ponytail because I'm going to sweat!!! I am over-the-top with joy. During next week's session, I'll be on the treadmill having my form critiqued. Apparently, it will be taped from several different angles and then played back to show me where my form is weak and what I'm doing wrong. I can hardly wait. I just know Tuesday night will be like the night before the first day of school - you know, when you toss and turn and can't sleep a wink. I mean, come on, running...I might actually get to start running REGULARLY again!

Hope you're having the best week ever as well!

Physical Therapy: My First Visit

My orthpedist set me up for a series of physical therapy sessions to improve the strength of my knee. I could clearly get used to this. I clicked immediately with my physical therapist which, as Barney Stinson would say, increased her level of awesomeness. She told me everything I was doing wrong. Showed me my knee alignment issue and how that impacted how I landed with each running stride. Forced me to do sets of leg strengthening exercises. And she didn't snicker when I couldn't hold plank for more than 26 seconds - hello, what a weakling I was today! I'm pasting some of the at-home exercise she's having me do each day. For those of you without knee pain, by all means get busy with strengthening your core. I mean, you read about the importance of core building all the time, but never think it matters "that much". Crap, it does. So get busy and start building that leg muscle.


Straight leg raise - 2 sets per leg of 10 reps. I'm pretty sure those are not HER legs in the larger picture.


Side lying hip abduction - 2 sets per leg of 10 reps each. Love this picture - he seems way too excited to toss his legs in the air.


Bridge with straight leg raise - 2 sets per leg of 10 reps each.


Bent knee lift - 2 sets of 10 reps each leg. I would never wear this outfit - although my kitchen is painted the same color as her pants. All my snazzy running clothes not only come from the sale rack, but are also in various shades of black and gray.

Here's to a week of building strength!