Does anyone else remember this music video as vividly as I do? What about this part:
Classic, indeed. Anywho...
The past week or so has been pretty darn good. Mother Nature turned on the heat for a few days, and I loved the feeling of being dripping wet after a hard workout. I got in some good miles on the roller blades, and it did wonders for my mental health. I did long for running quite a bit on Friday though...I wanted to roller blade while Camryn was at school, but there was a monsoon moving through the area, and that just wouldn't be prudent. I totally would have run in that weather, so it was a painful little reminder of why running is the best thing ever of all time.
I decided to discharge myself from physical therapy...they seem to think that time heals all wounds, so I'll keep my $35 a pop and continue doing my hip strengthening exercises at home for free. I haven't had so much as a twinge of pain in the knee in the past two weeks or so, even with some increased demands on it with a few of the P90X3 videos.
I've been doing some reading up on ways to ease back into running after injury, and I found a 12 week program that starts off with 10 sets of walking for 1 minute, followed by running for 1 minute. This particular program doesn't have you running without walk breaks until Week 9, and the girl who ran for 3 hours, 54 minutes, and 32 seconds without a walk break is trying so hard to be ok with that. What a great day for me to see this little gem:
Recover. I'm recovering. Still.
With ideal temps outside, my new shoes on, and a belly full of Nutella pancakes (no, I will not shut the front door), I decided today was the day to start Week 1. Making any excuse to ride my bike, I took her out for a 10 minute warm-up, followed by a lunge matrix and leg swings. I walked the first minute feeling good, but nervous. The first minute of running went well, and all I could do was hope it continued. No such luck, really, as halfway through the second running interval (and I use the term "running" very loosely), my knee was talking to me. Not pain, not quite discomfort, but a whisper to remind me he hasn't gone away. By the seventh set, it was pretty bothersome, and I decided it may be best not to do all 10 sets today. I continued the intervals until I got home, which ended up being 8 sets.
A minor meltdown ensued, because SERIOUSLY!!! Nine weeks of rest and rehab and I can't make it through 10 sets of running and walking for one stinking little minute?!
Dear 800m repeats:
I'm so sorry I ever cursed you. I miss you and I can't wait until we meet again!
Much love,
Karen
I had a nice little pity party for myself as I stretched after what felt a lot like a failed attempt at a comeback. But as I foam rolled, I searched for the good in today's attempt, and I realized that when I stopped running, it stopped hurting. I had no pain during the walking intervals. Since it used to hurt all the time, I'd say we've got ourselves a silver lining. Something in me - either the eternal optimist or the glutton for punishment - decided to get back out there and try to finish those 10 sets. And when it felt good, the overachiever in me ended up with 12 sets for good measure.
When you add up the time I spent warming up, running, walking, stretching, foam rolling, and icing, the entire process took over an hour. Only 12 minutes of that hour was spent actually running. It's quite dreadful that this is going to have to be my new normal for a while, but I have to believe that it'll be worth it to come back strong and healthy. After all...
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