8.06.2013

recap :: MoHud2013 week 20

Ten weeks left.

My faith was restored after a 5mi long run on Saturday. Unsatisfied with the advice from doctor #1, I went back to my sports medicine orthopedist who said "Of course you can run. Just keep it to twice a week and dont be an idiot." After I stopped clapping, I grabbed my physical therapy script and was on my way (I should also mention that he said if my pain was beyond a 5 on a scale of 1-10 I should stop; obviously my pain will never exceed a 5).

Que some more crackle/snap/pop of my knee as my PT moved my leg around during an eval. Apparently the symphony in my knee is because my right VMO is underdeveloped (read: it isn't doing anything but taking up space). That's unfortunate because while it's just hanging out as the useless quad muscle, my knee cap is moving anywhere it wants without anything to stop it and the other muscles in my leg are working overtime to keep everything in check - hence the pain in my knee, IT band and hamstrings.  and she hooked me up to a e-stim machine and cranked up the voltage to make my VMO twitch and respond while I did pilates style lifts for 15minutes, followed by a tear inducing aided stretch of my IT band and hamstring. Yikes.

a little electrical current to the muscle
really gets your blood pumping.
Then there was homework. More pilates lifting ("to fatigue", to be exact) and get crazy with the stretching. 

My PT agreed that running twice a week is the best way to go at this point, so I jetted out the door on Saturday for a 5mi run that restored my faith. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, I was actually moving. All wins. I was sore Sunday (but in a good way) and opted to skip spin for a 2.5mi walk around the park, starting with shopping at the farmers market and ending with lunch at the farmers market.

Another plus, all (minus the first doctor who clearly hates athletic endeavors is very cautious) of my medical entourage thinks I'll be able to make it to the start this year, and barring anything ridiculous, be able to finish. I'll count it as a victory over marathon 2012.

For my next trick? Condense 14 weeks of marathon training into 10 weeks following a 4 week no-running streak. Go.

Monday: 1 mi; 30min total body
                scheduled - cross
Tuesday: 60min spin
                scheduled - rest
Wednesday: rest
                scheduled - 3mi  
Thursday: rest
                scheduled - 6mi  
Friday: PT strength training
                scheduled - 3mi  
Saturday: 5mi
                scheduled - rest  
Sunday: 2.5mi walk
                scheduled - 13mi

Weekly mileage: 6mi
Scheduled weekly mileage: 25mi