Trying to Recover Through Cross-Training

In some ways, my injury is one of the best things that could have happened to me.  I think back on all those promises I made to myself, over and over again over the past year – gotta get to the gym, gotta start lifting again, need to strengthen my core…and on and on.

Right after my physical therapy appointment on Friday I scurried over to my local gym and signed up on a monthly basis, PLUS 4 sessions with a personal trainer who will design strength training and aerobic cross training specifically to supplement and strengthen my running.

Having signed up on Friday, I got over to the gym bright and early on Saturday and had my first real workout in two weeks…on the elliptical trainer… and boy, did it feel GOOD!  I couldn’t believe the way my mood was lifted after a good sweat.  I also did leg curls and lateral pulls, plus my ITB stretches.  Very quickly the pain from my little accident on the treadmill the day before melted away…I even tentatively tried a little running on a flat surface just to test and see if the pain returned, but it didn’t!

Now, my PT warned me against getting too confident too soon.  “Running for a couple of minutes is not running 10 miles,” he cautioned.  So I really am trying to take it easy, but it’s hard to do.  In some ways I am glad that the fires are burning again here and the air is absolutely intolerable…unfit for human consumption,  and certainly not good enough to run in.

But it takes about two weeks of training to come back from 1 week lost, so right now, I “owe” myself a month.  It’s hard not to get discouraged by this, but I think that being in the gym and at least doing SOMETHING is going to be better than doing nothing at all.  That elliptical trainer really kicks my butt…but still it’s not as good as a good run.

Tomorrow I go back to the physical therapist and he’ll teach me a wrapping technique that he says will helps support my knee and possibly get me back out there sooner.  We’ll see.  I REALLY want to run while I’m in North Carolina next week.  My fingers are crossed.

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