21 days in Rehab

“Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.”

-        Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I’ve run through ITB syndrome, Achilles tendonitis, Planar Fasciitis, a torn Quad, vasectomy but not this time…. 

I guess I should go back to March 3^rd… and start from there.

Day 1:

Running trails with Chris and Judi…  Judi had gone ahead.  Chris and I came to the little creek on the back side of the yellow loop.  Chris headed for the bridge…  I decided to jump it…  I picked a root in the middle of the stream to land on which would get me quickly across and keep my feet dry…  now…  I jumped the same creek twice on the Tuesday before… 

The root…. Was not a root at all…  it was a branch floating in the water…  it sunk… and I ended up in an awkward half split on the far bank.  Chris heard me fall…

Chris: “Are you okay?”

Me: “no”

5 seconds later

Me: “let’s go”

Chris: “uh, you should probably walk for a minute”

Me:  “I can’t it’ll freeze up on me”

*I am an idiot

5 minutes of limping along later



Me: “ya know when you hurt yourself…  you just know when it just hurts and when you are injured…  this doesn’t feel like an injury”

Chris: silence….  Knowing I’m in denial

By the time I got home it was swollen

Day 2:  Limping…  depressed…  injured…  don’t know for how long



ugly



Day 3: Go to the pool – it is closed - do 10 minutes the elliptical while waiting for Judi…  mostly just 1 leg

Day 4: Swim 2700 with a pull buoy.  Can’t quite make a revolution on the bike trainer due to the swelling. 

Day 5: Do 40 minutes on the elliptical

Day 6: still limping but make it through spin class – go to the Doc who checks me out rules out MCL, meniscus tears.  Sends me for x-rays

Dr I

Day 7:  trainer and weights leg curls & calves etc…  Doc gets x-ray results…  most of the write-up is about my *other* knee…  which has been giving me problems for ~5years.  He wants to send me for an MRI but is kinda sketchy as to why…  I thank him and resolve to do self PT w/o any more doctor visits.

Day 8:  get a 2^nd opinion on the knee ligaments stress test…  no tears/damage evident…  swilling still



Day 9: watch the biggest race in my city…  but don’t get to run.  Also try and ride outside.  Can’t get out of the saddle… average about 14mph for 20 miles.  Pedal mostly with my right leg.










Day 12: still can’t do 5# on the leg extension with my left leg without help…  oddly I can do squats

Day 17: swelling gone able to ride at pretty normal pace for 30 miles.

Day 19: I cried a little Monday…  real emotional tears of joy…  running on a treadmill at an 11:30 pace… for a little over 1.5 minutes.

Day 21: today my friends…  I freakin’ RAN

4 miles…  not pretty… not fast…  but no major pain either.  The whole area still feels less than 100% stable but the rehab will continue.

I’m back…  a runner once again…  thankfully it wasn’t a bad injury but the experience steels my resolve to keep up with strength and stretching