Training Log Archive: DWildfogel

Walk on Skyline as far as Four Winds, prior to driving up to the Russian River. Hip is pretty uncomfortable.

Full set of upper body and core, plus the new hip exercises.

Walked rather leisurely on Skyline with Louise. Didn't feel as good as yesterday, but I think that was in part because I had some sore muscles from the new exercises I did in PT.

Slow walk just to get outside for a bit. Walking on the flat, I pretty much could do it without a limp, though I had to concentrate to do that, and I could still feel a little pain. Walking uphill, downhill or backwards is still rather uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it's possible to imagine that in 3-5 days I'll be able to walk with hardly any problem. That's not to say that that will definitely be the case, but at least now I can conceive of it. Jogging is another story.

C • Rooting for you 4

Well, not exactly training, but thought this might be a good place to keep track of my efforts at recovery. Kevin showed me a couple of exercises to strengthen my abductors, so I did have about ten minutes of working out.

Went to see Kevin, my physical therapist. He concurs that my hip problem is not terribly serious. The popping sound was probably the IT band slipping over the head of the femur. To heal, the process is: (1) allow the trauma to subside (ultra-sound, ice, electric stimulation, anti-inflamatories, rest), (2) loosen up the IT bands (massage, stretching, rolling out), and (3) build up the abductors (exercises he will give me latter) to keep the leg going straight, thereby lessening the tension on the IT bands. His rough timetable is one week of rest, one week of walking, one week of jogging and on/off running. That would mean three weeks (2.5 weeks from now) until I could resume normal running, in time to be ready for the Individual Champs in late Oct. However, he says he's seen people recover in as little as a week or as long as two months, so we'll have to see how I respond. There's no doubt that I was able to walk better after he worked on my IT bands.

It's certainly hard to see how I could compete seriously at Truckee the weekend after next, and attempting to do so could put the Individual Champs at risk. Today my walking is again a little bit better, but there's still no mistaking that there's an injury there. Still, Kevin wouldn't completely rule out running at Truckee, so I'm not either, but if I can't at least jog pain free by Tuesday (which would be way ahead of schedule), I almost certainly will have to give up the idea of competing at Truckee (which certainly is a big disappointment).

Full session of upper body and core, plus a couple of things for my hip that I learned from my physical therapist this morning.

Theraband exercise for my upper body. Moved arm rotations up to light green. (Recently moved the others up from light green to dark blue.)

I'm walking a lot better today, almost without a limp (if I concentrate). Tomorrow morning I see Kevin at OPTM; I'm hoping he'll give me a good exercise program, and help me assess whether going to the Truckee A-meet is still possible.

C • injury 3

C • Sierra Courses 1

Went to see my orthopedist, Dan Haber. He thinks the hip problem is only bursitis, and should be manageable with rest and then exercises. Sure hope he is right!! Still think that making it to the Truckee A-meet in 11 days is highly in doubt, but at least I have hope for the late Oct Individual Champs in Boston.

Full set of upper body and core exercises, including theraband and weights.

Louise and I took a hour yoga and mediation class in Hakone Gardens. It was lovely, but it's a long time since I took a yoga class (decades), and I didn't realize how bad my extremities had gotten: I could only half do most of the poses. My shoulders, calves and Achilles prevented me from having any reasonable extension. For a while that made me very sad, but then I realized it's just a wake up call: got to do something to become more limber.