Progress Post: 4/25/16

I'm channeling my inner turtle lately--slow and steady wins the race, right? I was I had more "progress" to talk about, but really the only progress has been that I'm set to start Euflexxa injections in my knee. I saw the surgeon who did my surgery two years ago, and he's hoping that the extra lubrication that these injections will add will "get me over the hump" so I can workout more, lose the baby weight, and finally feel better.

This past week, I have to admit I didn't do much at all to make progress. I taught my 3 classes at the gym and did one walk with Robby. Food wasn't the best either. SO, why the heck even write a post about it? Well, I told myself I needed to stay accountable so here I am, being accountable.

I took some progress pictures, or rather, lack of progress pictures, and I plan to take my after shots in 6 weeks. Stay tuned for a (hopefully) noticeable transformation! For this week, I'm sticking strictly to the 21 Day Fix meal plan + Shakeology. I'm home alone with the baby pretty much the entire week, so my workouts will consist of walking with him and modified Beachbody workouts. Since my knee isn't up to any kind of heavy workouts, I'm going to take it slow and really work on my core and upper body. I also plan to incorporate some of the PT exercises I was doing after surgery. Can't hurt, right?

There you have it! Minimal progress, but a few steps in the right direction, nonetheless. How was your week?

Even Robby's less than impressed with my progress!

My Year in Review

Well, we've come to the end of 2014, and it's been a heck of a year!  This blog has been up and running for a full year, and I'm so grateful to all the friends I've met through social media.  It's been awesome to meet people in "real life" that I feel so connected to online.

As we get ready to ring in 2015, everyone is looking back as their own personal ups and downs of this past year.  Sometimes I feel like the year flew by, and other times I can't believe some things were just a year ago.  Here are some of my bests and worsts from 2014:

January: Completing the Dopey Challenge!  That may be the best of the whole year.  I've never been so proud of myself.  I PR'ed the full and cut 26 minutes off my previous PR.  It was seriously one of the coolest things ever.  If you are a pretty serious runner, I highly suggest taking on this challenge.

March:  We took an amazing trip to Hawaii.  It was there I realized how important being healthy and fit was.  I got to enjoy things like hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, and snorkeling with ease because I was in good shape.  It was the first time I looked around and realized how fitness is not only fun, it allows you to have more fun in "real life" too.

May:  Worst day of the year for sure--May 18th when I fell during a routine 8-mile run in my neighborhood.  This incident defined the rest of the year and I'm still struggling with it today.  Ironically enough, I had no idea how bad it was at the time.  I even went shopping all over town before going to the urgent care.

July:  Knee surgery.  It didn't fix anything.  It was an overall cruddy experience. 

August/September: My return to running in the Dumbo Double Dare.  It was such a slow race, but a little sign I posted on my back (and on social media) turned it around.  Runners are the best group in the world, and they pulled be through with each and every encouraging word.  It was the race that brought me back to life.


September:  I made a conscious decision to start pursuing fitness as a full-time career.  I signed up as a Beachbody Coach and registered to become a RCAA running coach (training is in March, 2015).  Making lemonade--and realizing that I have a huge passion for fitness and I'm pretty good at it too.

November: I completed the Wine & Dine half in the rain and the Vegas RnR Half in the freezing cold.  Oh yeah, and I registered for this little race called the Goofy Challenge.

And now, I sit here reflecting back on a year FILLED with blessings.  Even at some dark times, I was able to see that there are positives that can come out of every negative.  So, thank you 2014 for the ups, the down, and everything in between.  Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you had a great 2014 and 2015 promises even better.  Cheers!

Pre-Race Reality Check

Wine & Dine is over (I promise a race report is coming soon) and now I'm onto the next one: The 2014 Las Vegas Rock and Roll Half.  I'm pretty tired from the fun of the Disney race and weekend.  I definitely did something wrong at that race because my back is killing me.  I also registered for Goofy so I have a ton of training ahead of me. 

As I picked up my bib last night (and realized that I am corralled WAY too far up), I thought back to when I registered for this race. I registered the night before the Disneyland Half Marathon with the thought that I'd "have fun" at Wine and Dine, then turn around and race Vegas.  I had grand ideas of chasing 2 hours again.

Tonight, I sit here and pray just to finish the race under 2:30.  Yep, 2:30.  I'm not even close to where I was before surgery.  It's a huge reality check for me.  I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.  I know I need to get back to a doctor and figure out some next steps.  Surgery clearly didn't provide the relief I was hoping for (in brief, they just removed some floating pieces of cartilage; I still have a huge hole in my cartilage).  Damn.  I was hoping I wouldn't need more procedures.

I'm working on coming up with a new training plan, incorporating more PiYo for stretching and strength.  I know Goofy is going to be really slow.  I thought I'd be racing by Surf City Half, but now I'm not sure about that either.  It's going to be a much longer road than I anticipated.  BooHooooo.  I'm done complaining.  :)

Race Report: 2014 National Nurse's Half Marathon

This past Saturday, I participated in my very first small, local race: The National Nurse's Half Marathon (btw, no, it's not just for nurses and no, I'm not a nurse).  This race is a point to point road race along the rolling hills of the Red Rock canyon area in Las Vegas.

I attended the expo Friday night.  Some of my Zumba instructor friends were exhibitors, so it was nice to see familiar faces.  Also, I finally got to get some Shoe Frosting!  If you ever see these girls at an expo, go say hello!  They are super sweet and so much fun :)  I think I showed a ton of restraint by only buying 6 "frostings"!  The expo was really small, but efficient and well-organized.  They had amazing speakers--I wish I wasn't at work all day so I could have listened to more.

I was pretty nervous for this race--I would be going alone, driving myself to the start, and running on my still healing knee (12 weeks post-surgery and counting!).  I already had the Disneyland Half under my belt, but the 3 hour finish was far from what I wanted to run today.  My goal was to shave off 15 minutes and come in around 2:45.

The Very Small Start Line

They arranged for buses from the finish line to take you to the start, so I boarded the bus around 6:00 (start was 7:00).  Our bus got lost, but eventually found the little town of Blue Diamond.  I used the bus bathroom (super smart move--there weren't many bathrooms available and everyone was needing to go 'one last time').  Then, we all gathered around in the park.  There was no "marked" start line; we were instructed to follow the lead cars.  Very different from Disney, but well-organized in it's own way.  Local musicians sent us off with the national anthem.  It was pretty funny how many other runners ran Disney.  Everyone I talked to was talking about a Disney race (yes, I was wearing a runDisney Sweaty Band which started the conversation).  I should have told more people about the blog!!!  I always forget that part :)

We were off pretty much on time.  A quick stroll through Blue Diamond and we were well on our way on the streets in the canyon.  It was so nice to be on an open course where you didn't have to weave around tons of people.  I was able to set my own pace, stop when I wanted, and really "run my race".

The first 4 miles were hilly for me.  My legs (especially my right leg) were cramping early and feeling unprepared.  Also, without the typical huge start and long walk to corrals, I didn't do a good job of warming up.  I was texting my hubby at mile 4 to bring ibuprofen!  The up-hill/down-hill is really hard on my knee.  I also made the mistake of not taking enough walk breaks early.  I was so in the zone and felt so good I didn't want to stop running!!!  It was one of those mornings where I really need to talk myself off a ledge--I'm running injured--I just can't do what I used to do!

Once we were past mile 4, the course got much flatter and easier.  My knee quickly recovered and my legs started feeling better.  At mile 6, I smartened up and went to my intervals: 1:30 run/1:00 walk.  This is how I've been training, so it just made sense.  As soon as I switched to these intervals, my run speed increased and I was hitting a comfortable stride.

My hubby ended up meeting me around mile 10 and again at the finish.  It was a great boost to see a familiar face.  I also knew I had tons of cheery Zumba friends at the finish--what a great support!  Turn right, turn left, FINISH.  My official time was 2:31!!!!!  I had shaved off close to 30 minutes from the Disneyland Half!  That was so awesome!  I exceeded all of my own expectations.  Just another confirmation that I am on the mend!  The finish line was great, then I was off to teach a few Zumba routines at the finish line too--it sounded like a great idea at the time.  I struggled a little, though, because I was really tightening up after pushing so hard during the race.  Gotta admit, though, it was kind of my perfect world--half marathon + Zumba = happy Aly :)

Before we close out, I have to tell you about the course--it was seriously B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!!!!  It is not what you think of when you hear Vegas for sure!  The mountains, rocks, scenery--just amazing!  This stretch of road is full of runners, bikers, and other athletes on any given weekend morning, so I plan to add this "course" to my regular running schedule.

I would highly recommend this race to anyone in the area or traveling to Vegas.  It was affordable, very well-run, had a great course and pretty awesome bling!  Check out the website for next year's race!  I'm sure it'll be even better!   http://www.nationalnurseshalfmarathon.com/

One more half in the books!

Recommit to Rehab

I plan a lot of my blogging when I'm out running.  Makes sense, right?  This IS, after all, a blog grounded in running.  Sunday, I headed out for a 9 mile run, and thought I should try to push my run intervals a little and run for 1:30 and walk for 1 minute.  It did not quite go as planned.  I have a race in two weeks and I'm feeling a little beat down.

 

 

What I'm realizing quickly is I have not done my part in rehabbing my knee after surgery.  Especially since I've been back to teaching classes at the gym, I have slacked on my knee exercises.  It's tough, because since my doctor refused to give me therapy, I'm doing it all on my own.  I have great advice from medial professionals I really trust.  So this week, my plan is to recommit to getting this knee stronger.  (Didn't I promise this before???).

 

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Here's my plan:

 

Leg Press--both legs & right leg only

Lateral step up & over the BOSU

Squats on the BOSU

Single leg step ups on a platform

Balance with resistance--4 ways

Clockwork lunges (5 ways)

Lots of stretching!!!

 

What am I missing?  I know some of you out there have had knee problems.  What exercise got you back the strongest?

Live Your Passion

After yesterday's pity party (thanks everyone for letting me whine), I wanted to give the flip side of being injured.  A while back, I wrote a "why me" post.  (You can read the whole post HERE)  It was a little less whiny and more of trying to make sense in that "things happen for a reason" thinking.  I was struggling with two dichotomous theories: was this a message to stay with my stable life, or was the message that I truly love fitness and running and I have an intense passion for helping others love it too.

Well, now that I'm back to running (slowly) and back to teaching classes (with modifications), I can start to zero in on the fact that this has made my passion very clear.  I have a passion for fitness and I would love to make a career of that in the future.

So... this past weekend I took my first step, and I did it for two reasons: first, I need to help myself and second, with all the knowledge I have, I need to help others.  I decided to become an Independent Team Beachbody Coach.  If you aren't sure what that is, I basically help people reach health and fitness goals by coaching them through a variety of programs.  I know you've heard of programs like Insanity and P90X, right?  I'm so excited to get started with my own program and to see where this all takes me.  Interested?  You can check out my page:

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/alysonstater

I am definitely ready to get started and live my passion.  Have you ever considered a major career change?  Was it scary?  Did it work?  AM I CRAZY?  :). 

Why Getting Back is Harder than Getting There

It's been a little over 8 weeks since my knee surgery.  I was on cloud 9 when I finished the Disneyland Half Marathon 2 weeks ago, but then a cold limited my workouts for a week and I'm still slowly coming back.  This past Sunday I went for my long run.  It was hard.  Really hard.  Again.  I cried.  Okay, I cried twice.  But it wasn't tears of pain, instead to was tears of mourning the loss of what was. 

2:04 Half Marathon

I know that health, fitness, and running are not one-way streets.  We all have times where we soar, and we have other times where we falter.  I know that for sure: my first half marathon in 2010 was my PR for over 3 years!  I chased and chased that time, but could never beat it.  I finally did in 2013 and that was the start of one of the healthiest times of my life.

That's a PR smile!

I PR-ed my half, I trained my butt off for the 2014 Dopey Challenge, and I ended up PR-ing my marathon during that 4-day challenge.  Oh...and not just a PR...crushed my previous marathon PR by 25 minutes!  I maintained a good base through the spring, and then I fell on May 18th...you all know this story by now.  So now here I am, 20 pounds heavier (well, probably about 16 since I started my DietBet), and giving up on the goal to break 2:00 in a half marathon this year.  No, I'm not giving up completely, but just putting things on hold.

Back to Sunday and my tear-filled run.  I was barely keeping a 14 min/mile pace, and that seemed impossible.  Going faster seemed impossible.  Sub-2 hours seemed impossible.  All I could think about was where I was headed and how quickly that all slipped away.  I got to thinking about how defeated I felt trying to get back to where I was.  Even though it took me 3 years, I never felt so defeated aiming for that half PR.  I was disappointed during some races, that's for sure, but I was never so down on myself.  I felt like I was chasing something, but I was at least taking some steps to get there.  I never felt like my body was letting me down.  There were times I could have trained more.  There were regrets about race day choices.  I never cried, though.  Now, trying to get back, I cry.  Somehow, getting back is harder than getting there. 

The site of the fall.  And I get to pass it almost daily :(

I'm sure there are plenty of people who disagree.  I know there are plenty of people who'd like to tell me to put on my big girl panties and suck it up.  Today, though, it's hard, and I'm going to whine just a little more...

Road to Recovery: One step at a time!

Yep, that's the spot.  I'll stay on the other side of the road for now!

On May 18th I fell.  Hard.  I fell during a routine 8 mile run around my neighborhood; a path I have taken hundreds of times.  I was worried about my hand and about the scrape on my elbow getting infected, so I headed home.  I was going to finish my run on the treadmill later.  That never happened.

Months of resting, physical therapy, and a knee surgery followed because my hand and elbow were the least of my problems.  I tore a chunk of cartilage off my femur.  A pretty darn crappy injury to have.  There isn't any great solution, surgically or otherwise.  The surgeon removed all the floating pieces in my knee.  I'm left with a 1 cm hole, full thickness (meaning it's all the way down to the bone) and a constant clicking in my knee.  Every step I take is like driving over a pot hole. 

2 SLOW miles!

Surgery was 17 days ago.  I have no restrictions; my activity is only limited by pain and the extreme weakness that is the results of months of inactivity, overcompensation, weight gain from emotional eating, and side effects of surgery.  But today.... today was the day that I charged up my Garmin and hit that same path where I fell.  Today I logged miles for the first time. 

It's amazing to me how much conditioning I have lost and how 2 little miles, walking slowly, causes so much pain.  It's also amazing how getting outside and going for a "run", even when you're not really running, just walking, and it is a distance you would normally double or triple mentally helps. 

I have a funny feeling I'll be paying for my workout tomorrow...

Road to Recovery: 1 (+ a little) week post-surgery



Getting ready to go under

On the ride home with my pillowpet

Happy Sunday everyone!  Getting a little personal here--this post is all about me :).  On July 17th I was cut open... okay, not really, it's only two little holes... for a knee chondroplasty and scope.  The surgery was successful in my eyes: the doctor was able to take out a few cartilage pieces that were "floating", he cut one flap, and he was able to smooth out some cartilage.  Believe it or not, if you haven't been following along, all of this started with a silly trip and fall during a routine run in my neighborhood.  I wasn't paying attention, was looking at my I-pod, and tripped on a piece of metal on the sidewalk.  Yep, I think back over and over to that day and wish I could turn back time. 

Post-op leg

I'm a little over a week out from surgery, and exactly 5 weeks from the Disneyland Half Marathon, and I gotta be honest--I'm starting to get a little nervous about being able to cross that finish line.  The doctor was very clear over and over again that he wanted to do microfracture surgery to "fix" the problem (I, however, am totally against that surgery, so I decided not to give consent for that procedure).  There is a very real possibility that this surgery does not provide much relief from pain.  Yep, I did a surgery that may not have fixed anything.  It was a Hail Mary--my last hope before looking into some more experimental procedures.  For all of you wondering, no, my doc hasn't put me out for the race; he says it'll be based on how I heal and feel. 

 

My knee is starting to look normal again; I can almost see my knee cap.  I have full extension and just got beyond 90 degrees of flexion.  My calves are really tight and have actually been causing more pain than my knee.  So weird!  I'm trying to stretch, but it's tough with my other limitations.  I can't use any type of lotions or creams on my leg since the incision isn't totally healed; I'm looking forward to being able to put some arnica cream to help the muscles.  I'm still in a routine of icing most of the day, elevating, and minimal movement.  My only "exercise" is simple leg lifts, which are surprisingly difficult.  I honestly thought I'd be walking around a little more than I am at this point. 

 

Starting to see a real knee

I can't let myself give up any hope, but it's waning as each day goes by.  I think I will find resolution to this whole issue eventually, but I don't know when.  So, what do you think?  Will I be a spectator or a participant during the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend?  If you were me, what would you do to train?  Please be careful when you are out on your runs!



Road to Recovery: What's It All Mean?

Are you all tired of hearing about my injury yet?  Today marks 6 weeks since I fell.  6 WEEKS!  It's commonly known that 6 weeks is kind of the "healed" point for most tissue repair.  I should be feeling much better at this point, but that's not the case.  Some weird part of me thought I'd bound out of bed this morning and be 100% better.  Nope.  Not the case. 

So... along with perseverating on the options, surgery, therapy, and other injury related things, I've been pondering the meaning of life.  Okay, not quite the meaning of life, but more like the meaning of this injury.  Not to get all "do do do do... do do do do/ Twilight Zone" on you, but I do think that things happen for a reason. 

There must be a reason why this happened (other than my own stupidity for not paying attention to my running).  Here are my two theories:

First, my confession is that I had been considering leaving the world of education for a work-life full time in fitness.  No, not tomorrow, but I was really considering the move post-babies and I hadn't really worked out all the details. 

That being said, here's my first theory: This was God's way of telling me that it would be foolish to leave a stable career which I'm fairly skilled at.  Not to brag, but hey, I did get a job as a central office administrator at the age of 30.  My career has been very successful, thus far.  I have been lucky and am so grateful for the positive experiences I have had.  Am I supposed to really do this forever? 

Or, theory two: Did this injury occur to really show me how passionate I am about fitness and running?  I literally cannot stop thinking about running and how much I want to get back on the road.  I have deeply missed teaching my classes, and I have immersed myself in reading about fitness and running.  In a strange way, my sadness along this journey has made me aware of a true love of sport.  Is it true that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life?

There they are--two polar opposite theories, and I can't figure out what it all means.  Or is it just a cautionary tale to pay attention before something serious happens when I'm running?  Or is it a sign that I need to have my phone and an ID with me just in case?  Or heck, is it really just me needing to obsess over something and since I can't run to clear my head, all I can do is throw around conspiracy theories?  So... what do you think?  What's it all mean?

Road to Recovery: Week...???

This is my first link up!  Woot woot!  I immediately jumped on the opportunity when the topic announced was injuries!  I'm ALL OVER that topic lately.  So here's how it works: superstar bloggers Patty from My No Guilt Life, Erika from MCM Mama Runs, and April from Run The Great Wide Somewhere are the hosts.  They pick a topic and bloggers share their own posts on that topic.  Be sure to check out these 3 blogs and the many other bloggers talking injuries this week :)

I thought this was the worst-wrong!

So, for any new readers, let me catch you up:  I fell while running.  Hard.  Sprained my wrist, hit both knees, tore cartilage in my right knee along with an MCL sprain.  I'm actually exactly 5 weeks and one day out from the fall.  On some level I'm still in shock that I hurt myself so badly from a little fall.  I'm still not back to real workouts.  Some days I feel like it's getting better.  Other days I'm still in significant pain.  Ugh!

This past week I had a visit with a PT.  It was actually the best medical visit I've had yet.  He did a thorough assessment, including comparing my left side to my right, injured side, watching me walk all different ways, and listening to my symptoms.  He really put the pieces together (and was the first one to do so!  I had previously seen 3 doctors and did not come up with anything that made sense).  He thinks most of my pain is from a strain in my hamstring tendon, which likely pulled from my overstrides while trying to stop myself from falling.  It was a HUGE a-ha moment!  Yes, that's exactly what I was feeling.  Finally, someone listened to me!  I've been really frustrated because the tear in my cartilage was not where I was feeling the most pain.  It wasn't adding up.  Now, it totally does.  This also was awesome because I got real guidance on what to do/what not to do within my "workouts".  No, I'm not working out really, but just biking and leg lifting with zero resistance.  I cannot tell you how invaluable this visit was!!!  I finally feel like I am really on the right track.

So, that being said, week 5 and nothing too much more has changed.  Well... other than the number on the scale. Booooo. I'm finally encouraged that there is an end in sight and maybe even an end that doesn't include surgery (oh yeah... that was another awesome side effect of PT...he agrees with me on no surgery).  I'm still hoping to be able to run in Disneyland Labor Day weekend for the Dumbo Double Dare.  Obviously my goal of a 10k PR during that race is out the window, but just finishing both races will be  huge accomplishment!

My life on a stationary bike...for now :)

There you have it!  One more week of big limitations, then I should be able to start increasing my workouts and training.  My takeaway for everyone this week is to be sure you are consulting with medical professionals you trust!  Keep asking questions until it makes sense.  Listen to your body and your instincts.  When it all clicks, you'll know.  I am so fortunate that I work in the profession and was able to go to one of the best physical therapists in town.  I am able to pick the brains of PTs all the time and get some awesome advice.

So...anyone ever have an injury like this?  It's kind of a weird one!

Road to Recovery--Week 2

Week 2 is underway!  To be honest, it started with me feeling a little low.  I actually spoke to another fitness instructor friend who is also a chiropractor and he made a simple but profound statement: “Some of my clients even get depressed.”  That pretty much sums up how I’m feeling.  On one sad drive into work, I came to the conclusion that I use running, dancing, and gym time as my stress release.  Now, I’ve replaced that with eating junk and watching bad TV.  Week 2 is where I change that.

Thursday—didn’t do much of anything.  In all honesty, didn’t feel too bad but it was the last day my employees were at work and I was wiped out from a very long day.

Friday—a whole lotta walking around at work.  This was enough of a workout.

Saturday—Wasn’t feeling great, so took the day off

Sunday—Got my booty to the gym for a BodyPump class.  It felt awesome to workout again, even though I really had to modify a ton and didn’t do any legs. 

That small little tear causing all sorts of issues!

Monday—dun, dun, DAH….met with the orthopedic surgeon.  It was not at all what I was expecting.  I thought he’d recommend a little clean-up and I’d be on my way back in 4 weeks.  Nope.  Not at all.  His recommendation is microfracture.  The one thing everyone advised me against.  The one thing I said absolutely NO WAY to prior to this appointment.  He wants to wait another 4 weeks and see if I can live with this tear.  The size is right on the cusp of “shouldn’t cause too much issue” and “you need to deal with it or else...”  Not at all what I was expecting.  Oh…and I decided to teach my Be Bad Hip Hop class this afternoon too.

Tuesday—Finding that I’m really getting depressed about the options.  I’m starting to obsess a little, trying to look up every possible option.  It’s easy to say “get a second opinion” but really my doctor has given me the same options that I have found online.  Oh…and I decided to teach my Zumba class.  Ouch.  That really hurt.

Wednesday—Holy cow!  Yes, I just said holy cow!  I was in so much pain!!!!  I am really paying for teaching two days in a row.  It’s very interesting, though, because I barely did anything.  I also finally got approved for physical therapy.  My doctor ordered no resistance exercises or any impact.  Eek…not what I was expecting.  I start next Tuesday with one of the best PTs in town.  I’m going to give it the best shot to not go into surgery. 

Well…and since I’m posting this so late, the rest of the week kind of went the same way.  Didn’t do much.  Some pain, some days better than others.  The only silver lining was runDisney released the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend medals.  Yes, I’m in total denial about being injured and the possibility of not running.  So, here they are, straight from runDisney:

 

Will you be earning any of these medals?

Road to Recovery--Week 1

Injuries happen.  Yes, even to those who are well conditioned and workout all the time.  Since this is my reality, I thought I’d start a weekly post on the road to recovery.  It’s not a “how to”, instead it’s a “this is where I am and where I’m headed”.  Might even be a little selfish and serve as a "keep your head up" for myself.  I WILL be ready for the 2014 Dumbo Double Dare, and I hope it won’t be a terrible day, but rather a celebration of really hard work.  Anyone can train for and run a race, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this road to recovery might be even harder.  So here it is: week one on the way back to running:

Wednesday—started at home physical therapy.  Nothing fancy; just some leg lifts, half squats, range of motion.  After my exercises, I was in a ton of pain!  I couldn’t even walk up the stairs to go to bed.  I was worried.

Thursday—bad day of pain.  I finally put my foot down with the doctors at urgent care and demanded an MRI and a visit with a specialist.  It didn’t take much convincing.  I did my exercises again, this time with a few glasses of wine (we’re being honest here, right).  Yes, for the record, it helped.

Friday—got an MRI.  Won’t get the results for a while.  Pain is much better.

Saturday—went to the gym.  First time on the bike, no resistance.  I made it 12 whole minutes, but I had to stop a few times.  Also did my exercises at the gym.  Also spent a few hours dancing with the Be Bad Hip Hop girls to review choreography.  I barely moved around, but I was in a ton of pain when I was done.  Hope I didn’t overdo it. 

Sunday—went to the gym again.  Much better today.

Monday—I couldn’t find a sub, so I taught my Be Bad Hip Hop class, sort of.  I warned my students via Facebook and my class delivered!  I did it at about 50%, and it was pretty painful.  I also received some bad news with my MRI; I tore cartilage in my knee.  I will have to wait a week to figure out what the next steps are.

Tuesday—I spent the day doing nothing.  Lots of the same as far as pain, but since I know it’s a tear, I don’t want to risk doing more damage until I see the doctor.

Wednesday—ditto! (and that’s kind of my plan for the rest of the week, too).

Well, I started this post thinking I'd be writing a chronology of my own therapy adventures, yet Monday’s results derailed the plan.  My hand (which I also sprained in the fall) feels much better.  I’m going to give it until Saturday, then try to do some weights.  Other than that and maybe a little biking, I’m going to try and be a good patient.  No pushing it, and I’m really just trying to rest.  I hope the rest doesn’t equate to weakness going into treatment. 

Have you ever fallen while running?  Ever needed surgery?