Physical Therapy

Spooky ‘fessions

October 27, 2023 by Michelle 16 Comments

October has flown by and here we are on the last Friday of the month which means it’s time to join Marcia for some Runfessions. It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renée, Jenn, Zenaida, and me! So let’s go!

Spooky ‘fesions

I finally had an MRI a couple of weeks ago and I runfess that I was disappointed that the results revealed no clear issue. Of course, it’s great that there’s nothing obviously wrong, but at the same time, it makes finding the “solution” a bit more of a guessing game.

I runfess I was so relieved that the sports orthopedist I saw earlier this week told me that I could get back to running. It may be a slow process but at least no one said “no running!”

Though I do runfess that I groaned a little when he said 6-8 weeks of PT….sigh.

If you’ve gone to PT, what’s the longest that you have had to go?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!
Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, injuries, Physical Therapy, Runfessions

Runfessions from the PT’s Table

January 27, 2023 by Michelle 25 Comments

Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday, and since it’s the last Friday of the month, I’m joining Marcia for some sole cleansing Runfessions. So let’s get started!

Runfessions from the PT’s Table

So I started physical therapy this week and I runfess that it was both eye-opening and humbling.

While I’ve posted running reels for IG, I runfess that I don’t study my gait. In fact, I haven’t done a gait analysis since I worked with Coach Marc a few years ago. So it was interesting to have the PT film me and then ~~pick apart~~ assess my stride. He quickly pointed out a hitch in my right leg motion thanks to a very tight TFL.

He next put me through a series of moves and determined that my right glute is probably not engaging. I runfess that despite all of my lower body strength training there’s clearly some work to do to correct my imbalances – my quads are dominating and it’s time to make the glutes earn their keep.

I runfess I did breathe a huge sigh of relief that the PT feels pretty confident that what ails me can be course corrected and thankfully there was no talk of “not running”. I may have to slow my mileage build a bit but I will get there.

Have you ever worked with a physical therapist? Was it a yay or nay experience?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday, and share your fitness-related posts! Please remember to link back to your hosts and share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Physical Therapy, Runfessions

Some Goals for July

July 8, 2018 by Michelle 37 Comments

For the first time in a long time, I never got around to setting any goals for June. I like having monthly goals to keep myself on track, so before we get too deep into this month I’m sharing some goals for July.

But first here’s a quick recap of the past week:

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – Kickboxing

Wednesday – 3 miles to kick off the 4th

Thursday – Yoga

Friday – Crazy thunderstorms put a dent in my run plans but I had my first PT appointment

Saturday – 5 miles and more hours working on the patio project

Sunday – Cross training in the form of patio work 🙂

Getting a little post-run planking done after Saturday’s run

Notes from the PT

I had forgotten how sore you can be after a PT appointment! My therapist Abby and I clicked right away. I like that she’s worked with a lot of runners, and after a thorough assessment and conversation about my running/racing goals for the fall and beyond, she’s already starting to flesh out a solid plan. We’ll be doing a gait analysis during an upcoming appointment, which should really help to spotlight the probable imbalances going on. While she wasn’t 100% thrilled with the idea of my running the remix at Chicago, she does support continuing to run as long as I keep the miles easy and “don’t push it” (better than being told no running, right?).

Daily PT exercises
Get to kickboxing class twice a week
Follow my macro life plan which will force me to get back to more thoughtful meal planning
Drop a couple of pounds (see above)
Complete Rachel’s plank challenge – the goal is a 5-minute plank. I’m currently on day 189 of my plank streak and up to now, I think my longest plank has been 2:30. This challenge will definitely help me up my core work.

Running wise I’m going to enjoy that I’m not formally training for anything at the moment. I have no goal except to listen to my body and try to keep moving as much as possible. RnR Chicago will be a shuffle at best, but I’m ok with that – I’m in it strictly for the fun!

I’m joining Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Do you set monthly goals? Are you training for anything at the moment?

Filed Under: goals, Physical Therapy, Weekly Wrap

Physical Therapy Update – Slow and Steady

July 15, 2015 by Michelle 23 Comments

I had another challenging session at Marathon Physical Therapy today. I don’t really know what I was expecting when I started, but these sessions are tough – full of shaky-leg-inducing exercises. Turns out my left leg is just full of surprises! Not only are we working on my hip strength and limited ankle dorsiflexion, but we’re also trying to correct a stuck fibula head! As my PT explained it, the fibula head tracking is directly related to the the limited ankle range of motion, the hip instability, and tight ITB – yep I’m developing a much better understanding of the whole kinetic chain.

Source

What’s interesting to me is that I have no discomfort when walking or doing any other cardio activity – just running. But the good news is that I’m making steady progress and I have been able to continue to run.

I do want to get a better handle on figuring out what’s happening when I run. So next up – a gait analysis. One of the reasons I wanted to work with Marathon was because of the great range of sports medicine services they offer. I’ll get to work with one of their running coaches, along with my PT to analyze my gait and figure out what in my mechanics and approach to training I can improve upon so I don’t end up heading down this road again.

Filed Under: injuries, Physical Therapy

July’s Ultimate Coffee Date

July 4, 2015 by Michelle 15 Comments

Happy 4th of July! I’m so glad we could take a little time out during this holiday weekend to catch up with The Ultimate Coffee Date. A big thanks to Coco, Lynda and Deborah for hosting! Don’t forget to check out the link-up and see what the other ladies are dishing about.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that a 4th of July isn’t complete for me without some fireworks! We caught a great show last night and my youngest is already asking if we can see more tonight.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that my oldest son has been away at camp for a week and I’m thrilled to say that he’s already written home! It sounds like he’s having a blast, which makes missing him much easier. I am counting the days until parents’ visiting day – 14 😉

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I started physical therapy on Wednesday. My evaluation revealed weak and unstable hips (no surprise) and limited range of motion in my ankles (who knew?). So I’m faithfully doing my exercises and am scheduled for 2 PT visits a week for the next month or two. The exercises are tedious, but I’ll do anything to get back to running with less discomfort.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m doing two challenges with Black Girls Run! Boston this month – log 50 miles and a daily plank series. I love the way this group of ladies cheer each other on. I’m really hoping to squeeze in a couple of group runs with them this month too.

What have you got planned for this weekend? Are you catching any fireworks?

Filed Under: 4th of July, Challenges, Physical Therapy, Ultimate coffee date