Music To My Ears

The Report on the Knee:

Last Thursday morning, I got up and ran 4 miles before going to the doctor to have my knee checked out. I wanted it to be acting up, just like it usually does after a run, and sure enough it was in typical achey form.

So, the doc took a look, moved it around in all these ouchy awkward positions, and came up with the enlightening conclusion of...........

"I don't know."

Gee, thanks for the insight. I had already figured that one out on my own.

Then she went on to say that nothing felt out of place, torn, or broken. Once again, I concur.

So, she decided to send me for an x-ray and some physical therapy.

As predicted, the x-ray showed nothing. Which left the therapy.

The doc asked if I knew of any therapists to go to, and I said, "YES! I know the best therapist and I want to go to him."

Even though he just opened his own practice on the other side of the world, and I will have to drive over half an hour each way to go see him. He is awesome!

I meet him five years ago when I was having problems with my right shoulder. I had been having some major pain issues. It was at the point where the entire upper right quadrant of my back would go numb when I had a long day at work. I was unable to even mop my floor or run the vacuum without major pain, and I couldn't reach out to grab something with my right arm.

The doctors felt that it was an over use issue related to my job. They told me to find a new one. Yeah, right. I had just spent 8 years of my life in school to have this job, and had been out of school for 9 months, with more student loans than I wanted to think about.

Get a new job? You people are freaking nuts!

So, that left the physical therapy.

I had been seeing another therapist, with minimal results.

One day I came in for therapy, and got the news that my regular therapist went into labor 6 weeks early, and therefore was out on maternity leave. So, I would be seeing Sean.

Boo. Hiss.

I don't like changing people, be it a doctor or hair stylist, it just doesn't sit well with me. So, I wasn't happy, but what could I do.

I went through the therapy session with Sean, and left hating his guts. I'd never worked so hard or hurt so much in my life. But a day later I actually felt better for the first time in a year.

So, I transferred my records to his regular office and spent many months visiting him 3 times a week, until he released me into a blissful life, free of shoulder pain. And 5 years later, my shoulder still feels fine 98% of the time. He is a miracle worker!

Sorry, I digress, but I have never actually given any back ground on the shoulder issues that I elude to on occasion when it acts up during my long runs (one of the very few times it still bothers me).

Back to the knee...

So, I went to my first appointment with Sean this morning. And he told me the 7 best words in the English language........

"I give you permission to keep running."

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!

He thinks it is over use, combined with the fact that I pronate. He recommended orthotics, and strongly hinted that I need different shoes. (I don't think I mentioned the fact that I decided the asics weren't going to work and returned them, so I'm back to my old ones until I have time to go shopping again.)

He is doing this horrible ouchy, but very effective, procedure called ASTYM.

And making me stretch every 3 hours.

Boo. Hiss.

I'm not quite sure how I am going to manage that at work. Considering most of the stretches require me to lay down, one even needs my leg to be hanging off the side of a flat surface (ie bed, couch). My coworkers are going to think I'm nuts when they come in my office and find me laying on my desk, dressed in a business suit, with my leg hanging off the side or all twisted up on the floor.

But, hey, whatever it takes, right?!?!

So, I go twice a week for the next 4 weeks for these torture sessions. Sean thinks it will be resolved by then. Yeah.

The catch being that I address the underlying cause of the pronation.

The bad news is that Sean wants me running a "reasonable" training schedule.

Boo. Hiss.

So, there goes the schedule I was going to follow. I was planning on trying it improve my speed, and improve myself as a runner. I was really going to push myself. Give it my all.

But, essentially I just got permission to continue along my lazy path, and not over do it.

So.... I have re-evaluated the goal, and re-designed the schedule.

The goal, once again, is to crawl across the finish line before they kick me off the course for being too slow.

The schedule will be something very beginner-ish, with some cross training thrown in for kicks.

And I make a solemn oath to try really really hard to get back to doing some yoga to help me with my hatred of stretching.

I hate stretching.

I love yoga.

I am so not normal.