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All Clear for Running! 4/26/10
Posted by admin in Training (running, cycling, etc.), Try This! on April 26th, 2010
After my last Physical Therapy appointment on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, Travis declared that I am clear for beginning my running regimen! He also video taped me in shoes and my Vibram® Five Fingers. It was so telling and painful to watch for me. You can be the judge for yourself as soon as I get it up here 🙂
Anyway, I have been working out at least three times a week. I did do a walk 1/4 mile, run 1/4 mile, walk 1/4 mile, and run 1/4 mile on Thursday, but it was a little too much. So, the prescribed program below will, hopefully, work better:
Week 1
Day 1 – Walk (brisk) for up to 1 mile, within the mile of walking, run ¼ mile (1.25 total, 0.25 run)
Day 2 – Rest
Day 3 – Walk up to 1 mile with ¼ mile run within this mile (1.25 total, 0.25 run)
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Walk ¼ mile, run ¼ mile, walk ¼ mile, run ¼ mile, walk ¼ mile (cool-down) (1.25 total, 0.5 run)
Day 6 – Cardio – bike, stairmaster, swimming, etc.
Day 7 – Rest
Workouts! Woohoo!!!
Yeah! I am working out, now! I go to the gym with a plan. It is awesome, and it makes me actually want to go to the gym since I have a purpose.
I have worked out Monday and today. Today, I had a limited amount of time. So, I only did my physical therapy exercises. I think I might get up in the morning and do the personal trainer exercises. I have been noticing since starting to stretch and roll my hip flexors and quadriceps that my hamstring has begun to stop doing all the work it was doing. I can actually feel my glutes getting some action. Whew! That’s another success!
My wonderful husband has graciously offered to get me up in the morning. I hate mornings, which means that this will not be an easy job for him 😉 We shall see how it goes. Morning workouts would be more reliable since evening workouts happen after school, and a hard day at school usually does not end with a barbell in my hand.
Left Sesmoid Bone – or Rather, Missing Sesmoid Bone
Posted by admin in Reflections on April 13th, 2010
Another recent development is a sensation that borders on being inflammation where my scar for the removal of one of my sesmoid bones in my left foot is located. I have had this problem before, but it was years ago and closer to the surgery. Consequently I had the surgery in 1998, which puts a really long time between now and then.
So, my theory is that I am either not favoring the left foot in order to not inflame the sesmoid scar -OR- I am favoring the left foot, which in turn inflames the sesmoid scar.
Which ever it is, it is very annoying, and I would like it to stop.
I have added icing the sesmoid scar to the icing the bottom of the foot regimen since it is right there.
More updates on this development later.
Left Hamstring – ARGH!
Posted by admin in Reflections on April 13th, 2010
So, since beginning my physical therapy, an old problem having to do with my left hamstring has come back. It is an interesting thing where the hamstring seems to always be working, but not correctly. I do not know how to describe the sensation other than to say that it is a pulling sensation where the hamstring feels like it is working for everything. I do sit ups, I feel hamstring. I do bridge, and the hamstring is doing more work than the glutes on the left side. Needless to say, it is annoying and not very beneficial for me.
Frustrating. That is actually what it is.
I am going to ask Travis about it, but until I get a chance, I am going to try stretching some of the connective muscles. I wonder if helping everything relax will help.
Physical Therapy Visit 4/8/10
Wow! It has been four weeks since starting physical therapy! And guess what?! Travis had me push my foot against his hand today, and he said that it was definitely stronger! Hooray! It’s working! I’m not ready to run, yet, but things are looking up. Not to mention, I’m very close to running 🙂
Ok, this visit I was so sore from my personal training session with Melissa, that I was really in sad shape to do much for Travis. He kept it simple, but definitely challenging. First, we started with the bridge with a twist – my feet were on a big ball. However, Melissa had made me hold a bridge on one leg for one minute each leg. It was too good of an exercise, and my sore muscles rebelled.
So, Travis, then moved through a series of exercises. My homework is to do them as close to everyday as possible. I took the weekend off, but I started tonight (Monday) with a bang! I did Melissa’s workout combined with Travis’s! Man, was it ever nice to walk into the gym with a plan.
Also, Travis did have me run in my super stiff running shoes with orthotics for 2 minutes. He told me that I picked my feet up at neutral, which does indicate a tight hip flexor, as Melissa had found. So, he said to continue stretching those. He also said that my right foot looked great, while my left foot continued to fall around the arch/ posterior tibialis. So, more work is needed.
Next time I go in, Travis is going to record me running in my super stiff running shoes and my Vibram’sâ„¢. I cannot wait! He said that I might be able to put it up on the blog. So, stay tuned! You might be lucky enough to witness my feet in motion!
Until next time….
Personal Trainer 4/5/10 – Introducing Melissa!
So, I have added to The Village. Everyone meet Melissa! She is my personal trainer at All Star Fitness Executive Club where I workout. Up until this visit with her, my workouts consisted of me riding the stupid bike for 20 boring minutes. Then, on to the mat where I completed all of my physical therapy workouts, which are not that strenuous for the rest of my body (they certainly are for the tendon, though). After that, I’d do some Pilates led by yours truly, and maybe some push-ups. Then, I’d decide it was time to go home.
Well, not anymore!
I have a plan and Melissa to thank for it!
It was a great evening! The interesting part came at the end when I was doing some 90 degree leg raises using just my leg. My left leg was no problem on flexibility for this one, but my right leg was really hard for me to extend fully due to tightness in my hip. Melissa said we’d stretch that out and see if it felt better. However, while stretching, I discovered that my left leg was very tight in the hip flexor (muscle that runs down the front of your leg right where it bends at the hip). Even more interesting, the left hip flexor was tighter than the right. By a lot! Hmm.
Anyway, I now have a nice workout regimen as well as some really good stretches.
Thanks, Melissa! I shall be seeing you soon! Welcome to The Village!
Physical Therapy Visit 3/30/10
Ah, Spring Break had begun, and I ventured to physical therapy really early, well, because I could 🙂 It was a basic session except that this time, Travis did this massage where he moved his fingers perpendicular to the tendon. This method has a name, but I forget as I was lax in updating that week. Not so lax because several personal ventures took a not so great turn toward stressing me out, but I digress…
At this appointment, Travis decided to continue the home tendon strengthening using the blue band. He also had me do some cool stuff where he placed orange markers on the floor about 3 feet apart in a straight line. I had to do two quick steps between each set of markers. Whew – I was definitely sweating after this one!
He also had me stand on one foot and bend down to reach toward markers on the floor. The difference between my right an left sides was striking to me. My right side was solid. My left side very wobbly. Well, that’s why I’m here.
Anyway, I left for Vegas the next day. Needless to say, I did my exercises each day, and I rode the stationary bike in the hotel, too! Ha!
Physical Therapy Visit #4 3/26/10
Travis suggested that two appointments this week would definitely benefit me. So, I dutifully made an appointment for Friday, which was tricky because I had to go in the middle of the day. I teach school for those who are curious, and leaving in the middle of the day is not so straight forward.
Anyway, I managed all that and arrived at the PT office. Boy did Travis mean business today. We started out immediately on strengthening the posterior tibialis. I had to stand toes only in the pigeon toed postion on a step. From there I raised both feet, then lowered on the left foot only. 10 reps, 3 sets. Whew! That was hard! I am happy to report that the tendon did not seem to mind this exercise.However, I discovered that my left hamstring was really burning during this exercise. This is an old problem where my hamstring does the work of my glutes or inhibits my glutes from firing or something. I am not sure of the cause, but I know that my hamstrings are a little too helpful when ever I am running or doing exercises.
This revelation led into some investigation of how the hamstrings and glutes were firing. Travis had me do some exercises, and yes indeed the left hamstrings were much more engaged than the right ones. He said he could add an exercise to help engage the glutes more. Here I diverge: when I went for PT in 2001, one of the main focuses was on getting my glutes to fire. The right leg was successful, while the left leg was annoyingly non-compliant. It is a very big disappointment to me, and when I think of trying to treat that again, it really makes me sad. It such a let-down when it didn’t work all those years ago. I don’t know if I can there again. I know I have to, but I’d like a little success before hitting that obstacle.
Then, we moved onto core strengthening. I have done side-body planks before, but all I had to do was lift my body, hold it four seconds, and release down to the floor. Travis decided to up the ante on this one. His exercise was lift the body into the side plank and hold. While holding, lift the top leg five times. Wow, talk about challenging. I found that my right side was significantly stronger as when I got to five, I actually lost count and could have kept going. On the left side, though, the exercise was more challenging and getting to five was really tough. I like this exercise, and I think I am going to practice it outside of the clinic. Five leg lifts per side, 3 sets.
After that, he had me do some bridges while holding one leg out for a few seconds, then release down to the floor and go again with the opposite leg held out. Ten of those, 3 times.
Next, I had to balance on a board while Travis threw a fairly light medicine ball at me. Fifteen throws, 3 sets. By the third set, I could feel it in my left ankle. The right foot felt good.
Finally, I had to stand on the flat side of a half cylinder made of foam (i.e. the semi-circular part was on the floor, creating an uneven surface). Then, I stood with my back to the resistance band. I took the two ends and held them in both hands. The exercise was to punch forward with both hands at the same time while balancing on the foam. Ten of these, 3 sets. After that I turned around and grabbed the resistance bands and pulled back (doing a rowing motion), while still standing on the foam. Ten rows, 3 sets.
I must admit that I only made it through two sets of the last exercises. My posterior tibialis was seriously done. It felt more worked than inflamed.
After I returned to school, I noticed that my tendon did not like to walk long distances, which made the walk home not very inviting. I ended up getting a ride from my absolutely wonderful husband. Then, I iced.
Over the weekend, I am going to continue to do the blue band exercises and alternate the sweeping foot and the pigeon-toed exercises. I am also adding the plank. I really need a whole workout regimen at the gym as currently, I am really just floundering along without any real direction.
Ponseti Method
Posted by admin in My History on March 27th, 2010
In my earlier post about myself, I mentioned that I was born clubfooted. Both of my feet turned in to where the bottom of each my feet touched the ankle. It is my understanding that in the mid-70’s when I was born, surgery to release the foot was the most popular method to “fix” this problem. However, the surgery leaves the patient with shortened tendons, less mobility, stiffness later in life, and overall pain when walking forever.
I was incredibly lucky that my parents decided to bring me into this world at Baptist Hospital, which was not in our very small rural hometown. The doctors at Baptist used a method to correct my feet using casts to hold my feet in place for the first six months of life. Then, I wore really weird looking braces (the shoes for these braces looked like they were on the wrong feet) for the first year of walking. After that, I had flat feet, but they worked fine.
As I was researching subtalar neutral, I found the name of the man who invented the cast and brace method of treating club feet, Dr. Ignacio Ponseti. He invented this method in the 1950’s, and it is now being taken to countries around the world. They have found that clubfoot can be treated in older children as well.
Having been a successful recipient of this method, I feel very indebted to Dr. Ponseti and the Ponseti Method. Although I gripe about my feet not functioning correctly, I cannot imagine what my blog would say had I been treated with surgery or, even worse, not been treated at all.
So, I dedicate this blog to a man I have never met, but without whom I would not have the potential to run. To Dr. Ignacio Ponseti (1914-2009), thanks for helping me run barefoot!
Physical Therapy Visit #3 on 3/23/10
Ok, so, I did not do so well on the PT exercises from last week. You see, I’ve got all these great excuses, like papers to grade that are still not graded, but they make me feel bad. Then, there was the Gala on Friday with free wine – boy Friday and Saturday were out after that. Sunday and Monday, I did do my exercises, and I found that the green band was really easy.
So, when I told Travis that I needed the blue band on Tuesday, I was hoping that he thought that I had done my exercises everyday (Oh no, he might read this! – ah well, I’ll just do better this week!).
Speaking of Travis reading this, he showed me how the podiatrist finds “neutral” or subtalar neutral on a foot! He is so fantastic. I told him that I did not remember my doctors doing that to my feet to find subtalar neutral, but I do believe I was incorrect. Upon further examination of my memories, each foot doctor did find subtalar neutral on my foot. I am still wondering if I was able to hold said “neutral”, but I have already been there and talked about that. Back to my story. (I do plan on adding some information on the technical aspects of some of this information.)
I had my second ASTYMâ„¢ treatment, which should be my last. My posterior tibial band still is a little inflamed this evening, but I did complete my exercises with my blue band! I also got one new exercise that is just dragging my left foot toward my right foot, while sitting, and then lifting the left foot off the ground instep up. It is surprisingly tiring.
That is truly all for now. I am still walking or riding my bike to work while wearing either my super stiff running shoes with orthotics or my Dansko’sâ„¢. I am also continuing to ride the stationary bike at the gym. I hate the stationary bike – almost as much as I hate the treadmill. I know I’m not supposed to “hate” something, but I just want to run barefoot! Not ride a stupid bike!