Getting some exercise January 19, 2006
Posted by spacemom in : Nance , trackbackNow that PT is over, I am getting some exercise in. This is good. I have privileges to work out with the "Harvard" elite students and watch them play squash.
The thing I have been not able to blog about is the PT. Last Tuesday, they released me. In 2-6 months, my foot should be fine. Why is this bothering me? Why would this be difficult to write? Because I was also told that IF I can run again, I need to keep it to once a week, not more than 3 miles TOTAL in a week.
Wow, that was hard to hear. In 1998, I took up running for exercise and weight loss. Every step was hard and I told myself "It’s for my future children". And I continued. I got up to 3 times a week 3 miles a time. I was considering running a 5K just to do it. I felt good. Then the launch got near and things got crazy and we spent more than one crazy night working until 8 to keep to software for the spacecraft running. And I stopped.
I started again in late 2000. It was a crappy year, I was not getting pregnant, but I kept at it. And I got back up to my 3 times, 3 miles. It felt good, I was able to actually run. When I finally did get pregnant, I had to stop running as I had something called OHSS. Not fun. Then as that went away, I developed a hernia that landed me in the L&D at 22 weeks with everyone in a panic…It was OK, I was OK, just in pain… I didn’t start running again until Soleil was 7 months old. Just after her 9 month old birthday, I ripped my calf muscle. 2nd degree tear. Not pretty.
PT, hard work, crutches, I got myself running again after Luna was born. Then my foot started having trouble.
Well, this long story comes down to this, the tear in my calf muscle never healed properly. I have scar tissue on the muscle. I am working on extra stretching to break it and help the muscle heal again, but the PT told me that I will never be able to run again the way I had been. I was shocked. I mean, come on, 9 miles a week is NOTHING. But the level of damage is too much. I am really disheartened by this.
I have been cleared to do a run/walk on a treadmill. Walk for 4 minutes, run for 1 and slowly build up to a 20 minute run. Only once a week. Not more. She advised against running outdoors, my favorite, because the uneven ground could lead to another calf injury.
So I’ve been biking at the Radcliffe Center, but it just isn’t the same. I wish I could run again….
Comments»
Ugh, what a bummer. Once a week on the treadmill just isn’t even in the same ballpark. Sorry doesn’t really cut it, does it? But I am sorry…
Sorry Nance. It must be hard to be told that you can’t do something you really enjoy doing. Me? HATE running. Always have!