Happy Saturday!

So I followed Dr. Williams orders and went running on Wednesday. I had to use the treadmill at the gym thanks to snow, ice and time restrictions. But I was only planning on 2 miles…and 2 miles is exactly what I completed…

IMG_3704The knee held up fine until I stopped. Usually it gives out while running but this time it locked up on me after running. It ended up being sore until the next morning. I was relatively calm though because I wasn’t “sneaking” in a run. Oh, and I wore my new New Balance 1080’s and my new custom inserts and LOVED them both!

FullSizeRender 6Such a cushy ride. So there’s the good thing about only being able to run 2 miles….perfect way to break in new gear. =)

Thursday we had ANOTHER snow storm. I worked remotely but managed to spend a few minutes outside enjoying the white stuff.IMG_3769
Guess we won't be barbecuing for a few more weeks...

Guess we won’t be barbecuing for a few more weeks…

In his glory

In his glory

Weee!!!! An unplowed street to run down!!!!

Weee!!!! An unplowed street to run down!!!!

After playing in the snow they defrosted on matching towels.

After playing in the snow they defrosted on matching towels.

And then yesterday after battling ridiculous traffic painfully slow bus rides (resulting from the snowstorm the day before), I went back to Dr Williams for my second ART session.
waiting again for another bus

waiting at the bus stop for the bus.

waiting for a bus

waiting for a bus again!

He also used the Graston technique on me. The combo of these two things made me almost puke from the pain. I told him I’m a wimp but he said “no, this stuff is really very painful.” Well at least he cleared that up. Just give me a puke bucket, but FIX MY KNEE! I mentioned about my knee locking up at the end of my run on Wednesday but he wasn’t concerned…he insisted I keep running. He said even if it’s a mile. In addition to foam rolling and stretching the quad I have to do some hip flexor stretches too. Bottom line is that the ART and Graston create some inflammation which will force my body to focus on healing. Oh and he said the knee might feel bruised. Well apparently it is…

i guess the bruise is more noticeable next to my pale skin.

i guess the bruise is more noticeable next to my pale skin. I don’t have the most shapely legs…sorry bout that!

I got home in the late afternoon, grabbed Duncan and took him to the park so we could both unwind and enjoy the winter wonderland around us. When there is sunshine on my face and nature’s beauty around me I can’t help to be anything but happy.
drawing in snow

I can’t remember the last time I professed my love this way but it sure felt good. If you’re reading sweetie, you know I love you because I wrote it in the snow 🙂

snowy bench

Come “chill” out on this bench with me! LOL!

park snowscape

Snowy serenity

Duncan at the park

I think i want to paint this picture and hang it in my house somewhere. I love it!

After the walk we came home, I made a quick dinner and then poured myself a glass of wine.
friday evening fun

Friday evening fun

I have a nice quiet and relaxing weekend completely solo which is rare these days between all the fun I spend with my friends, my family and Mr. SOTSS.

Duncan and I even slept in until 7am!
good morning!

Good morning!

Then Instagram reminded me that the NYC Half is just 8 days away.

NYC Half

this should be interesting

I have my 3rd visit with Dr. Williams on Tuesday and I’ll probably get in a 4th visit on Friday which can only help I suppose. I’m meeting my friends after the race for some brunch and to catch up on life so hopefully they won’t mind waiting a little extra longer for me to finish…my plan right now is to walk briskly (15 min pace) for the first 10 miles and run the last 5k…but like I said, I’ll have my MetroCard so I can just bail and hop on a subway to the Starbucks afterparty 🙂 I have already run the NYC Half and have more medals than I can count so it really doesn’t matter if I finish or not. Actually last year I had a MISERABLE time at the NYC Half.

Today, I spent a lazy morning cleaning house and then decided to take the doodle for yet another walk in the snow. We changed it up and visited a different park this time. But still the most beautiful views.

a dog and his human

a whole lotta curls…well mine were looser because i had leave-in conditioner in it and had it in a bun most of the day. #themoreyouknow

bobbing for apples?

bobbing for snow apples?

clove lakes park

Red fences make pictures so perfect

IMG_3844

snow and dog

peek a doodle

I’m now cozy on the couch and will probably go to bed a little early tonight since I’m a sad sack we lose an hour of sleep this weekend. Ah Daylight Savings….love that sunsets will be later but not looking forward to darkness at 6:30am. Tomorrow I’m planning on running 1-2miles. It’s going to be a mild 47 degrees out. I can’t wait to have just 20 minutes of outdoor running bliss.

Have a great weekend!

Anyone running a half marathon this month?

Are you an early riser? Night Owl? What’s your favorite time of the day?

Hi! Great news to share.

First, the shoulder: Not bad…I have “regions of interstitial and articular surface partial thickness tears involving the mid to distal supraspinatus and rotator cuff tendonitis. I also have arthritis and a type 2 accordion. Sounds intense but actually it’s pretty good. Physical therapy should be all I need. YAY! findings

And for the knee: Dr. Williams (my new favorite person) said I should keep running as far as I can handle and that taking a month off actually made my knee worse. I have Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome otherwise known as Runner’s Knee. Basically there is scar tissue around the knee and a tight quad muscle that are causing knee tracking issues. By taking a whole month off of all activity I essentially ended up with tighter, stiffer muscles and more scar tissue. Doc is using the Active Release Technique (ART) on me for about 4 treatments. OUCH! Hurts so good I suppose =)He did the first one today. He said I should continue to foam roll and stretch but to do it before I run and not after. Interesting because I was always under the assumption that after was better.

foam roll diagram of knee

Foam roll between the Vastus Medialis and Rectus Femoris and between the Rectus Femoris and Vastus Lateralis

happy to run

A little ART and I’ll be as good as new

The last words Dr. Williams said to me were “keep running as much as you can tolerate and we’ll work at getting your mileage up. You should be good in about 3 or 4 treatments.” So I’ll head back for more ART on Friday. And I’m going to start back to short runs this week! Oh happy day!!!!!

Have you ever had Active Release?

Have you ever been to a chiropractor?

What exciting news can you share with me today? 

 

Hi there.

Hope your week has been going fine and dandy well.

Last night I had my shoulder MRI. It was pretty painless. Took about 25 minutes and the technician had alternative rock playing so I was happy. They made me take my bra off because of the metal clasp, but I was able to keep the rest of my clothing on so I didn’t need to wear a silly paper gown. I tossed the bra in my purse. After the test was over I was in such a rush to get home I forgot to put it back on. When I got home I laughed that it was still in my purse.

have bra will travel

have bra will travel

I’ll get the results next week but as I’ve mentioned I’m finally feeling improvement and feel confident that at this point some PT will be all I need to get my full range of motion back in my shoulder. I cannot wait for the day I can pull a shirt over my head without having to gingerly slide my right arm into the sleeve first.

Oh, and I finally made some progress in the attempt for a referral to a sports injury doc. The receptionist at the doc’s office took down all the info for my request and was going to share with my primary care doc. If he approves then they’ll just call me when the referral is ready. Cross your fingers! The doc I’m hoping to see is actually a sports chiropractor. His bio says Dr. Williams has dedicated his life to treating sports injuries and teaching proper biomechanics to athletes, as well as any individual interested in leading an active life.” Sounds like the right guy for me! 

So last I left you I had just filled you in on my meltdown and the Cold Feat 10k. After my running peeps went home, I had to make a quick stop up the road at my folks’ house. It had started to snow and everything was blanketed in white.

childhood home

The house I grew up in…

Then on Sunday morning I took some cool shots of ice formations around my neighborhood.

I love when the water droplets freeze like this

I love when the water droplets freeze like this

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So, I had a little meltdown in my car yesterday afternoon when I tried to run a couple of miles for the first time in a month and the knee didn’t approve nor did it improve. How could 4 weeks of rest go by without ANY improvement? (apparently I’m really stubborn and not listening to my “Time and Rest heal everything” advice) Other than my day of skiing 3 weeks ago I haven’t done any cardio. Tears were shed…

tears

is it weird that in the midst of crying I needed to document it with a photo?

Don’t feel bad for me. It’s totally not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It’s my own personal struggle and I’m going to have to dig deep to keep myself sane.

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