Friday’s Chiro appt. did not go as I’d hoped. He retested my lateral hip strength for a third time and used that W word I despise: WEAK. He advised me to stay in the pool and double up on my exercises. Instead of 3 sets of 10 of each move now I need to do 6 sets, in addition to a whole mess of other stuff with stretchy bands and in the pool. Color me pissed.
I went directly from the doctor’s office to the pool. In my hurry (and fury) somehow my water bottle spilled inside my gym bag, leaving everything literally floating inside. I emptied the bag as best I could then spilled the water out in the toilet. Along with the water went a quarter, a bobby pin, and yes, my car keys, remote and all. I don’t even remember fishing them out. Ugh.
The plan was to simulate my long run Friday since the pool was closing for a week–could the timing be worse? I’d spend an hour pool running then hit the bike for another hour. It’ll have to do.
The pool was like a scene from Cocoon. Very decrepit-looking seniors but mad props to them cuz wow they could sure swim. The hour slipped away quickly.
Call me crazy but smooth roadsides excite me.
Then I hit the bike for an hour. That’s when I received the ‘sign’. As I rode I noticed the shoulder of the roadside, where I frequently run, had been resanded and smoothed. It’s usually extremely uneven and rocky. At that moment it came over me. Despite what the doctor said, I would try a run on Sunday. Something about that moment made me know it would go well.
Fast forward to Sunday: The unsanctioned plan was to attempt 4 slow miles. I’d stop at the first signs of discomfort. My legs should have been tired from spending the previous day at Great America with the family but all I noticed was that my hip was cooperating. 1.5 miles (where the pain flared last time) came and went, then 2, then 3 miles, then I was home. Not a peep from the “weak” hip.
I was thrilled to say the least. I know I’m not out of the woods yet. I need to be very careful in the way I ramp up my mileage. But I am hopeful!
Do you ever go against doctor’s orders? Does the universe give you ‘signs’?
WOOHOO!!! I haven’t run in 3 months due to this dang PF…but I’m going to try one this week. You’ve inspired me! It’s time to try to get back in the saddle again.
Holla! So exciting to have pain-free miles.
I am an absolute believer in signs and had to try to ignore them when I saw a black cat half-way into my long run yesterday. Thankfully, I finished unscathed (though not unchafed – my hip is UGLY).
Yes! So glad to hear it. I think sometimes we have to go with our guts. You know better than the doc how your body feels. I really, really hope this is the beginning of the end of the hip issues for you!
You sure have awesome determination!!! Way to go! I think it’s important to take Drs advice but they definitely aren’t law! That’s for sure!! Spalove to you!!
I go against doctors orders a lot. I’m not the smartest, but it sounds like it worked for you! I’m so glad there was no pain!!
I am glad you were able to run without pain. It is hard to listen to the doctor’s orders especially when you have other plans! I love your strong will to run and I hope things continue to get better for you.
pain free running is good. Don’t over do it, you want to be able to keep running for a long time!
Yay for sneaking a pain-free run in! I do listen to the doctor, usually, because by that point, if I have gone, I am in a lot of pain. So I guess you can say I do not listen to minor hints of pain very well. But I am getting better.
I hope your runs get better and better! 🙂
That Cocoon remark made me chuckle….Maybe the water healed your hip!
Just be careful–I’m glad for ya, but be careful.
Glad to hear that you had some pain free miles out there! As someone who has battled injuries for a while now, I know how that feels to not be able to run. Definitely enjoy the miles, but keep up the rehab exercises too to strengthen your hip. I’m assuming that you are doing yoga too? I think that is great hip strengthening and overall body strengthening.
Also, I’ve learned that writing down your exercise experience daily helps – I have a calendar that I just write my workout thoughts on daily, and it helps to narrow down what works, and what doesn’t work. I finally learned that for me with a stress fracture it helps to run on flat trails, as opposed to hills or pavement. Because the load placed on the ankle with hills may be too much for the ankle to take all the time.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay!! Hope this is the beginning of more pain-free miles for you!
woot!! That’s wonderful news!!
Nice! Take it easy, though…. slow and steady.
So glad you had a good run, and a bit of hope! That’s very daring of you- I can see myself doing the same thing. 🙂 Glad that your adventure had a happy ending… hope you’re able to continue adding miles back on pain-free!
So glad you had a great run!! I do go against the doc’s orders sometimes:( Bad me! Hope your runs keep on feeling good!
runners? going against doc’s orders?! never… 😉
glad it went well! hope you are still feeling ok now after the fact and continue to heal! i mean biking and pool running are only so ‘enjoyable’.
Tsk Tsk Tsk =) Just kidding! I too ran against doctor’s order a few months ago….and survived! Gotta listen to your body.
That’s really great news. I guess your weak hip was sick of taking all the blame and decided to show your chiro a thing or two.
You know your body better than anyone else. It’s good to listen to the doctor and take advice but also important is listening to your body…so happy that you got that run in with no problems! 🙂
Yay for a pain free run! Great news for sure.
Be careful with the running! Glad it was pain free, but please be careful!
Last time I was injured, I was very good about staying off of the leg while I wasn’t allowed to run at all. But as soon as he gave me the green light to *slowly* start running again, I may or may not have pushed harder than I should have… whoops
Wahoo! Don’t overdue it though!
Your such a rebel 😉
love that it didn’t hurt on your run. i do my best and stick to the doctors orders. i may end up doing pool running too (which I have never done & will need to reference your posts)-i sprained my ankle at HTC and will learn more at PT on thursday-but I want to get back to running as soon as I can-so I am following doctors orders (that means several days in bed with foot propped up). boo.
I’ve definitely gone against doctor’s orders (or in my case my own orders to take it easy while injured) and it backfired, but I’m really glad that you felt great while on your run!
I think I know my own body better than my doctor does, so yes, I do occasionally do things against doctors orders when it comes to this kind of stuff… but my eyes? Never. Through my 3 eye surgeries and recovery, I listened and followed directions EXACTLY as given.
Nice that you got in a pain free run… signs from the Universe? You bet! 🙂
The pool was like a scene from Cocoon. — Freakn awesome quote!!
As for doctors orders – I used to not follow them as I saw fit; now – not so much. I listen and adhere.
Good luck to you and Godspeed.