On Monday, I drove to downtown Chicago for my appointment at Rush/Midwest Orthopedics. I'm a Rush grad, and I've always said if I needed a joint replacement, I'd have it done at Rush. If you recall, a local ortho told me I needed a total knee replacement when I sought medical advice for my ongoing knee pain. I didn't agree with his recommendation, and neither did the PA I saw at Rush. This appointment was a completely different experience--she listened to me, she reviewed my X-ray and MRI with me, and validated my concerns. She also told me I didn't meet criteria for a knee replacement, that I have patellar tendinitis, to continue what I'm doing (PT), and that there are no restrictions on my activity. Music to my ears! I left feeling positive and grateful.
Overall, my knee is feeling better. I am still wearing the knee strap, but I have more pain-free range of motion--going deeper in my squats again and being able to run longer than I have in a while.
Weekly rundown:
Sunday: Ice Age Trail Gibraltar Segment 7.1 miles/1200 ft
Monday: Strength Training/PT
Tuesday: Fluid Running
Wednesday: Trail run 3.5 miles
Thursday: Strength Training/PT
Friday: Yoga with Adriene
Saturday: Trail Sisters run
We were still up at the lake on Sunday. The weather continues to be exceptional, so once the sun came up, I headed to Gibraltar Rock for some views and vert. I wanted to test the knee again. I parked at the Slack Road segment and ran the 1 mile connecting road to Gibraltar while the sun came up. What a spectacular morning!
There was a haze over the area, which made for some fun photo ops.
There was also some color left on the trees. What a great run on an amazing morning!
Because I needed to drive downtown for my ortho appointment, I was up and out the door for the 6 am CrossFit class before my 730 am PT appointment. The strength work was a repeat of last Monday, and I increased the weight on both of my lifts.
Back Squats:
#1: 5 reps at 80#
#2: 3 reps at 90#
#3: 1 rep at 100#
Deadlifts 5 x10:
#1 10 reps at 80#
#2 10 reps at 90#
#3 10 reps at 110#
#4 10 reps at 120#
#5 10 reps at 130#
On Wednesday, I debated which section of the preserve I wanted to run. Ultimately, I chose my usual spot, and as soon as I stepped onto the trail, a deer ran across it. I slowly made my way down and spotted a big buck in the woods, along with 2 does who were running through the woods. The buck was roaming around restlessly, and I watched him, enthralled. He eventually wandered off, and I proceeded with my run.
I made my way around the preserve, but tired legs made me slow to a walk. Eventually, I walked around the lake, through the overgrown woods, soaking up the last of this spectacular fall. I saw a doe in the woods, and she was not happy to see me, stopping and clicking at me. I kept going until I reached the sledding hill and climbed it back to the parking lot. Much to my surprise, the buck was back, looking into the distance. He wandered off and I left, feeling very content after my short little jaunt around the woods.
Thursday's strength work built on last week's lifts:
Deadlifts: 5-3-1 for load:
5 reps: 100#
3 reps: 120#
1 rep: 140#
Bench Press: 5-3-1 for load:
5 reps: 50#
3 reps: 60#
1 rep: 70#
Shoulder Press 5 x10: I messed up the weights, so I did the same weight for all 5 lifts.
10 reps x 5 sets: 42.5#
After this, I went to PT, where I was treated to another intense workout that focused on hips and glutes. I am more sore after these sessions than after my time in the gym! But I'm not complaining--in fact, I signed up for more sessions because this is the work I need to do to keep running.
Because I had a run with the Trail Sisters scheduled for Saturday, I took a rest day on Friday, doing Yoga with Adriene's Yoga for Pelvic Health.
On Saturday, I met up with my Trail Sisters for a run! I wanted to get in a mile before we went out as a group. It was a beautiful sunny morning, but cold and breezy. I was pleased with my pace, which I ran at a brisk pace! In typical Wendy fashion, I miscalculated the distance and ran about 1 1/2 miles before returning to the parking lot. The group left without me, and I didn't catch up with them until they were finishing up. I struggled with the rest of my miles--it was like I used up all my gas within the first couple of miles. I've had some decent 'long' runs lately, so I'm hoping that this run was just a fluke. I've been feeling some DOMS from PT for a couple of weeks. Saturday was no exception.
Off the road...
On Monday, after my appointment at Rush, my youngest son walked over from UIC, where he is attending med school, and is located right next to Rush. We picked up his girlfriend from their apartment and went out for lunch. There was no way I was going down to the city without seeing them! I forgot to take a photo because we had such a nice time.
On Thursday, my son and DIL came over for dinner, and I got to love on my little grandnugget. He's over 9 pounds now and fits nicely in my arms. I can't get enough.
Seeing my guys, girls, and little Johnny filled my heart to the brim. There's still so much drama with my parents and sisters, but spending time with my little family makes everything feel better.
How was your week? Is fall still hanging on where you are? What was your favorite workout of the week?
No comments :
Post a Comment