I'm Not Done Yet!

My knee continues to improve, and I'm really pleased with the progress I've made at PT. She works me hard! But it's paying off. I'm having minimal pain and swelling, even with activities. Don't get me wrong, my knee sends me reminders when it's unhappy, but overall, things are looking up. On Monday, I'm driving downtown to Rush to see an orthopedic surgeon regarding my options. Hopefully, this appointment will go better than the one I had a few weeks ago. 

Basically, that ortho told me I needed to stop running and that only a knee replacement would fix my problem. His recommendations seemed a little extreme to me. When I saw my rheumatologist the following week for my gel injection, she agreed with me that his advice wasn't appropriate at this point in time. She told me to keep my appointment at Rush. I remain optimistic as I return to running and hope for continued improvement as I move forward!

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Trail run 5 miles

Monday: Strength Training, PT

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: Trail run 6 miles

Thursday: Strength Training, PT

Friday: run 4.5 miles

Saturday: rest

Sunday morning started out with a little rain, but it was still warm enough for shorts. However, I wore long tights and sleeves because I wanted to venture into the piney woods to look for deer. I hadn't been back there for a while. The buckthorn and brambles were doing their best to take over the trail--the thorns grabbed my hat off my head a few times when I navigated under low vines and branches! But it was worth it. I saw a few does and smelled the musky smell of at least one buck. Hopefully, they are working on repopulating the preserve.

The rest of my run was uneventful. I took in the colorful foliage and leaves, and I spotted a Cooper's Hawk in the distance. I didn't run as much as I wanted, though, because my knee was unhappy. I also felt fatigued. I'm getting used to doing more walking and not minding it as much. I do see more that way!

Monday's strength training was the same format as last week. This was a 'deload week'; we were told to go lighter on our lifts. The guidance was a little vague, but since I've been lifting lighter these past few weeks, I only cut back 20% on the lifts. I went to PT after class and was sufficiently exhausted by the time I got home.

Back Squats: 

#1: 5 reps at 65# 

#2: 3 reps at 75# 

#3: 1 rep at 85# 

Deadlifts 5 x10:

#1 10 reps at 70# (40%)

#2 10 reps at 75# (45%)

#3 10 reps at 80# (50%)

#4 10 reps at 85# (55%)

#5 10 reps at 90# (60%)

It was 64 degrees on Wednesday morning when I arrived at the preserve. It was also pouring rain, but while I waited for my Garmin to connect, it stopped raining. The sun even started to peek out from the clouds. Ahhh....fall in the Midwest...blink and the weather will change. This was the pattern throughout my run. Meanwhile, I soaked in the remaining colors of the leaves still on the trees. There were a lot of leaves on the ground covering the trail, so I kept my eyes down, hoping to avoid tripping over a hidden tree root. I ran about half of my miles, and my knee felt pretty good! I even saw a little deer in the woods.

Deload week continues--Thursday's deadlifts were lighter, but not a whole lot. I didn't deload the bench presses because I hadn't done them for 2 weeks. I also did Shoulder Presses for the first time this cycle. They got spicy in a hurry.

Deadlifts: 5-3-1 for load:

5 reps: 90#

3 reps: 110#

1 rep: 130#

Bench Press: 5-3-1 for load:

5 reps: 45#

3 reps: 55#

1 rep: 65#

Shoulder Press 5 x10

10 reps: 35#

10 reps: 37.5#

10 reps: 40#

10 reps: 42.5#

10 reps: 45#

Friday morning was clear and cold. Since my knee has been improving with every session of PT, I decided to test it out on the bike path. I wore my knee strap for support and set off, hoping to catch the sunrise over the lake. On my way, I passed my fellow bike path runners, who all asked me where I'd been. That put a little pep in my step! I ran a total of 4.5 miles with only one walk break and a few photo stops. I wanted to go the full 6, but didn't want to push my knee. I felt a few twinges, but adjusted my stride and finished feeling good! No swelling and minimal soreness was a win. What a wonderful start to my day!

Off the road:

On Saturday, the hubs and I drove up to the lake to take advantage of the beautiful late fall weather. There were still some leaves on the trees. We drove down the Wisconsin River to Sauk City and had lunch at a brewpub that overlooks the river. This fall has just been amazing, hasn't it? I just keep soaking it in as long as it lasts!

How was your week? Is it cooling down where you are? What was your favorite workout of the week? I have to say that Friday's run really felt good--it was nice to remind myself that I'm not done yet!

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.