i have been neglecting my blog so far this spring as spring is always a busy time. i a soccer coach at a local high school and the season started March 9th. going straight from work to practice to home leaves not much room for extra stuff, so here i am, many weeks since my last post.
i've just finished up a month of Physical Therapy for my knee. it has been quite productive for me. i've undergone gait analysis (i did everything wrong when i ran) and have gotten some valuable core strengthening exercises. the overall process has been extremely helpful. i've learned, as i guessed, that my posture and lack of core strenght hasave a lot to do with my injuries and recurring ailments.
we began with gait analysis the first session and just starting with walking, their were numerous points that the therapist gave me that corrected some long standing issues. once i began to run the therapist gave constant feedback as to how to move more efficiently and with less impact. by the end of the session my stride was better, i felt strong, and had less pain than when i started. i also went home with some exercises that would help to keep my hips in alignment as they are the foundation for my posture.
the next session i ran some more, continueing to receive feedback, and worked on some core and leg strengthining sessions on the BOSU. the next session: more running and band exercises.
the final session was cut short because i had received a knock in a soccer game the previous wekend. no, not in the legs fortunately but in my hand. it was quite painful and had swollen up a lot. it looked like a surgical glove when you blow up the palm. i was evaluated and measured to guage my progress then sent to get x-rays. no fracture which is good. the swelling has gone down and the pain has subsided.
that's what's been going on. more posts to come when i begin training and getting out and about in AK.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"training" run 2
yesterday I went for my first real run since my last knee surgery (6 weeks ago today). the little guy (in the bob), the dog and I went out and ran 2.85 miles in 30 min. not speedy by any means but it felt great to be out there. I can feel it today but not in a pain way but in a "hey, I remember doing this kind of stuff" way.
I ran kind of a ladder b/c I wanted to ease into it. I ran 3 then walked 1, then ran 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 5:1 and then was home or I would have gone back to 3. it was good times. the little guy was babbling away most of the time, enjoying the dog running alongside and the cars driving by. the temp was about 20-25˚ perfect for a winter/spring run.
word.
rental van fun in Phoenix
so what is it with me and about 2 weeks between posts? so much happens in that amount of time that I really shouldn't wait so long. so be it.
here is the much awaited (?) rental van off-roading in Phoenix. let me set up the scene: I have been going to the President's Day Tournament in Phx for the last several years, coaching with the Alaska Northstars program. I have been eye-balling this empty lot for the last couple years thinking it would be so much fun to drive around in it. so this year, with only 5 players in the 15 passenger van, I went for it. we made a big full lap around this huge lot then one of the players commented that he should have recorded the action on his cell phone. the 46 second clip that you see here is just a mini-version because I didn't want to risk going around again (breakage or somebody calling the police). FYI this was a commercial lot so no fragile desert vegetation was harmed that isn't going to be harmed eventually anyway.
it was hilarious afterwards to be driving around in a big white van that was now caked in mud. we were the envy of all the other teams in their clean big white vans.
here is the much awaited (?) rental van off-roading in Phoenix. let me set up the scene: I have been going to the President's Day Tournament in Phx for the last several years, coaching with the Alaska Northstars program. I have been eye-balling this empty lot for the last couple years thinking it would be so much fun to drive around in it. so this year, with only 5 players in the 15 passenger van, I went for it. we made a big full lap around this huge lot then one of the players commented that he should have recorded the action on his cell phone. the 46 second clip that you see here is just a mini-version because I didn't want to risk going around again (breakage or somebody calling the police). FYI this was a commercial lot so no fragile desert vegetation was harmed that isn't going to be harmed eventually anyway.
it was hilarious afterwards to be driving around in a big white van that was now caked in mud. we were the envy of all the other teams in their clean big white vans.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
back to training...but not really
so, here I am. four weeks out from knee surgery as of today. I'm posting a couple of much needed (?) updates as I realize it has been about two weeks.
the knee is recovering nicely, as is my mental state on the whole issue as well. with prayer, discussions with a couple of good friends, and input from my wife, God has brought me to the place where I am ok with whatever the outcome may be from my lack of normal knees. within a weeks time I found myself going from not wanting to 'be that guy' who can't participate b/c of old injuries to finding myself saying to an acquaintance that "yeah, after a fourth surgery my playing days are probably done." as I write this there is a part of me that sincerely hopes that this is not true, but at the same time if it is, I am completely at peace with it. there are other activities that I can do and other things I want to be able to do for a lifetime.
that being said, here is a picture from my recent 'return' to training. Jackson, the little guy, and I went for a 2 mile walk around the neighborhood last Thursday. it was great to get out with them and walk around on a mild winter day. I love being outside more than being anywhere else and I'm hoping that the little guy will share that love too.
as for other rehab, I've been on the elliptical up to 20 min. with no pain or swelling and have also jogged a couple of times at the dome. I found a progressive jogging program online at the physioroom.com and have done the first two day's workouts but didn't want to push it. like the doc says "little by little." I'm actually going to follow that this time.
I haven't completed committed to the core program yet that I spoke of earlier, but it is something I need to do and will begin hitting it for real soon. keep me accountable...
that's it for now from ak. next post be looking for some rental van baja action from this past weekend in Phoenix.
the knee is recovering nicely, as is my mental state on the whole issue as well. with prayer, discussions with a couple of good friends, and input from my wife, God has brought me to the place where I am ok with whatever the outcome may be from my lack of normal knees. within a weeks time I found myself going from not wanting to 'be that guy' who can't participate b/c of old injuries to finding myself saying to an acquaintance that "yeah, after a fourth surgery my playing days are probably done." as I write this there is a part of me that sincerely hopes that this is not true, but at the same time if it is, I am completely at peace with it. there are other activities that I can do and other things I want to be able to do for a lifetime.
that being said, here is a picture from my recent 'return' to training. Jackson, the little guy, and I went for a 2 mile walk around the neighborhood last Thursday. it was great to get out with them and walk around on a mild winter day. I love being outside more than being anywhere else and I'm hoping that the little guy will share that love too.as for other rehab, I've been on the elliptical up to 20 min. with no pain or swelling and have also jogged a couple of times at the dome. I found a progressive jogging program online at the physioroom.com and have done the first two day's workouts but didn't want to push it. like the doc says "little by little." I'm actually going to follow that this time.
I haven't completed committed to the core program yet that I spoke of earlier, but it is something I need to do and will begin hitting it for real soon. keep me accountable...
that's it for now from ak. next post be looking for some rental van baja action from this past weekend in Phoenix.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
2 weeks ago today...
I was a knee-surgery-aholic.
yesterday I had my 2 week follow-up appointment for my menisectomy. the knee is progressing nicely. it has returned to better range of motion than pre-surgery and never did swell, bruise, or cause much pain. I was cleared for jogging (doc doesn't prefer it though), stationary bike, elliptical, nordic track, and swimming. in the past elliptical, bike, and swimming have been my therapies of choice.
as much as I'm itching to begin running again I'm taking doc 'orders' (he actually likes to call them recommendations because as he says "people are going to do what they want"). he says to start little-by-little and non-impact activities will build and prepare the leg muscles for impact activities. I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical before I remembered that the doc said "start with a little bit." my knee was feeling so good and I would typically do at least 40 minutes so I hadn't even given it a second thought and the time had aleady flown past. so I went 5 more minutes and then cooled down. I went straight out to the living room and did some passive heel slides for range of motion. 5 hours later now I have no pain and no swelling, good signs.
for the core routine I'm beginning one can find more info on the runner's world website. I liked the whole article and appreciate that the workout is not about building a six pack, but is about developing a practical core with the mechanics of running in mind. I'm sure that with a change in diet though (less fat and sugar) a six pack would develop as a side result. in reading their description of how the different core muscle groups affect running I am not at all suprised that my lack of core strength has added to my knee issues. I'm committed to do everything possible to prevent further knee injuries and it appears to me that core strength is to be a big part of that. I'm sure that not going out and running 16 mile trail races without training will also help...
my mental state on the matter is still conflicted. I'm still struggling with the thought of not being able to trail run or play soccer again; of being that guy who can't participate because he has an old injury. I've never given that guy a second thought before, but now at the prospect of being him I have a new perspective, empathy, and respect for that position. again, the reality is that my quality of life for myself and for my family is more important than my own personal pursuits. the idol of reputation and physical ability needs to be laid down for the bigger picture. I can say it but it still makes me cringe.
yesterday I had my 2 week follow-up appointment for my menisectomy. the knee is progressing nicely. it has returned to better range of motion than pre-surgery and never did swell, bruise, or cause much pain. I was cleared for jogging (doc doesn't prefer it though), stationary bike, elliptical, nordic track, and swimming. in the past elliptical, bike, and swimming have been my therapies of choice.
as much as I'm itching to begin running again I'm taking doc 'orders' (he actually likes to call them recommendations because as he says "people are going to do what they want"). he says to start little-by-little and non-impact activities will build and prepare the leg muscles for impact activities. I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical before I remembered that the doc said "start with a little bit." my knee was feeling so good and I would typically do at least 40 minutes so I hadn't even given it a second thought and the time had aleady flown past. so I went 5 more minutes and then cooled down. I went straight out to the living room and did some passive heel slides for range of motion. 5 hours later now I have no pain and no swelling, good signs.
for the core routine I'm beginning one can find more info on the runner's world website. I liked the whole article and appreciate that the workout is not about building a six pack, but is about developing a practical core with the mechanics of running in mind. I'm sure that with a change in diet though (less fat and sugar) a six pack would develop as a side result. in reading their description of how the different core muscle groups affect running I am not at all suprised that my lack of core strength has added to my knee issues. I'm committed to do everything possible to prevent further knee injuries and it appears to me that core strength is to be a big part of that. I'm sure that not going out and running 16 mile trail races without training will also help...
my mental state on the matter is still conflicted. I'm still struggling with the thought of not being able to trail run or play soccer again; of being that guy who can't participate because he has an old injury. I've never given that guy a second thought before, but now at the prospect of being him I have a new perspective, empathy, and respect for that position. again, the reality is that my quality of life for myself and for my family is more important than my own personal pursuits. the idol of reputation and physical ability needs to be laid down for the bigger picture. I can say it but it still makes me cringe.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Menisectomy
before you get any ideas about some sort of 'sectomy let me remind you that cartilage in your knee is a meniscus, therefore a menisectomy means a removal of some of that cartilage, or in my case a whole lot.
my surgery was Tuesday (20th) and was a straightforward arthroscopy. my cartilage was torn where the repair had been done in 2006. it was a pretty large tear towards the back of my knee and a lot of cartilage had to be removed to make it right. the doc also cleaned up a lot of scar tissue towards the front of the knee so hopefully my range of motion will be even better.
this being my fourth knee surgery I knew what to expect going into it. my recovery so far though has really exceeded my expectations: minimal swelling, no pain (just slight discomfort), great range of motion, not much loss of strength...better than what can be expected. I'm hoping at my two week appointment I'll be cleared for the elliptical or stationary bike.
in trying to make a return to the activities I enjoy (trail running and soccer specifically) I need to realistically consider that I may not be able to return at all. as my doctor said, "you need to remember that you don't have normal knees." I need to be willing to let those things go if necessary if I want to avoid any further knee problems. it's hard for me to accept this but I'm asking God to change my heart. I want to be able to run and play with my little guy as he grows up and do activities that may limit my ability to do that are not worth it. my pride still needs convincing though.
another thing that I've realized is that I have too often just expected my body to be able to do things: climb thousands of vertical feet in a day, run 20+ miles on sketchy terrain, play in soccer games with little rest between, trail racing without training...in all these things I have taken my physical ability for granted. I need to not do this anymore. any return to running/racing needs to be preceeded by conditioning, training, and proper nutritional intake. I've also discovered that my lack of focused core strength has added to the beating on my legs. a good core routine will be started as soon as I'm cleared for it.
so, I'm learning and growing and looking forward to the future.
my surgery was Tuesday (20th) and was a straightforward arthroscopy. my cartilage was torn where the repair had been done in 2006. it was a pretty large tear towards the back of my knee and a lot of cartilage had to be removed to make it right. the doc also cleaned up a lot of scar tissue towards the front of the knee so hopefully my range of motion will be even better.
this being my fourth knee surgery I knew what to expect going into it. my recovery so far though has really exceeded my expectations: minimal swelling, no pain (just slight discomfort), great range of motion, not much loss of strength...better than what can be expected. I'm hoping at my two week appointment I'll be cleared for the elliptical or stationary bike.
in trying to make a return to the activities I enjoy (trail running and soccer specifically) I need to realistically consider that I may not be able to return at all. as my doctor said, "you need to remember that you don't have normal knees." I need to be willing to let those things go if necessary if I want to avoid any further knee problems. it's hard for me to accept this but I'm asking God to change my heart. I want to be able to run and play with my little guy as he grows up and do activities that may limit my ability to do that are not worth it. my pride still needs convincing though.
another thing that I've realized is that I have too often just expected my body to be able to do things: climb thousands of vertical feet in a day, run 20+ miles on sketchy terrain, play in soccer games with little rest between, trail racing without training...in all these things I have taken my physical ability for granted. I need to not do this anymore. any return to running/racing needs to be preceeded by conditioning, training, and proper nutritional intake. I've also discovered that my lack of focused core strength has added to the beating on my legs. a good core routine will be started as soon as I'm cleared for it.
so, I'm learning and growing and looking forward to the future.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
prognosis/portland
well, it's been awhile...but I haven't been doing much 'mucking' since my knee swelled up. the word is that I'll be having my 4th knee surgery on Tuesday. Doc thinks that I've re-torn the cartilage in my right knee that had been repaired in '06. didn't last as long as the first repair.
oh well. the good news is that it'll only be a 6-8 week recovery, versus the 8-10 months with an ACL repair. should still give me plenty of time to train for the races I want to do this summer. I was hoping to get an early start but I think with this surgery I'll definitely be better off.
on another note I'm in Portland for a soccer tournament. I've been coaching with the Alaska Northstars for the last 5 years. this year I'll be with the u17 boys for both this tourney and President's Day in Phoenix. we had a great day of play today. in the first game we deserved a win with our play but lost on an unlucky goal in the final 5 minutes. final score of 1-2. in our second today we dominated at bigger, faster team 2-0. both goals coming after great build-up of play. this team is probably the best Northstars team I have coached. the are quick, technical, and tough. great qualities for any team. we have one game tomorrow and one on Monday. I think we'll win 'em both.
word.
oh well. the good news is that it'll only be a 6-8 week recovery, versus the 8-10 months with an ACL repair. should still give me plenty of time to train for the races I want to do this summer. I was hoping to get an early start but I think with this surgery I'll definitely be better off.
on another note I'm in Portland for a soccer tournament. I've been coaching with the Alaska Northstars for the last 5 years. this year I'll be with the u17 boys for both this tourney and President's Day in Phoenix. we had a great day of play today. in the first game we deserved a win with our play but lost on an unlucky goal in the final 5 minutes. final score of 1-2. in our second today we dominated at bigger, faster team 2-0. both goals coming after great build-up of play. this team is probably the best Northstars team I have coached. the are quick, technical, and tough. great qualities for any team. we have one game tomorrow and one on Monday. I think we'll win 'em both.
word.
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