Let Me Explain….

The picture that caused all the confusion and concern!!! Let me explain…..

Ahhh.  The trials and tribulations of attempting to be "normal" after an ACL tear and surgery.  Yeah.  I may have felt like I was "winning".  Finishing an Ironman 8 months after surgery was awesome.  Really.  But what I neglected before and after was rehab.  And strength training.  And stretching.  Yes, those dirty little words we athletes have a love/hate relationship with.  What???  I have to work on lateral movement?  What??  I am overcompensating for my knee???

So, I feel I must post this since my Facebook/Twitter/Instagram post and picture set off a wave of unnecessary concern!!  I am fine.  Great really.  Here's what happened.  I went skiing.  Several times.  You may call it making up for a lost season last year.  Whatever.  I call it finally being back to my first sporting love.  Ahhhhh…….the mountains.  Snow.  Turns.  Corduroy.  Powder.  Steeps.  You name it, I'll ski it.  (I only did Highline once.  I swear.)  After day 4, my left hip started hurting.  Like, not being able to get out of bed hurting.  Talk about feeling geriatric.  I stretched.  It kept waking me up at 4:30am.  I kept skiing.

Finally, RE talked some sense into me and I went in to see my trusty (and a teeny tiny bit evil) PT Bryan.  He's a no-nonsense kinda guy (which I like).  And here's what has happened…..my left hip hurts (actually my TFL - don't ask me what that stands for) because I am unintentionally overcompensating for my repaired right knee.  Even with wearing my brace.  Plus, the right knee was hurting pretty good too!  And, as "luck" would have it, I had lost some mobility and flexion with that knee.  Ugh.  So even though I had full mobility and flexion a mere 4 months after surgery, 11 months later I did not.

Not quite back to square one.  I am once again on an "official" schedule!!!  Woot!!!!  And I don't have any limitations as to what I can do.  I do have some pain after my sessions and certainly my knee is pissy/swollen after I ski.  And sometimes after I run.  And ride.  BUT, here's what I am doing……Bryan hooked me up with Pam at my gym.  And Pam isn't really nice either.  But she is helping me getting my strength back in my under-used glutes and helping me gain lateral strength and motion.  Yay Me!!!

These days, I spend 30 minutes in the morning (after Izzi gets off to school and before I take Charlotte) stretching and doing glute exercises.  I spend an embarrassing amount of time thinking about my butt.  Like all the time.  I now ice my knee after every bike/run session.  And now at 4:30am, I wake up with a slight ache in my hip.  My knee pain is totally gone (the serious pain, the everyday I had surgery in that knee pain and I probablyshouldntbedoingallthatido pain is still there).  But, I'm a triathlete right?  My pain tolerance is not "normal".

All this being said/written, I am sooooo excited for the upcoming season!!  My race schedule is about final and I'm adding in an Xterra (or 2).  Crazy right?  Because why not take up a new sport at my "advanced" age.  And some shorter distances.  I have sworn off Ironman this season.  But is October/November considered this season?????  Clearly, I have an Ironman problem.  Only time and finances will tell if I sign up or not:)

Sooooo, there is the update.  And thank you everyone for your concern!!!!  I appreciate it!  But all is well on this front and I will have full mobility and flexion before long.  Honest.  Oh…..it may be January 22nd but I already have 7 days skiing!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!