My PT is PT with my PT is turning into PT and PT. Totally makes sense, right? If you need help deciphering this message, here’s the key:
Personal Trial | Physical Therapy | Physical Therapist | Positivity Therapy | Patience Testing
As of Tuesday this week I have started my Physical Therapy for my achilles tendon injury. After meeting with the Physical Therapist, there’s a very slight chance I might be able to run my marathon in late April. One of my major downfalls is that I haven’t been keeping up with enough cardio exercises to maintain my aerobic capacity. I was hesitant to do too much bike riding, wasn’t sure if the elliptical would be okay, and in performing HIIT exercises I have to modify most of them to not strain my ankle and achilles tendon. My Physical Therapist told me on Tuesday that the elliptical would be fine (and is recommended) for this type of injury until I can get back to running again.
Dang. I wish it didn’t take so long to get an appointment to see her because I could’ve been training on the elliptical all this time. But now I know and will train as much as is safely possible from here on out.
I have had zero achilles tendon pain in over 2 weeks since I’m not running at all and I have been modifying all of my activities. According to my PT that means I no longer have tendinitis, but am now in tendinosis. What does that mean? It means that the inflammation has subsided but the tendon is still damaged so I have to be extra careful from here on out so as not to rupture the tendon. No pressure!
Apparently I can “fix” or better this and that is the focus of my therapy; to remodel the scar tissue that has formed at the tendon. The average time to full recovery is about 3-6 months. My marathon is in 6 weeks, so when I said there was a slight chance I might be able to run it I really meant that I probably won’t be running it. However, the positive is that I will be able to run some by then, and should be able to run/walk a half marathon as long as I take it super slow and easy, and if I feel any pain or discomfort at all to stop. I have been in touch with the coordinators of the run and they have the course mapped out such that I can make my decision to go all the way or half-way while I’m running! So, no matter what, I will be running that race in April! I will likely not be running 26.2 miles, but will hopefully be able to complete 13.1 miles at a super slow and steady run/walk.
As for the other runs I have scheduled prior to the marathon, I can still participate in both. I will not be running the Tim Kennard 10 Mile River Run, but I will be participating in the 5K Fun Run/Walk and will walk most of it. I will not be running the half marathon portion of the Run for the Animals this year, but I will definintely be able to run the 5K and maybe run/walk the 10K. Thankfully I have until race day to decide which one I want to and will be able to do.
So there you have it. I will be ultra-diligent with my PT exercises for sure, and will be utilizing the elliptical machines at the Y very regularly in the next several weeks. Though I will not be able to perform the way I had set out at the beginning of the year, at least I 1) can still perform at all and 2) can heal and recover to come out even stronger next time around!
Never lose sight of what is truly important to you. Choose to find the positive in everything; even if you have to search really hard for it, it is there…always.
AnimalWhiz 