glidergirl

• Walked all morning/early afternoon at clinical
• Went to work, walked all during my shift
• (does this count? LOL  I know it doesn't but I've got to put something so I don't lose my blog friends)

• Continued from Monday to walk all during my night shift
• 3 hours sleep
• Walked all over during my clinical

As I've said before...NICU nurse assistant by night, NICU student nurse by day.  (AND I LOVE IT!)

Now to find motivation to do all that homework...

P.S. Would all you "non-injured runners" hate me if I admitted that I was happy that you didn't get to run outside in beautiful weather today because of the snow??

• 60 minutes cycling class, heart rate 165-175
• strength training, achilles exercises/stretches

Somebody, anybody, please tell me....how can so many people not exercise?  Like ever?  Really, how do they do it?  That takes a lot of work!  I haven't been able to formally exercise for 3 days now (although I probably would have eeked in a run or two if I wasn't injured, but that's another story) and it was THE BEST feeling in the world to take all my bundled up stress, spin it through my pounding heart and sweat or breathe it out f-o-r-e-v-e-r.  Aaaaahhhhhh.... :)

• Physical therapy apt #2, Gastron (A-stim) therapy - see pic below, steroid application, electrical stim, massage/rolling
• 25 minutes easy elliptical, heart rate 130-140
• Achilles stretching, eccentric leg lifts
• 1 mile swim in 42 minutes!  (I'm comin' for you Teena)

I was worried going into the PT apt today because my achilles became inflamed last night/this morning after my cycling class...was it never going to heal?  He scolded me a bit for getting out of the saddle for too long during the cycling class, but then told me I need to be stressing it to just before the point of inflammation.  So all I need to do is back off a bit.  What a relief!  I thought I would need to give up cycling and elliptical for 1-2 weeks so it could heal.  But he said it will heal faster with some weight bearing exercising, some tug and pull.  It's OK to be a little inflamed for 2 hours afterwards.  If it's any longer than 2 hours, that is my sign I did too much and need to back it off a little the next time.

He also wants me to get a little more aggressive with the lifts and with the stretching.  I guess I've been protecting it quite a bit (except for the saddle issue), thinking that's what I needed to do to help it heal.  He also said that I need to be more patient *surprise* and give it a few more weeks and it will heal.  Afterwards I went to the gym and did what he said and it feels stronger already!  I'm feeling much more hopeful tonight. 

Anybody got some patience I can borrow?  I promise I'll give it back in 4-6 weeks.

Oh, and here's a picture of my poor bruised leg 10 minutes after I got home from my PT apt...they abuse me there!!  Save me!!  Last week the bruises were larger so it's getting better. :)

• 60 minute cycling class, heart rate 155-170 (mostly 160's)
• 15 minutes elliptical, heart rate 165-170
• achilles exercises/stretches

I'm definitely starting to notice a difference now that I've tweaked my rehab program, I'm hoping it continues to progress at this rate.  It's funny because I asked a million questions at the first appointment and went away with the impression that I should be more on the gentle side, but really what they wanted was consistent and aggressive (but careful) loading of the achilles each day (see yesterday's post).  So now I stretch much deeper and drop/lift faster on the exercises and use more resistance on the elliptical and bike (without standing up - that loads my achilles too much right now).  

Operation Rehab continues! 

• 50 minutes elliptical, heart rate 155-160
• 60 minute cycling class, heart rate 155-177 :)
• Strength training, achilles exercises/stretches

Whether by running or by cross training, continuing in the crusade against heart disease with the rest of you fools. :)