Benefits of Walking

During one of my recent visits to Duke Orthopaedics about my knee, I learned that I have a bit of list

of walking benefits on the Arthritis Foundation website, and it's a good list. I'm still a long way from being able to walk for 30 minutes at a time, but it's a goal.It's a nice day, weather wise, so I plan to get out for a walk later.

Returning from Injury

I had pool physical therapy again today--it was my second visit. Why?

Well, I sprained my left foot back in November. Then, I hurt my left knee in January. Oy.

I'm happy to report that I'm on the mend, but still have a long way to go in terms of my physical fitness.  I'd hoped to be able to walk a 5K by November, but I think I might need to stretch that goal into 2018.

My Knee is Talking to Me!

I've had a busy training week, nearly 28 miles of biking (mostly) and walking (a little) since Monday, and today (a planned rest day anyway) my right knee is tender when I walk! I iced it a while this morning before work, and I'll ice it some more when I get home. I'd planned to walk 2-3 miles tomorrow morning, but maybe I should do the pool at the gym instead. I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Busy Tuesday

I kept the workout short this morning, as I had an appointment with the doctor this morning.

1) Walked 1.75 miles (30 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.15 mile (2 min) on the treadmill---yes, pitiful, I know!
3) Stretched IT bands and did hip and glute strength exercises

The orthopaedist was glad my IT band was doing better, and said the knee noise is crepitus. No arthritis yet. She tested my quads and hamstrings, and said I REALLY need to work on flexibility and strength for my knee health. So, I'm planning to try a yoga class tomorrow night (hoping I can get away from work on time!).

Tonight, George and I joined the Raleigh Galloway group for a happy hour at Tobacco Road. I hadn't been there before, so it was fun trying a new place and seeing familiar faces. It was fun chatting with runner friends in normal clothes, with hair down and no sweating. I ended up eating supper there, a tomato and avocado sandwich with cheese grits as my side dish. It was yummy, and a wonderful change of pace.

Sorta Long Run

This morning I knew I needed to attempt a long run, eventhough I ran a 5K road race yesterday, and my weekly mileage was already kinda high. It's such a pretty morning that I decided that ANYTHING I did outside would be great! Ever see one of those mornings? The temperature was in the 60s, the sky was a clear blue, and it was a bit breezy outside, but not too strong. I decided from the get-go not to worry about time or pace, but just to relax and enjoy being outside.

Though I felt kinda sluggish when I got up this morning, and I puttered around a bit inside, once I got outdoors I felt a lot better. I parked at the gym, and ran from there. I ended up run/walking 6.2 miles in 1:45:00, a 16:56 average pace. I did a lot of slow jogging, and even a fair amount of walking. I just thoroughly enjoyed being outside, catching up on my podcasts and speaking to the other runners and walkers who passed me.

When I got back to the gym, I went inside and rode the recumbent bike for 25 minutes (4.67 miles). I decided to hop on the treadmill and see if I had anything left in me in the running department. I lasted for a whopping 6 minutes (0.44 miles) and decided to hang it up for the day. My left knee's bothering me a little (the one I fell on before I landed on my nose back in March--ouch), and my right foot had bothered me during the long run outdoors. I decided it was time to get home and pull out the ice.

Still, all in all, it was a good workout, and I'm still feeling pretty much on track for my half marathon next month.

Rats!

I was looking to shake up my routine this morning, so I warmed up with 5 minutes on the elliptical machine, then climbed on the treadmill for the first time in a while. My right knee (the one I fell on when I broke my nose) started hurting immediately, so I kept it at a slow pace, wondering if I could run through it. It was still hurting six minutes in, so I decided to stop then, after just .4 of a mile (for a 15:02 pace--lovely!). It's a start, but I was hopeful that I could do more. I wonder if I'll be able to do the Cary Road Race 5K on April 12. Yikes, that's eight days away! I don't want to do anything stupid, but it sure would be good for the spirits if I could do it.

(I did get back on the treadmill after that, and did another 35 minutes.)

Any suggestions for my knee, anyone?!