9 months later and back in the game!

It's been an interesting 9 months since I've been in this space.  After not getting much from the physio I was seeing in August, I made the decision in September, to take a go at rehab on my own.  I started incorporating HIIT routines, and pretty much put running aside.  I took out a membership at our local YMCA and began swimming once a week and riding my bike.

By December, my husband and I thought it was time to seek out professional help again.  I had heard about a clinic associated with the University of Calgary that had done research on patellafermoral, and I signed up for a biomechanical assessment.  Holy crips!  I was weak in my glutes, my ankles, and was told I might also be looking at chondromalacia (that was more than disheartening).  But I was also told I would be back running by February (I didn't believe it).

But I started doing my nightly physio exercises, and by January that saw me doing 45 minutes a night - almost a workout in itself!  And amazingly, I was back running.  Slowly.  I started with 1 minute run and 1 minute walk.  By the end of January I was up to 10 and 1's and running 5Ks again.  From there it's been onwards and upwards!

In March I ran the St Patty's Day race, and was so pleased with how my knee felt, and with my time.  I clocked in at 58 minutes.  I took the course easy, and did my prescribed 10 and 1's, then pushed it right at the end.

April saw me starting a triathlon swim class, and starting to work on increasing my distance past 10K.  This has been challenging, as my calf seems to tighten up when I get at the 10K distance.  On a training run of 14K my calf was so tight afterwards I had a hard time walking down stairs afterwards.

Just last weekend I ran the Eyeball the Wall 15K run, and was SO pleased with the race.  I ran a negative split, and my run times on the last half were all under 5:30m/k!  And my knee felt GREAT, with my calf only tightening up halfway through then releasing.  BUT, the next morning getting out of bed, my knee collapsed under me.  Oi.  Looks like I have more work to do and that the patellafemoral is alive and well.

I have my first Tri (a Sprint), in just two weeks time, so my focus right now is to get acquainted with a new to me road bike (affectionately known as Ruby), and to keep at my swim to try and clip some seconds off my 750m time. I'm feeling nervous and excited at dipping my toes into the triathlon world.