Monday, August 8, 2011

That was a bad idea...Post Surgery Run

I woke up Saturday morning feeling quite itchy and gitchy and ready to go.  I'd been controlling the urge to run for a few days.  It was an unfamiliar feeling, as I hadn't been that excited to run since my stint home in New York.  Yet, Saturday morning, everything was screaming at me to R U N.  A quick check of the weather told me that, yes, it was warm, but at 88 degrees at 8:30 am it wasn't getting any better...and...88 isn't that bad, right?  I looked at the BOB sitting in the foyer and...well...the tires did need air.  So, perhaps a little jog to 7-11 to fill it with air wouldn't hurt anyone, right?
The first task was to attempt application of...The Sports Bras.  Yes.  When you can't raise your arm above your head and your elbow is so swollen it doesn't bend, putting on one Sports Bra is a tricky task.  Let alone two?  Ha!  Yet, I sucked it up, maneuvered my torso in complicated yoga-esque poses, and finally found myself bound behind a shield of Under Armor. 

Donning my shorts, shoes, and top came quickly.  Isla screamed excitedly as I grabbed BOB, some binkies, a water, and headed out.  88, huh?  Sure felt warmer than that.
 
Again, as my mission was only to run a meager 1.5 miles, I wasn't terribly concerned.  Of course, the fact that my Physical Therapist had assured me it was still, much too early to run and that it was a bad idea, and he'd wait a little while longer, because of the impact...didn't factor into my mind until....I actually ran.  Thinking...this hurts a little, but...it'll wear off was my initial thought process.  With each step came more pressure, and stinging.  But because I'm a slow learner, it took until about mile .5 before I admitted defeat.  As I thought to myself, "Dennis would say, Told Ya So...." I made the radical decision to simply walk to 7-11.

Learn from me.  When recovering from an injury or surgery, it's best to base your recovery time line off of what your PT suggests.  While doctors operate from general guidelines, which said, "okay to exercise at 2 weeks" my surgeon did warn me that I may face complications if I ran yet.  In my experiences, your PT knows your recovery best.  They are most in tune with your healing and what's acceptable and what's not.  You can bet I won't be running again until Dennis gives me the green light, and since he's a marathoner, I trust his non-wussy self. 

While the run was less than successful or even fun, the walk was quite enjoyable.  Just being out, moving, exercising, and catching some rays was a delight.  Even the silly act of being in my running clothes again felt good.  But, my favorite part...
 
Watching little Isla's long legs flip back and forth with each step I took.  It was as if she was running along, with a little help from BOB.