Run kiwi, run!

That's right, I am allowed to run. Well, apparently I could have started running 3 weeks ago but better late then never. I had enough of being stuck in the plateau. My climbing has really progressed and thankfully I am happy to say that I didn't fall back too much in my grades. In fact I'm back at the same level as I was prior to injuring myself, and am even getting back into hitting the 10d's. The aim with climbing is to just climb, get used to belaying Kevin as he is almost twice my weight and if he falls, I go ping! But when it came to the knee, I was not pushing on as fast I wanted to. 
What I mean by this is that I was struggling with bending it back past 139 degrees; it felt like there was something blocking it from moving any further. I trust my knee, but I don't trust my quad (right side) and that made me feel uneasy. So I ramped up the spinning (5 days a week for 30-40 mins) and took on extra quad strengthening exercises, but it still didn't feel right. Then I developed bursitis, which made me realise that something wasn't right.
So I turned to the ever faithful Paolo, God of all physios to help me ASAP. Thankfully he took my in within a weeks notice and confirmed that yes, I do have bursitis and that is due to poor quad strength...bingo! And yes I am not moving further with flexing because I need to strengthen my hamstrings more as they are too tight. 

Good news: he said that I am that 1% of ACL reconstruction population who do excellently post-op and will have no problems whatsoever post 100% healed. What I have been doing so far has taken a lot of self-will, stubbornness, determination, frustration, and perseverance and to not give it up. Because I am showing far more progress than a lot of his patients who at 2 months post op are still on crutches, have numbness in their leg (?) and are in a lot of pain. 

So I asked him: what can I do to ramp things up? Because I feel strong physically, but I need more of a mental push to believe again that my leg is not going to collapse on me. I've worked so hard to make it strong, and this was evident by both the surgeon and Paolo pulling the graft (knee) to see how much laxity there was. Good news again: it's a solidly strong graft with an even stronger support. So push Sarah, push it!

One thing to add as per Paolo that should be started early on in your program, as in, 2 weeks post op: WOBBLE BOARD! I really wish that I had started this earlier on (or was told that I could) as not only does it assist in bringing back stability to the knee and mentally prepares you for a later, more tougher regime, but mostly for keeping the ankle strong. My ankle is week, I'm worried that that will fail on me rather than the knee, despite doing your heel lifts and what not. So if you read this and you're about to have surgery, get a wobble board and talk to your physio (a good proactive one) about using it post op. 

Ok, so Paolo's program mixed with Sarah's workout for 2 months post op:

• gym 5-6 days a week
• indoor climbing 2-3 times a week
• pilates when you have the time: especially the core workouts. I notice a huge difference in my climbing and jogging (more relaxed and stable core) since starting pilates
• jogging on the treadmill as a start: 10mins a day on flat 
• to strengthen hamstrings: single leg band, sit and stand. Single leg curls
• leg press: different degrees for feet positioning and vary weight each time you're at the gym (to confuse quads and not condition a certain strand of muscle fibre)
• knee extensions (machine)
• step backwards onto steps with right leg leading, left leg to step down...this will humble you! You may be able to run, but stepping backwards up a step is hard! 
• pinch/massage vigorously that scar if you have nasty tight knots of scar tissue underneath. Why? Because where the scar is located it sits on a nerve that works on your quads. if that nerve is disrupted then so are your quads...
• calf raises
• balance board

Just when I thought I was pushing it ok, I am given more ammunition to push it even harder. Looking forward to it!

Hitting the outdoors

Hello,

Well is has been quite the week for me, even though I am writing this on a Wednesday. My weeks do not start on a Monday these days; they roll into each other and it is hard to sometimes distinguish what day is what and where it is on the calendar! I now go by how many weeks since I had surgery, and we are up to 7. My, does the time go by rather slowly. It might seem quick to others, that I only had surgery almost 2 months ago, which to some, it might seem like time has gone by rather quick. To me, not so much. My days are long, and yet not long enough. I keep busy with ICU research and shortly will be working full time, which is excellent as I am sick of living like a poor student. The day I can afford a haircut I will cry tears of happiness. The day I can get waxed and not have to resort to the "cheap" version, which is myself completing this rather difficult and daunting task, I will yelp in joy. 

Anyway, I hit the indoor climbing gym 3 times last week, as well as venturing outside with Kev and Mary to Chuk Chuk, a lovely crag put up a few years ago by a dude called Axel...wicked name, wicked climbs. But onto that shortly. I wanted to say that I have semi lied to you all....In the last blog entry I had stated that when I am climbing indoors I will stick to 5.9-10A routes...LIE! I have hit the 10C/D routes and am super surprised that I have strength! But only arm strength, but core and finger strength! My fingers hurt like hell typing this out due to hanging on to really teeny tiny holds and I am utterly amazed that I have this. Especially due to the fact that prior to this injury I had maybe hit 1 or 2 10Ds and today I climbed 3 and was able to pull through with minimum difficulty. Even Kevin was dumbfounded: 
"where the hell did you get this extra strength from?"
*me looking stunned* "duno!"


Maybe having a 4 month break from climbing was worth it. I have come back to the wall and have a new appreciation for movement, for the way you position your body on holds, and the amount of trust you can put on your body to just hang out. I feel smooth when climbing; I feel quiet...shhhh, let's not lose this!! 

So this girl is happy; Tired, and wishing she was more of a super human, but happy.

Chuk Chuk; up logging road, passed mile 25, Squamish Valley Road

Top rope haven

Scuffed up brace!

Ok, check out that hold that Kevin is about to grab...we call that one "pinchy!"

Mary and her happy high stepping thanks to yoga!

Am off for another physio catch up tomorrow and for one last visit to the surgeon's office on Friday. I can predict how this meeting will go:
"hey, you look great, how do you feel?
"am awesome, back biking, no worries"
"any questions?"
"nope"
"ok bye, good luck"
"thanks"

I guarantee that will be it!!