Contributed by Samantha Zeigler, Author of the blog Running and Cupcakes
How’s that for a creative title? I am so glad tomorrow is my rest day, I’m tired!
I told you yesterday that I’d tell you guys about physical therapy so that’s up first. I’m going twice a week for three weeks, for an hour long session. Today was Day 2. They start with ten minutes of heat on my hip and IT Band, which feels oh so nice. I call it nap time, they call it heat therapy. Then the PT (physical therapist for short) does ten minutes of trigger point therapy which hurts. so. good. I’m definitely cringing and making assorted other faces when he does this, because he’s asked me more than once “Does that hurt?” and I say, “Yeah, but it’s okay.” I’m obviously not your typical physical therapy patient.
Then it’s on to the stretching. I get to dive right into a minute per stretch because I’m active, in shape, and flexible – isn’t that wonderful? (cue sarcasm) I’m doing a laying down hamstring stretch with a rope, and because I can bring my leg to a 90 degree angle to my body already, I have to flex the foot toward my head andreally pull. Ah, I love it. Then there’s the laying down IT band stretch (both of these can be found in this Cool Running Article, Stay Loose: Stretches for Runners). That one hurts, my right IT band is all sorts of tight and knotted up. Then there’s the piriformis stretch, which is apparently excellent for people who suffer from sciatica (that’d be me), and is the hardest stretch for me to do. He also had me do some calf and shin stretches on an incline board, and then called me a showoff because apparently I made it look easy. Funny when you are in better shape/can stretch better than your therapist, isn’t it?
Today he also made me foam roll the IT band. And I learned ANOTHER new foam rolling trick. Once you find the trigger point, adhesion, whatever you want to call it (source of utmost freaking pain, or almost crying point, are two terms I prefer) rest on it, but also move around a teeny tiny little bit for 30 seconds to a minute. Um, ouch. I had to take Advil after today’s session. But, I can tell I’m getting much better already. 4 more sessions until my re-evaluation, I’ll keep you posted!
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Next up, yoga. Today I did this:
Wicked exciting right? Plus I’m getting better at all the other poses too, like pigeon, and half moon (although I still need a block for this). I’m enjoying learning all of the real yoga terms for these poses too, and I think I’m getting used to the heat because I don’t seem to be sweating as bad.
Yoga makes me happy, and I love doing it before my rest day because once I’m done I feel so refreshed, then the next day I get to rest and enjoy the refresh even more.
I was going to give you guys a recipe tonight too but this is quite long enough! This weekend, I promise!
Have a great night and a happy Friday!
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