I Ran for 25 Minutes!

Quick post once again. Some updates:

1. I RAN yesterday! It was a beautiful day out and the boy was going on a run and I wanted to go too. So I went. PT told me knee sleeves won’t do anything for me, so I left them home and that felt nice. After a 20 minute elliptical warm up, we went outside for our run. I forgot to stretch. Oops. Won’t happen again.

I began by jogging down a long ramp to the trail. While the boy turned right onto the trail, I turned left because that section has separate sections for those on feet and those on wheel. I didn’t want to be vigilant about bikers weaving all around me, so I chose the other — and prettier — direction. The same place I went rollerblading. One day soon I will walk through there and take pictures of all the gorgeous architecture — structures, benches, grassy areas, loopy paths, boardwalks. It is beautiful! The boy and I have these unusual shaped benches that are the most comfortable ever. We like to go there to read and get work done.

Back to the run. I ran for 25 minutes! That is a very big deal for me; I tried to be a runner but would be ailed with knee pain, upper side thigh pain and chest pain. I would have even kept going except that we had  to get ready to go to dinner. I was thrilled that throughout the run I was without pain except for in the upper right part of my thigh, where I got pain all the other times I ran as well. I hope stretching will prevent that. In the last 5 minutes of my run, my knee began to hurt very badly. Not my bursitis (inside knee) but my patellafemoral pain syndrome (outside of knee). That was always more of a running/steps pain. The bursitis was a spinning pain that also affected my running. I will discuss with PT on Thursday, although my visit then is for my shoulder.

This was my third time running and it was by far the best. I  felt amazing! It was beautiful out, lots of people were all around, when I passed other runners I felt like they were fooled into thinking I was one of them. At  first my chest was constricted and it was difficult to breathe, but that passed and I just felt great! I ran and ran (I know it wasn’t that long but it felt long to me!) and felt like this is something I would be happy doing all summer long. Wow.

Of course, the pain began and got worse and by the time I was jogging back up the long ramp it was agony. But I made it to the top and stopped and couldn’t stop smiling. When I got home and looked in the mirror I loved seeing the sweat on my neck and forehead. I felt great!

2. My shoulder MRI came back and it is basically the same as the last one. I have Acromioclavicular (AC)Osteolysis. My AC joint capsule is enlarged and inflamed and filled with fluid. There is also degenerative and cystic change lining the articular surface of the joint, whatever that means. And there is bone marrow edema. This MRI, like my last shoulder one 6 months ago, says that I likely got it from trauma from repetitive weight lifting. Well, not only have I not engaged in any repetitive weight lifting, I haven’t ever actually done ANY weight lifting at all. So I have NO idea how I got this. I don’t have tendonitis as my doctor had suspected and my rotator cuff is normal as well.

They say rest and PT would help. I’ve been in pain since December though so I’m not sure what they mean by “rest” since I never did weight lifting before and I still haven’t done any after. I also never received any other kind of trauma to the shoulder, which could cause this. I literally woke up one day and felt pain.

I am not sure why this shoulder pain would radiate down my arm. PT thinks my neck might be involved but I don’t know. I am going back to the doctor on Thursday to discuss so I will see what he thinks. I only have 2 PT visits left. I plan on using them for my shoulder, although my knee is hurting from my run now! Why am I such a mess! I just want to do a pushup and run a couple miles. Is that too much to ask?

3. In better news, tonight and tomorrow night I am going to free Core Fusion at the Gansevoort with Missy. Exhale just opened a spa there and they are offering free classes as a welcome. Tonight’s instructor is the guy from the DVD which is exciting. He and his wife developed the Core Fusion program. I will tell him, and tomorrow’s instructor, about my shoulder and knee injury. The shoulder limits my participation in class because I can’t do full pushups or planks. I can do modified version half-assed though. I can’t go down far in plies because of my knees but I ALWAYS feel the burn anyway, so that is fine with me!

I wear my knee sleeve during Core Fusion even though PT told me it won’t make a difference because it reminds the instructor that I have an injury so they don’t single me out for doing something I can’t do. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can put on my shoulder, the worse injury, to remind them of the same thing. It’s okay though – I know my body and I will be careful!

The one thing that makes me sad about the new Gansevoort location is that my favorite instructor is no longer teaching at my location (central park south) on Sundays, she will be down there. Which means I will only get to take her once a week on Wednesdays, assuming I have no other plans. But the Gansevoort location means more classes to choose from!

4. Popchips sent me their new flavors to try! They are such a great company. They always write me the cutest notes too. I can’t wait to review the new flavors for you!

5. I had a lot more to say but I can’t think of it now and I have to go. Bye!