Physical Therapy
After mentioning last week that by Sunday my stiff and spasmy back (thoracic region – half way up on the left side and not the typical lower back pain) felt pretty much back to normal, I did something early Monday morning that sent it back into a spasm and back to square one. The stars aligned beautifully and I was able to see both my spine doctor’s nurse practitioner for a referral and start physical therapy by Wednesday. No sympathy please because things are already looking up!
Overview of the Week
Before getting into each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll beyond the infographic for daily details…
Sunday
Cycling: 15 miles
• Average speed: 16.9 MPH
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 9:02 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 65°
• What I wore: bike shorts and jog bra
Monday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body avoiding anything that bothered my back
Foam Rolling: 2 minutes
Tuesday
Cycling: 10 miles
• Average speed: 16.8 MPH
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:28 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 63°
• What I wore: bike shorts and jog bra
Walking: 3 miles
• Average pace: 15:29 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 113 feet
• Start time: 4:53 PM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 43° and sunny, dropping to 41° (feels like 39°) at sunset
• What I wore: capris, l/s shirt, down coat, ear warmer headband, gloves and mittens
Foam Rolling: 2 minutes
Wednesday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Foam rolling: 2 minutes
I started physical therapy with my miracle worker physical therapist from 2020 who got me back on the running trail after being sidelined with sciatica. I’ve been so focused on torso extension that I’ve ignored flexion and have some muscle imbalance (along with some other issues). We worked on torso flexion to go along with the extension I’ve been doing religiously for four years. The good news is that she didn’t limit my cardio workouts as long as I let pain be my guide.
Thursday
Walking: 4 miles
• Average pace: 15:08 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 191 feet
• Start time: 6:06 AM
• Location: neighborhood streets
• Weather: 30° with a beautiful sunrise
• What I wore: leggings, l/s shirt, nylon shell, down coat, knit hat, and heated gloves
Cycling: 26 miles
• Average speed: 14.5 MPH
• Bike: Salsa Warbird
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 886 feet
• Start time: 2:14 PM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Clarks Gap loop
• Weather: 56° and sunny to mostly cloudy
• What I wore: long bike pants, s/s jersey, arm warmers, jacket, and fingered gloves
Foam Rolling: 2 minutes
Physical therapy stretches: every 3 hours
Erring on caution, I opted to walk instead of run during my virtual workout with Kim. With a beautiful day on tap, I had plans to ride outside later in the day with my husband.
Collage credit: Kim
Friday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Balance and stretching: 45 minutes
Physical therapy stretches: every 3 hours
Saturday
Walking: 5K
• Average pace: 14:43 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 125 feet
• Start time: 8:39 AM
• Location: neighborhood streets
• Weather: 45° and overcast, climbing to 50°
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, down coat, ear warmer headband, gloves, and mittens (took coat and mittens off during walk)
Physical therapy stretches: every 3 hours
With our annual Italian dinner party on tap for the evening, I got out for a sol0 walk before jumping into cooking mode. On the menu was chicken Parmesan, beef braciola, a garden salad, and cannoli (not homemade, though). Friends were bringing appetizers, bread, and tiramisu.
Last Week’s Blog Posts
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
Questions:
- • Have you previously had physical therapy, and if so, did it help? ~ yes
- • If you like Italian food, what’s your favorite dish? ~ pretty much anything without sausage, mussels, or clams
- • Did you run in race this weekend? ~ no
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
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I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
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Yummm, an Italian dinner night?? Absolutely anything Italian is good to me! I’m glad you were able to get some relief right away on the back issue. Don’t you wish you could call up your favorite PT person any time of the day/night and get a session? Mine is also a miracle worker. They are amazing. I hope you are feeling 100% soon!
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Yes, it would be fabulous to have a physical therapist on call at all times. One can dream, right? One of our good cycling friends is an orthopedic surgeon so it’s nice to have him to bounce injuries off of.
Glad you were able to get into the right doctors and continue moving forward! You still had great workouts. I think that is what I love about variety. There is always something you can do to move your body! The food you cooked for the Italian dinner party sounds so good!
I had to go to PT last year and it did help, and helped me realize I am getting older and have to pay more attention to mobility and strength work.
I was definitely lucky! My PT usually has a two week or more wait time for new patients or returning patients with new cases.
As always, it was great to reunite this week on Thursday morning. I am so jealous of your outdoor biking. And, your Italian dinner sounds absolutely delish!
Yes, I always look forward to our workouts together! Every Sunday I look at the week’s weather forecast and compare it to my schedule to determine which day I’ll be able to get outside for a bike ride. So far so good this winter and fingers crossed it stays that way.
Glad to hear you have a fix.
Yes. PT helped after my ankle surgery. No. Not with my neuroma.
Love Italian. Linguini with clams and eggplant parm.
No race.
Thanks, Darlene! Notice that I haven’t risked running yet. I might try that on Thursday…
My husband made braciola for New Years Day and it was delicious. He isn’t Italian, he just wanted to try it!
I hope you are feeling better. Sometimes when I ride my bike for a long time, my back gets stiff and sore. I’m wondering if your PT thinks your pain could be related to that?
How cool that your husband made braciola! My husband’s Italian grandmother made it when he was little so it brings back very fond memories for him.
She does not. When I ride 50 miles or more my back gets tired and stiff from staying on one position for so long, but as soon as I get off the bike it feels fine. I think the new pain was a result of all of that twisting I was doing. I couldn’t get in for my MRI appointment for over a month so we’re waiting on that.
Hope that PT is helping – you’ve been great about doing those exercises! That Italian dinner night sounds like so much fun! I grew up in an italian household so all of what you shared is my comfort food. ALL OF IT! Especially cannoli.
Thanks, Melissa! Surprisingly, when I married into my husband’s Italian family I didn’t like cannoli the first time I tried it. I’ve learned to love it over the years, though.
I’ve not had good luck with physical therapy. Inevitably they’d always tell me to stop running so I’d quit. I do have a sport chiropractor however who also works miracles. Glad your back is feeling better. The Italian dinner sounds SO good about now. I’d go for pretty much anything minus the mussels. Haha!
My PT’s goal was to get me back to running four years ago when I saw her and I did over time and with a lot of success. I really liked that about her – that she didn’t tell me I had to stop running. I’ve cut back so much recently on my own, though, because of my biking.
Well, I’m secretly having sympathy because back pain sucks. But, it sounds like you’ve got it figured out, and you had some great workouts this week.
I hope we get to see some photos from this Italian dinner!!!
Sadly, we didn’t take a single picture during our Italian dinner party. 🙁
How nice when the stars align!
I like the idea of doing a physical therapy stretches every 3 hours. That would be helpful for everyone, not only the injured. Imagine how much stiffness could be avoided if we all stepped away from our desks and stretched every 3 hours?!
I agree! I should keep up with stretching throughout the day after I’m finished with PT, but will I…
Oooh I remember that Italian dinner from last year! How lovely!
That’s good you have a miracle worker for your back and I hope you’ll be back to normal soon.
I had PT obviously after my foot injury. His program post-boot was extensive and it made me stronger than I was before the injury, I’m 100% sure I wouldn’t have reached my squat PB at least not so soon, without all those lower leg exercises. He’s a lovely very competent guy and now I was reminded that i still haven’t written the Google review.
We’re probably close to our 15th year of hosting the Italian dinner party. We got 2020 in about a month before the shutdown, but moved 2021 to the spring and held it on our deck.
Having a good PT is such a great tool to have, especially as we get older.
I’m so glad you were able to get into the doctor right away, that makes all the difference! I wish I had a friend who was a PT who could help me out in exchange for wine or something, ha! A tune-up every week would be so helpful, especially as we age.
Great job on the rest of the week though and glad you were able to still be active!
Oh my gosh, a weekly tuneup from at PT? Yes, please! I used to see a sports chiropractor for the occasional tuneup and that was nice.
Oh, I hope PT works out well for you again. I had PT once, and it was helpful, although I didn’t get to officially graduate because of the pandemic. I would do it again.
Italian dinner???? Sign me up! I love most of it, to be honest. Braciola is not my jam because it’s so intensive to make, but I love cacio y pepe (swirled in the cheese wheel, please), and all the mussels and arancini, and bread LOL. Bizarrely, Italian desserts are not my fave. I like rainbow cookies, gelato, and affogatto and that’s about it. No cannoli for me.
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Too bad the pandemic cut your PT short.
Yes, making braciola is very time consuming. I usually make the meatball filling and do the cutlet wrap the night before, but this year didn’t have a chance so I had to do it all on Saturday. That’s the kind of cooking I love, though, not the day-to-day drudgery. LOL
Oh, that was lucky to get a Dr and PT appt so soon — I’m glad you are feeling better already.
Interesting to see you doing exercises every 3 hours. If I got up from my computer and moved every three hours I think my hammy would be a lot happier — something to focus on!
Italian food is a crowd pleaser for sure. There’s not much I don’t like, but mussels would be on my no-thank-you list too.
Thanks, Coco! Luckily, when I’m at work I’m in a gym setting and it’s no big deal for me to get down on the floor and do my stretches. Your law partners might look at you funny if you did that!