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Annual Italian Dinner Party
Our annual Italian Dinner Party was last night, and as always, it was a tremendous amount of fun. I took Friday off from work which meant Monday through Thursday was much busier than normal with my Friday clients and class rescheduled to earlier in the week. It seemed like I spent every spare second doing something in preparation for the big night, but in reality preparation has become a well-oiled machine. Referring to my timeline from previous years helps tremendously in keeping me on task and not forgetting to do things that can be done in advance. My biggest challenge is timing it so the braciola and chicken parm come out of the oven at approximately the same time…
Physical Therapy Continues
I continued with two sessions of physical therapy this past week and have two more sessions on my calendar for the coming week. I think we’re progressing beautifully and feel hopeful that my lower back pain and right foot numbness will become a thing of the past soon.
And Now on to a RunDown of this Past Week’s Workouts…
Running
Still no running…
Biking
With my physical therapist’s blessings, I can ride my spin bike (affiliate link) whenever I choose as long as I sit upright and don’t lean forward in the racing position.
Walking
My physical therapist had me start walking on the treadmill (affiliate link) while gradually increasing the incline every minute. The goal is to increase my cardiovascular workload without going into a run and to increase my flexion as I adjust my body’s position while walking uphill.
Strength Training
As I mentioned last week, I’ve started gradually adding back in the lower body exercises that my therapist had me stop doing a couple of weeks ago. This week, I brought back single-leg bridge pumps into my mix. Just three weeks ago I could not do these without a tremendous amount of lower back pain.
Yoga
Because of the twisting and bending necessary in many poses, I’ve suspended yoga until I get the all clear from my PT.
It’s on the Blog
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
- Sunday – Taking One Step Forward and Two Steps Backward with My Favorite Exercise
- Tuesday – Ten Reasons to Stay Well Hydrated
In addition to the workouts I mentioned above, here’s a complete rundown of my workouts from this past week (completed either outside or in our home gym)…
- Questions:
- • What’s your favorite thing to cook?
- • Tell me a running story so I can live vicariously through you!
- • Did you run in a race this weekend?
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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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!
I’m glad you’re making progress, Deb!!!! A running story? Well, a fun perk from my race yesterday was the plethora of door prizes. The RD was chatting between the different AG awards, and asked if anyone was interested in an upcoming (April) half marathon who had not yet registered. So, I stood up (along with a few others). And, he chose another gal and myself to get free registrations! I guess that’s more of a training story, since it adds another 13.1 to my sporing calendar (but it happens the week after my first Spring 13.1, so the training for it will be a non-issue). Keep up the good work on your PT!
Congratulations on your free half as well as AG place! Both are great stories! 😀
Your Italian dinner party sounds like so much fun! I love Italian food. My mother-in-law was Italian and she made the best pasta!
Sorry to read you are still not running. Your PT seems to be going well, though. It’s tough getting older. All these injuries we never had to deal with when we were younger. Ugh!
Laurie recently posted…Talk to Strangers on Airplanes. Or Maybe Just Smile
Thanks, Laurie!
Sounds like you are making progress! Do you feel like you have more energy to get other things done now that you aren’t running? Just curious. Your dinner party sounds like a pretty big undertaking. Have a great week!
I do feel like I’m making great progress. Other than I’m not waking up at 4:15 to fit in my runs, I don’t feel like I have any additional energy – I’m just not as sleep deprived. 😉
The Italian dinner party is a tremendous amount of work, but so worth it!
So glad to hear that you are feeling like PT is working. When I was doing it recently I wondered if it was really the PT that was helping or just the time off? I will never know though! We love to cook and host parties! have a great week and thanks for linking up today
I do wonder about the same thing, but my foot was still numb after I quit running and now it’s not numb nearly as often now that I’m in PT. I’ve especially noticed that I have a lot less stiffness in my spine now that I’m not pounding the pavement and wonder if it’s just that or if all the spine extensions and twists my PT has me doing is helping with freeing up my movement.
Your Italian party sounds like a blast! Glad to hear that PT is working and you’re making progress! Hopeful it continues!
Thanks; and yes, the party was so much fun!
Glad you are making progress with the PT! Hopefully you can continue to do more types of exercises and workouts and will be back to running pain-free very soon!
Thanks, Lisa! I hope so, too!
Hang in there Deb, because we’ll soon be vicariously living through your running again. I did my first 10 miler of the year this weekend and racing season is just around the corner. I did a 5k last weekend and it made me hungry for more racing.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie recently posted…Weekly Sweats: A Sunday Long Run and Running App Round Up
Races will do that! 😀
Oooh. I love a good Italian dinner night. It’s probably my favorite kind of cuisine.
No stories to share, as I’m not running yet, either, although I could tell you all about my riveting balance attempts in PT. Sigh.
Mexican food is my favorite to eat at a restaurant, but Italian is my favorite to cook. 🙂
My running stories are not fun since I’m running on the treadmill. Well, treadmill running isn’t so bad. I just get tired of having to haul all of my stuff to the gym in the morning. No racing yet for me but I will be running in Atlanta on March 1st. Even if you are not running, you are still staying active with the bike and walking. Soon you will be running again!
Zenaida Arroyo recently posted…Weekly Run Down: Three runs this week and 2 more weeks
Will you get back outside to run when it’s not dark in the mornings and evenings and there’s no risk of ice on the pavement? Do you think running outdoors at the race in Atlanta will give you a boost in confidence for running outside when you get back home?
And speaking of Atlanta, I hope you have a blast at your race next weekend! Good luck!
excellent progress! I have seen so many PT’s and done so much work for my foot tingling/ numbness and it’s never gone away. I guess living with it is way easier than living with sciatic pain!! I hope you can run soon! I am not sure I’m the right person to be living vicariously through though haha! I’m still building up and taking things pretty easy.
my favorite thing to cook is… I don’t know! cooking is a necessary thing (not an “evil” because I don’t mind) and I’m not one who likes to take time out and plan, etc. I’m more “what do I have in the cupboard? what do I have in the refrigerator?” and that’s what we eat! I do like baking cookies though and had a cake period a long time ago. Baking is much more fun and fulfilling to me.
Thanks, Renée! Yes, I’ve had severe sciatic nerve pain as well and I’d rather live with the numbness/tingling any day of the week than experience that pain again.
I agree, I’d much rather bake than cook. Of course, baking leads to yummy sweet desserts which my non-running body doesn’t need! 😉
Glad PT is progressing well — but I know you’re anxious to get back to it!
I wish I had a racing story. I think. Seriously, I just want warm weather, sunshine, and NOT frickin’ wind. Sorry, rant over. 🙂
Like all things in my life, I like to variety in my cooking/baking!
Thanks, Judy! I agree – I am so ready for spring!