the real meaning of PT

I guess in the back of my head I always knew this, but this week's PT session really cemented the true definition of PT -- Pain and Torture.

Is it really a bad sign when your Physical Therapist is kneading (oops I mean massaging ) your arm trying and hits a rock hard muscles and says "Oh, that's not good"?

Let me tell you, no amount of Edy's Loaded Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream (5 servings) could melt away the pain from Tuesday's session.

My next session is on Thursday. Good thing I go grocery shopping on Monday. I'm almost out of my pain medication.

I guess I kneaded this....

This past Tuesday I had my first appointment with my Physical Therapist for my “swimmers slouch”. After a brief conversation as to the reasons for my visit, problems/pain that I have been experiencing, the PT asked me to do several simple tasks such as look up at the ceiling and bend backwards. At the conclusion of the tasks he stated, “Yeah, you are going to need several visits”.

My therapy then officially started with the reasons why this happened. He suggested that in addition to swimming competitively, a sure fire way to get "swimmers slouch", I may have a mild case of scoliosis, having a curvier front to back S than I should. The therapist outlined what the first course of treatment will be. Then treatment began, I laid on my front on the table and had my back/shoulders kneaded as if it were bread dough for a very long time and then I flipped and had my pectoral muscles and some muscles that are in my armpit (very technical I know. Thank goodness I was wearing deodorant that day.) kneaded for a very long time as well. There were two occasions in which tears were in my eyes, but all in all I think I sucked it up fairly well.

After the kneading was done, the physical therapist gave me some daily exercises. I do bridges to activate my muscles. Next I drape myself over a rolled towel with arms overhead. I stretch on the wall and then I do the most difficult and humbling exercise of all. I do a “wall sit” and make a snow angel on the wall. The purpose of the exercise is to re-teach my shoulder/back muscles how they should move. I am fatigued after 6-8 movements and achy after my set of 5. It is quite humbling to be beat up by a wall angle on the same day that I rode 25 miles and ran 7. After the kneading and the humbling, I had electrodes attached to my weak back and shoulder muscles and they were stimulated for 15 minutes. When I left, I felt like I had swam 10, 000, 000, 000, 000 meters. The drive home was a bit of challenge!

I have appointments weekly now and I faithfully do my daily exercises as I know that it will eventually get better and I will most likely reap some benefits in my training from finally being properly positioned. Even if it just not being in pain, I’ll take it!

On the training front, I have a ½ marathon coming up the first weekend in May and I am super excited about it. I have several friends running in it and several friends coming to cheer me on. I have put my husband up to giving a protein/carbo loading party afterward. Hopefully, it will be warm enough to grill. I have not yet decided on my goal for the race. I have never done a ½ , so any result will be a PR. I am leaning towards going all out as my next race is not until the middle of June (plenty of time to recover) and an all out result will give me some ideas as to what to reasonably expect for my two HIMs.

Whatever my decision, I know that I will have fun because I will be running with, cheered for, and surrounded by family and friends! (and we give killer after parties!)

putting me through my paces

Throughout my running career (running for fitness, running for cross training, running for training for marathons and triathlons) I have had, at best, two running speeds – normal pace and fast. Although the training plans for my marathons/triathlons indicated different running paces, I generally ignored them or half- heartedly attempted to adhere to them within a run always ending up at either my normal pace or doing sprints.

Last year, I was sidelined most of the season due to a foot injury. As a result of the injury, I have become very conscientious about running: not doing too much interval training, utilizing recovery running, and listening to my foot and taking a day off when necessary. This caution has extended itself into actually following the assigned paces in my training plan.

The training plan for my HIM has several types of runs including foundation runs, tempo runs, long runs, tempo runs with fartleks, and tempo runs with striders. In an attempt to find appropriate minute per mile paces for these runs, I hit the Internet. One site (McMillan Running) lists paces for recovery jogs, long runs, recovery runs, steady state runs, tempo runs, tempo intervals, speed workouts, and sprint workouts. Much to my dismay, only two of the terms, tempo run and long run, overlap. In search of the elusive foundation run pace, I visit the Runner’s World website and find minute per mile paces for easy runs, tempo runs, VO2 max runs, speed workouts, long runs, and suggested 800 speeds. Once again there is no foundation run.

Although, I had no pace for the foundation run determined yet, I did have ranges for my long run earlier in the week. Committed to follow the correct pacing, I set the treadmill for the correct mph for my 10 mile long run and ran really, really slow for a really, really long time. As my time on my treadmill lengthened, I began to wonder what other things I would be able to do while doing treadmill long runs. Could I fold laundry? Can I catch up on blogs? Can I write my blog? Could I read magazines? Correct homework? I was having a hard time at keeping my mind on my run as I was not mentally taxed by my pace or intervals. I wasn’t wishing time to go by quicker because I was physically taxed. I was wishing time would go by quicker because I was bored. I could have kept at that pace for much longer than my assigned mileage. (Yes, I know that is the point of that pace).

Because my brain was able to do other things, I decided to rename some types of runs, so I can get a better handle on the correct paces for me.

Run Paces as defined by a rather bored Spie

Long Run – the multitasking run. Go ahead, fold laundry. Read. Correct Homework. You’ll be fine. This is almost like walking.

Steady State Run – This is more like it. It is what running used to be.

Tempo Runs – I guess I can handle this pace as long as I don’t have to do too many miles.

Speed Workouts – I think that I will throw up if this goes on much longer.

Sprint Workouts – I just threw up.

Now, that I have these paces firmly embedded in my mind, I know that I will do a better job of trying to stay on pace.... except during the elusive foundation run*.

(*Foundation run defined in my plan as a continuous run at moderate aerobic intensity. Because I have devoted far too much time to researching the appropriate pace for this run, I am renaming it Steady State run and calling it a day.)

bad math

PLUS

IS BAD NEWS.

In my house, quiet is never good. Vaseline is very difficult to remove from bedding, furniture, carpet, and clothing.

Now for an overdue blog update.

My triathlon clinic was really interesting. During the swim portion, they analyzed my stroke and gave me some pointers to enable me to have a stronger swim. I needed to get my hand more under my torso during pull portion. After every one's analysis, we did a lot of drills - a lot of one armed drills.

The run portion was the most informative. The first part of the run clinic I met with a cross country coach who instructed us on fluid stretching, plyometrics (Have you every seen a bunch of grown adults skip backwards? It is quite funny!), and static stretching. He also had a ton of FUN(?) therapy stretching tools such as foam rollers, the STICK, a BOB, and many straps and bands.

The second part of the run portion was a gate analysis and specific drills to practice to improve the speed and efficiency of your run. This is the part of the workshop that was startling to me. We were to run on the treadmill and wait for Lauren (pro-triathlete and coach) to come analyze us. I was last and was observed after 35 minutes of running on the treadmill. She apologize for getting to me so late, but frankly, I would prefer to be watched when I am tired. That is when my bad habits always show up. I was given a few pointers such as to try to run quieter on the treadmill and to turn my left thumb up. Then she asks me to get off the treadmill so she can talk to me about something not directly related to running, but she really needs to bring it up. Being the people pleaser that I am, my first thought was "My gosh, what did I do?". She then indicates that she is a trained physical therapist and is very concerned about my posture.

I used to competitively swim in college and as a result I have the swimmers slouch (a muscular imbalance in which my pectoral muscles are so tight that they never release and cannot fire properly and my back muscles are stretched to the max, hardly touching and communicating). I was aware of my problem prior to her bringing it up and had talked to my husband about PT or massage or something as I always have shoulder pain (Always as in every day. Exercise or no exercise). What she proceeded to tell me next really alarmed me. She indicated that if I do not take the time to correct my problem soon, it will result in bone loss and I will eventually become one of those caved in old ladies that look like their chest could be used as a basket. This prophecy was enough for me to take action and now I am investigating physical therapy.

The last portion of the clinic was a two hour spin clinic which was a compilation of suggested drills, cadence work, and question and answer session while exercising.

All in all, including posture prophecy, the workshop was very informative. I did achieve most of my goals (Goals 1-3 were met), but I did not make a triathlon training friend. Unfortunately, the other workshops that were to be offered are cancelled as Lauren is training for IM Brazil and will be quite busy in the upcoming months. I am a bit disappointed as I was most interested in the nutrition workshop.

Finally, I need to make my March challenges public in order for me to have more accountability. Now that I no longer snack off my children's plates and eat dry cereal during the day,I am throwing down the gauntlet and attempting not to snack from the ingredients of dinner while I am preparing. This will as difficult as the children's plate snacking as I broke my resolution yesterday, but I have tasted (or not tasted) success once before and I know I can persevere!