I'm so lucky!! Okay . . . in an unlucky sort of way! But lucky none the less! Yesterday I went for my first run since surgery! And it went perfectly!
The day before I had gone to my doctor for another post-surgery checkup. My doctor was pleased and told me I could start walking some!! Hahaha!! I reminded him that the week before I had called and ask for their okay to walk and they had said it was okay as long as it didn't hurt. He said, "Okay . . . well . . . just keep doing the same thing then. And maybe you can start increasing your distance a tad." I ask him what he meant and he suggested I maybe try to walk a half mile or so.
I just started laughing!!!! I then told him I was already walking 4 miles and was having no pain . . . just some swelling afterwards that was gone by the next day. He just shook his head. I reminded him THEY had said I could start walking as long as it didn't hurt and I was simply following what they said!! Hahaha!!!
I told him my running gait wasn't like what he might think of as a "running gait." Explained I had more of a shuffling sort of gait where I honestly didn't get "on my toes" at all. I ask him why I couldn't try running some and see what happens. He finally said "okay" but I had to promise to stop immediately if it started hurting at all and I agreed.
The lesson here for everyone is you sort of have to "push" your doctors! Their normal instructions are always quite conservative . . . and that is okay. But don't EVER just accept their first suggestions! Negotiate!! If they hold firm then do what they say . . . but push them!!
Okay . . . so yesterday I ran! I was so excited because a snowstorm was suppose to hit about noon so my first run could be in the snow!! Honestly . . . running in a snowstorm is my very favorite time to run . . . bar none! So I waited until the roads were covered and then headed out!
I really was going to "be good!" As I started running I was just focusing on how my toes were feeling. Was there any pain at all? No . . . none! So I kept running . . . 1/4 mile . . . still no pain! 1/2 mile no pain!!! So then I started thinking about how far I should go!
Before this last foot surgery I had really focused on going into surgery in really good physical condition. I had worked quite hard the last few weeks to get my endurance up as far as I could. Then, after surgery I stared exercising again within a few days!! Even with my cast I found a way to plank!! And once my cast came off I re-joined the YMCA and started using the stationary bike. And as soon as I could I moved up to the ellipse machine and finally the AMT machine!
And last week when to doctor had told me I could start trying to walk normally (before this he wanted me to keep all my weight on my heel!) I added walking outside along with the ellipse workout. And started off walking over 3 miles!
So I had really maintained my aerobic capacity to a degree.
So yesterday I just kept running . . . maintaining an awareness of how my toes were feeling but more thinking about my pace and how far I could keep running. And the answer was about 1 1/2 miles before I first had to walk! Then it was a walk/run interval until I stopped . . . at 4.3 miles in about 58 minutes . . . not bad at all really! And my toes never hurt!
It was an awesome run! The roads were white . . . no cars . . . and only my tracks in the snow along with a few bird and squirrel tracks! I love the silence . . . . sort of a loud silence plus some wind to blow the snow around some!!
There is just nothing like running in a snowstorm!!
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