Did 20 min on the recumbent bike again with some resistance. 2 sets of add and abductors, glute machine, calf raises. I think I may try some very careful hiking in about 1 to 2 weeks. 2 weeks, some light biking, and water running.
It's coming along. The good thing is that it feels better after PT than before. Probably will go tomorrow again.
Beautiful time of year. No running til at least August sounds like an eternity.
Did 20 min with light resistance on the recumbent bike. Never got my HR much above 100 though. I was happy to see they fixed the rotary hip machine. So I did both that and adductors and abductors as well as some ham bridges and calf raises. The recumbent bike is about the only PT that truly makes my knee feel better. When I go to work and am on my feet, it still hurts. I have about full range of movement.
Ate really bad on Thurs after work. My sin was a half lb of fried potato wedges. Today was better, a large plate of kale with carrots and tomatoes.
Will be back in the gym tomorrow night I think. Slow progress. Hard to believe that I will not be able to run til Aug.
I ordered some new pedals and 160mm crank arms for my road bike. They should make climbing even easier, even with my 52-36t crank. Was thinking about a 50-34, but the shorter arms should make the hills a bit easier without going to a 34t. Apparently my Shimano 105 2x11 crankset is outdated and extremely hard to find parts for. I got the 160mm crank arms from Canada and they weren't cheap, over $100. Probably won't be able to reach as high a top speed with the shorter cranks, but that's ok.
According to tibia measurement, 160mm is definitely appropriate. I could have gone 155mm but would have needed to go off brand. Probably won't get the parts before next weekend, so biking will probably start in 2 weeks. Gently.
First time in training shoes in 7 weeks, and first time in gym. Didn't do too much, just some light recumbent bike, ad and abductors, body weight PT exercises, and upper body. Just one set.
It was encouraging. The knee feels better afterward, not worse.
I have to keep reminding myself, I'm only 8 days off crutches and to be patient. My right calf muscle looks really small compared to my L. I do think this also has been good for my foot arthritis. I can do 30 single leg heel raises, lightly supported with weight on hand with the right foot without (much) pain. Before, I couldn't do any without significant pain. I can definitely see light biking and hiking in 2 weeks.
I was disappointed to see the ancient rotary hip glute machine was broken. No one uses it and I will go in there and try to fix it myself. It's at least 35 yrs old. The cable has come off the main cog. I really wanted to use that machine. It's so old, the company doesn't support that model nor is there a manual available. I'm really not sure how to attach it, fixing it will be trial and error.
Watching the Masters Indoor World Championships, one story of particular note. Lesley, age 67, won the 800m World Title in the W65 age group. The time wasn't massively special (2:53) but here's the kicker:
Leslie is racing on a Total Knee Replacement
There is one at a facility in Chattanooga that I could book a session on for $10. Maybe I'll consider it in July. Anyway, I think this story could be inspiring for people who are struggling with knee replacements and shows that TKR isn't necessarily the end of the story. I recently had communication with the M65 WR holder in the 5k who just had a hip replacement at age 69. He fully intends to return to elite level and challenge the M70 WRs.
I did a few new PT exercises today and will ramp up hopefully to full regime by next weekend. Just living and walking around is actually PT. This is just day one of post crutches and it feels weak and vulnerable. Still put the soft brace on when carrying firewood upstairs and doing an errand. Any kind of stress or accident now would be a huge mistake so part of this is just being super careful. So far so good. Noticeable improvement in a week.
Alter G zero gravity running machine:
Schedule for my PT protocol for next few weeks. Will include more strength exercises after this period.
Some things I can do from home and some things I will start at gym next weekend (end of week 7/ beginning week 8).
Week 7:
Leg
- heel raises/ dorsiflex toe - 3x2x20
- ham sets - start with isometeric, then ham bridges - elevate to straight - 3x2x15 (hold 5 sec)
- single leg full weight balance for 5x30 sec. Progress to uneven surface (cushion)
- shallow double leg squats (30º) 3x2x20
- double leg bridges 3x2x20
- reverse lunge static hold 45º 10sec+ hold 3x10 (3x week)
Upper body / core
- bicycle crunches 4 - 5 x 50
- pull ups - 1x18, 1x 10
- pushups 1x25
Week 7-8 - additional exercises
- zero resistance stationary bike
- hip adductor and abductor machine
- glute and hip flexor machine
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Aqua running, hill walking, and first resistance strength exercises not until May. Nothing like repeated deep squat, seated leg extension, ham curl type exercise - needs to be avoided for 4 months or until June.
My limited weight bearing is supposed to officially end on Monday, but I've been walking around my house and office. I dutifully used crutches this week to walk from car to work, and wore my brace every time I left the house. It does feel like the healing is a bit slower than last time, however, I do have about 90% range of movement in my knee. I can walk but tend to keep my leg very straight and not a normal gait. It's painless when full weight bearing when it's straight, but I sometimes feel pain when it's even bent slightly, 5-15º. I've been doing some heel raises with about full weight. Also mobility exercises in the hot tub, just bicycling while seated in the water, no resistance. I'm not going to jump right into aggressive PT on Monday, but ease into it slowly. Doing some ham bridges, heel raises, and eventually very shallow body weight squats. It's good to have the blog from my previous recovery. I hope to be doing some light hiking and casual biking in 3 to 4 weeks. Hoping the pain will go away as I start mild resistance.
Continue to eat a lot of collagen powder, capsules, and glucosamine. Hopefully it will help over the long term. Over all, I think I've had a good term of healing, no accidents or incidents where I may have caused damage. I'm fairly certain the root repair is fairly well healed but the circumferential repair will take longer and may cause pain before this new cartilage 'gasket' is broken in. Patience is hard.
I am tired of sitting around, but it's been nice watching the IAAF World Indoor Championships from China. I'll probably watch all 20 hrs of it this weekend. Been hanging out on my porch by the porch wood stove on the futon in the evenings. Still cold at night, getting down to 40º tonight. Last night I tried to sleep with the brace on and that was a mistake. The weight of the brace made the leg hurt more and I woke up early with the knee hurting in the usual spot. After having my coffee and collagen, went back to sleep for a couple more hrs and it felt much better.
Next weekend, I'll be going to the gym to work on bringing back the strength to peripheral areas like adductors and abductors, hip flexors. Maybe some zero resistance stationary bike and upperbody. All I've been doing today is bicycle crunches and pullups. Really need to get HR up.
I'm going to use my next post to organized my PT schedule. Weight is under control, hanging about 144-145. 5-6 lbs lighter than after my first surgery.
Also, the WMAC indoor championship starts tomorrow in Gainesville. I'm not real interested in it since I can't participate. I had originally thought I might just enter the 200, and try to get on the US relay team, but that's obviously not happening. Whether I race again is uncertain. Probably shouldn't.
I have to wonder.
When masters athletes go too far. Pushing themselves for the sake of competition and damaging their bodies in the process, in some cases, beyond repair. That said, I think I have been repaired, although the jury is still out on the ultimate success of my surgery.
I've been extremely careful and only now, beginning the 5th week post op, I'm gingerly and only occasionally putting weight on my affected leg. It still hurts sometimes, but not badly or alarmingly. Mostly a throbbing feeling.
I recently was featured in Ray's "Geezer Jock" blog. One of my masters colleagues was also featured recently and praised as a hero for running injured in an effort to defend his title. I'm not going to mention names but I feel really sorry for him. He revealed his MRI on social media taken after his race (finished out of the medals, well back), and it was far worse than the knee I just had repaired. It is almost certainly unrepairable, especially at his age.
Another colleague had been running bone on bone for yrs and has apparently finally retired. He has literally dozens of National masters 400m titles. I see some short sprinters gutting it out, running obviously injured, 'just one more race' and not anywhere near where they used to be, like one former world champion I raced at Penn. World champ, Allan came out of retirement to race the 60m at Nationals, finished 3rd and said he "did not have a good time."
Another stellar athlete, WR holder won the 400m nationals in her age group and is competing on a torn meniscus. It doesn't bode well for her future. Short term goals for long term damage. People think they can overcome a torn meniscus with PT. Some even use snake oil chiropractic treatments like red light, cold laser, etc... Actually, probably no better than a soak in the hot tub and some gentle massage. All these things are really bandaids and won't help long term.
It makes me think real hard about ever training to compete again.
Two kernels of wisdom that Dr. LaPrade's assistant, Dr. Cook gave me...
1) There are two types of people. People who learn from their mistakes and people who learn from other people's mistakes.
2) You have one chance for a surgical repair, and you want to hit a home run.
I have 2 full weeks on crutches still left. Last time I got off crutches and on to the underloader brace at 5 1/2 weeks. I'm a bit behind that repair because I had 95% ROM by the end of 5th week. I'm a ways away from that, at least 2 weeks I'd estimate. Right now I can stand on it with full weight with no pain, but I am avoiding doing it. Still wearing the brace all the time. I still have a full 8 days before I have to work, which is great.
Staying at around 144 lbs. Been eating a lot of fruit lately out of convenience.
