Easy Does It

Fit Day Friday

Every athlete fears of getting injured and having to be removed from the sport for awhile. Well, that nightmare came true for me about 6 weeks ago. My knee did not feel right while running one morning, but I told myself to stop whining and finish my workout. Those thoughts are the reason that my running shoes have remained unworn and in the garage for the last 6 weeks... I went and saw a doctor about my knee and, thankfully, learned that it is wear-and-tear of my cartilage, not a pulled tendon or something requiring surgery. The Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon arranged for 4 physical therapy treatments to strength some muscles in my inner thigh to realign the kneecap, but I didn't really want to go. I didn't want to pay the money, I didn't want to spend my time, and I thought I could fix it with at-home remedies. Thankfully, I have friends and family who strongly recommended/forced me to take the therapy seriously considering the long-term effects if isn't fixed. Although resting it so much for so long now has been rough, I know it is 100% necessary, especially considering I want to remain active after this incident is over. We have one body given to us, and it is our responsibility to take care of it along the way so that it can live up to its full capacity throughout our lives. Sometimes your muscles need a nap too! I took my first run this morning and would run for 1min and walk for 1min for about 20min. Was I cured? Mentally it felt amazing to get back on that pavement with my puppy in tow, and my knee felt pretty good too! Take recovering from an injury seriously so that you are able to give it your all when you feel better, and ease back into your normal routine to ensure no further injuries. Also, enjoy the attention you get and chores you get out of from resting "per the Doctor's orders" request too ;)