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Tuesday, April 16, 2024


Slow Recovery

I am a little vexed today at the pace at which my hamstring is healing. I did my acupuncture and cupping treatment on Friday with Dr. Aaron. I decided to take that day off from doing stadium stairs because I read that it's not optimal to workout after these treatments. (It was pouring rain on Thursday, so I passed that day as well.) Sunday I went to GPTC practice out in Chestnut Hill. It was a beautiful spring morning. I did a slow jog mile warmup, then my dynamic stretching drills. I decided to try the 800m workout from Bill Collins's book (which I did in February [before the injury]). The workout is 5 x 800m at 3.30 with 5 minutes between. I decided to try 2 and see how I felt. I felt great on the first, though I was running slowly . . . actually my times are a little inaccurate because I ran in like lane 6 to avoid traffic and didn't stagger my starts . . . but I finished in just under 4 min. I rested 5 then tried the next, and toward the end of the last curve, I could feel my hamstring tighten--felt like if I really had sped up, I would have torn it again--so I slowed my pace and the pain went away, and I was able to finish, maybe about 4 min. I risked it and ran a third 800 in just under 4 min, and my hamstring felt okay. I did like 40 "stadium" stairs there (I'd say the length of the stairs there is 1/4 of what I had been doing at Penn's Franklin Field). I didn't really feel the noodle legs or the cardio pump after . . . which was disappointing. I finished with my Pilates routine. 

Yesterday (Monday) I did Pilates mat with Megan and my hamstring felt slightly sore/tight, so I took it easy and was careful not to over stretch or extend the leg too far. This morning I woke and my hamstring still felt sore/tight. I rode my bike to Pilates and then went to Franklin Field. Even though I could feel some pain in my hamstring, it didn't feel unsafe to do stadium stairs. I did 20 reps of the flight of stairs, and then I added one or two extra--of going all the way to the top of the stadium! I took a couple of videos, which I'll pst. Beautiful day. I came home and iced my hamstring and now have switched to heat. 

IDK. I can't believe the hamstring isn't healed completely. But it is improving, little by little. I guess I'm just ready to SPRINT. And I can't. Not yet. So . . . patience. 

Me finishing my last stair run--to the top of Franklin Field Stadium!



And this is just a nice panorama vid of the stadium and the glorious day:





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