Set Backs and Self-Awareness

Knowing how your body feels before you go into activities, and then through the activity and then afterwards .. It is something that people do not actually think about taking note of. Anyone who is working out or considers themselves an athlete needs to understand their body to a more heightened level.

What I am finding through this recovery process, is that I am so scared of the new pains and sensations that I feel in my leg and knee. I am so in-tuned to my joints that whenever I feel something different, I recoil. I become tentative. I do not have a physical therapist to walk me through the process of recovery, so I am in a trial and error phase. I must make notes of what happens when, and hope that I can find resources online that tell me that those pains are normal.

Physical therapy is supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to hurt and from everyone I’ve ever talked to, it is just not comfortable. However, what is TOO much pain? What is the wrong pain and what is the right or wrong amount of rest time in-between strength training or cardio training?

While at the gym three days ago, I was finished with my leg day (leg press, leg extension, leg curls, abduction, adduction & straight leg ‘squat’) .. I was stretching my hamstrings and using the ballet bar. When I proceed from stretching my right leg (the bad one) to the left, I had a bad moment.

My right foot planted, parallel to the ballet bar, I lifted my left leg to place on the bar. When my right knee twisted it felt like .. well .. kind of like a white hot poker was shoved into my knee from the outside, in. I have to mention that it was probably a bad idea to have worn heels to a derby banquet the night before, so it was already sore.

Did I just overdo it? How do I know? I rested for the next two days except for some calisthenics. I feel a constant pressure on the outside of my leg. I am still icing. I am eating lots of protein, keeping up with vitamins, eating low sodium and drinking lots of water.

Today, I hop on the elliptical. The INSIDE of my leg was hurting, and a tingling feeling extended up my femur for about 10 minutes. I did 25 minutes and then moved to the bike for 35 minutes. I’ve iced. I take pain killers. I’ve taken anti-inflammatories. But the outside of my leg is still very tender.

So the moral of the story? If I weren’t self aware, I wouldn’t know when things do not feel right. If I weren’t self aware maybe I would have plunged through the workouts and not noticed the leg tingling on the elliptical and I would have done a higher resistance for a longer amount of time than I did.

Know your body. Love your body. Trust your body. But… asking for outside help is necessary sometimes too.

(Anyone know a good physical therapist?)

As a final thought … Despite feel squishy the last couple days, and having those two rest days… My legs and arms are getting RIPPED.