After 8 weeks of rest following a meniscus injury, I had seized up completely & was in a lot of pain. I went to a physio and then a surgeon who recommended injections into my knee & a set of exercises to get me mobile again. I found out that "clams" are not just things you eat, and "Bulgarian splits" are not a fancy ice cream. So I got in touch with a personal trainer. (No way was i heading to a gym class π±) We met at his gym, and he started with a fitness/mobility assessment. Quite what he made of somebody who couldn't even bend her knee due to pain, and had the mobility of a drunk toddler, I don't know. Certainly his face revealed nothing of his incredulity that I was moving at all π
Every week, I tested all of his knowledge as he would find new ways to get around my limitations. Nothing fazed him, and I mean nothing. Though I think I'm the first client to face plant on the way in to the gym π. And the first to over balance on the step thing. And then there is the time I managed to steer the sledge thing sideways and almost ended up in the car park π³
I'm stronger now, and back to running, though have lost pace. It has been depressing at times not being able to run, and I lost confidence too. Being on the IC is part and parcel of running I think, and mentally, its a tough place to be, especially when the weather is good.
Lesson learnt - strength work is essential for running! And for me, investing in a personal trainer is worth it: to learn how to use equipment properly, to have a structured plan, to keep me motivated (and accountable).
The "drunk toddler" is no more!