I would like to dedicate the first part of this blog post today to Jon Bon Jovi:
BECAUSE….. 🎵“Whoa-oh, I’m halfway there! Whoa-OH, livin’ in PT square!!” 🎵😁🎶💃🏼
SING IT, everyone!!! It fits perfectly with Bon Jovi’s well-known “Livin’ on a Prayer” song…and my revamped lyrics are YES, both corny and TRUE!!! 😆
ATTENTION!!! 📣 (I shall now explain my song choice and my acknowledgement of this particular artist, known as Jon Bon Jovi!)
SO, I have recently crossed my 6-month threshold of ACL rehab and this is my potential halfway point!! Therefore, “PT square” in my version of the song refers to all the hours that I have spent so far being in my grand and performance-driven physical therapy facility!! 🙃
Which is quite a few hours and mornings spent over the last six months. Why, this morning I just finished my 47th PT session of my rehab!!
And honestly, I would have quite a few more sessions racked up by this point, had it not been for COVID and it’s impact on limited scheduling. I’m telling you, ACL rehab is TOUGH, very lengthy, and not for the faint of heart. It seems to keep going and going and it also seems like I am consistently struggling with something and then something else……though that is just the nature of this injury rehab beast. 👹
EVEN STILL, I’m doing my ultimate best to love the process – – and everything is going as well as it possibly can be at this point! – – and rejoice in the fact that:
It feels great to come this far!! And to imagine this being my potential halfway point on my asphalt path of ACL recovery. 😁😃😃 For those of you that read my last blog post, YOU KNOW why the asphalt path is mentioned here. 😂😂
Now, in terms of what it means “to be at the 6-month mark of revision ACL Reconstruction rehab,” that is a fantastic question!
For one, I look more confident and poised that I feel on the inside! 😬
And that is a combo of a few reasons! The dancer in me always trained to never let the fatigue or any of my movement struggles show on my face. So, I portray the same poker face when I’m in PT. There also is a MASK covering half of my face, so that makes a big difference because if I do grimace or make a face, it’s hidden under the mask. 😷 And then, from my perspective, when I’m moving and doing my exercises, my knee doesn’t feel perfectly smooth just yet. Plus, my surrounding muscles and joints are still trying to play catch-up, which I can feel.
All of these things put together makes the onlooker say, “she’s doing so great!” while I’m saying, “WOW, I really need to work on this one because it is HARD for me!!”
This became evident when my physical therapist mentioned wanting to move me into a strength & conditioning program because he felt like I looked ready to move on to the next phase. Which I appreciate because he supports me and has this faith in me.
But then I met with my surgeon for my 6-month appointment and asked her opinion. She took one look at my quad imbalances between my left (injured) and right sides and also the way that I still favor my left side on single-legged exercises and she immediately said, “No, it’s too soon.” And she told me to continue PT for another 3 months, at least, before even thinking about moving on and joining a more intense strength & conditioning program.
Which I completely agree because I can feel my own imbalances and reservations in some of my movements!!! And I know how crucial it is for me to get a handle on both of these things before moving on with higher intensity training that requires me to be way more confident and trusting in my abilities than I am. 💯
Thankfully, all of these things were like a status checklist for me so I have a bunch of new aims to tackle over the next 3 months. Balancing out my quads, gaining strength in the trifecta of quads/glutes/hamstrings, increasing my confidence with a variety of jumps and hops, getting faster with agility work, and getting smoother and better at jogging on the treadmill.
Perhaps if I can get a tight grasp on all of these things, I will be ready to move up to the strength & conditioning level and then REALLY train as an athlete!!! We’ll see how much I can get done over the next 3 months.
Which reminds me, I would love to share my progress with you because you and this blog are and can be my accountability!! (Thank yoooooooou!!!!!! 😍) And it’s important for you to see where I am now, so you know whether or not I have improved the next time that we chat about all of this stuff!!
Okay, so here are a collection of still shots and videos that show what a 6-month revision ACL rehab workout might include:
Work under a barbell with Back Squats (with hip tap to a box) ….
….and Back-loaded Barbell Split Squats!
Next, you will see on this video clip that I am working on Power Step-Ups, or at least trying to step up onto this 6-tiered stepper as fast and strongly as I can!!! And then control the two-20lbs kettlebells on the way down. Definitely challenging for me!!! However, as you watch and critique my form, please also listen to the song on the background because I have a story for you!!!
Did you hear it?? Well, my cousins just adopted a second rescue pup that is a crazy-mixed breed of German Shepherd, Great Pyrenees, and Rat Terrier, amongst other things. And at first they named her Winifred, which is super cute!
But this pups came in with a BANG, totally owning the place with energy like a cyclone!! So, as my cousins so perfectly said it, “she came in like a wrecking ball!” And then they decided to change her name to Miley, which is much more fitting to her spunky personality. 🤩
So, OF COURSE I thought of my cousins and Miley when this song came on!!! And how fortunate was my timing, that I wanted to record my form on these Step-Ups at the exact same time this Miley song was playing!! 🎵🎶 MEANT TO BE!!! And so, it had to be included in this list of exercises!!😃
Next, we have these single-leg Power Slams to an RDL catch. I thought it would be fun to show you the three parts of the movement as still shots!!
This one super challenges me and my balance, too!! Plus my left side is quite a bit wimpier than my right side, in terms of the slam down itself. More mental notes to address these things, too, as I move forward!
Then, lastly, here is my jogging update for you. About one month ago, I made a goal for myself: jogging on the treadmill at 6.5mph for a half-mile. And I was working towards my goal…..and then I was given the green light to start jogging on the Curve!!!! 🚦
If you’ve never heard of or tried the Curve, it is awesome!!! Rather than the motorized treadmills that we are all too familiar with, this is a self-propelled treadmill, run by the power and control of your own muscles. It provides for a smoother experience yet it also brings on another level of challenge and intensity. Here’s a short clip of one of my jogs on the Curve!
Therefore, I don’t know if I met my goal on the motorized treadmill because I stopped using it….so I made a new goal!!! Running on the Curve for 3/4’s of a mile with a solid pace by month #7!!! And my stamina is crap so I have A LOT OF WORK to do with this goal! Add it to the list!!!!! 📒 🖊
Lots to do over the next 1 to 3 months and I am HERE for it!!! It’s super fun to be on the rebuild and to see and feel progress, even if it’s the tiniest improvements on this slow&steady journey. Progress is progress, no matter how small, isn’t it?!?!
And I found this quote, which I LOVE:
If I combine this quote with where I am in my PT journey, we could say that I am standing on the summit RIGHT NOW!! Because, I’m halfway there!!!! You already knew that I was going to say that, didn’t you? 😄🤣🤣🤣
And that means that I have already climbed the ultra-arduous incline and that I still have the decline to go – – which can either be easier or more treacherous depending on the terrain, the angle, any obstacles, and so on….
SO, I must enjoy my view from the 6-month top, find motivation and gratitude in the fact that I made it this far, and then prep myself for the “rest” of my rehab journey and everything it might entail. Which includes checking off the many items on the long list that was mentioned here on this blog today!!
EXCITING!!! To be continued on the ACL rehab progress front!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Keep being your magical selves and climbing all the summits towards your greatness and then beyond. We can’t just STOP at the halfway point, you know – – there’s so much more to discover!! Talk to you all next week! ❤️🗻💫🏔❤️⛰💫❤️