It’s a few weeks since my last post so I figure it’s time for an update.
Gymwise, things have been going fairly well. The knee still doesn’t like too much running, so I haven't made it to 5km yet, but I’ve got in a good number of full sessions (30 mins cardio plus 30 mins resistance work) and, while the knee is sometimes sore, it hasn’t stopped me training. The weights are all too easy now so definitely time for an upgrade and I’ve been mixing in some upper body and abs work for a bit of variety (and to make sure I don’t end up with relatively toned legs, a muffin top and bingo wings – a good look, that!)
I had my next PT-led session in the diary for last week, which didn’t exactly go as planned. When I got there, I did my cardio first and then waited for the PT, who eventually came over asking ‘I haven’t got you booked in now, have I?’ Ummm, yes you have. So, having checked my surname (and looking slightly panicked) we went ahead. It was pretty clear he hadn’t thought about the next steps and was making it up on the hop, repeatedly saying he doesn’t want to push too much too soon so I end up injured again while trying to work out what to do next. Having said he’d write up a new plan for me for the next day, one week and three gym visits later, I’m still waiting for it, so I’m not exactly impressed.
We haven’t got my last induction session booked in and I should just chase it and the new programme up but frankly, I can’t be bothered. The last session didn’t exactly inspire confidence so perhaps I will just have to figure it out myself from here. I'm only whinging because I spend most of my life being responsible for figuring out the plan and delivering it so the gym has always been one place I didn't have to think, just do, but there you go.
For the record, here’s what we did do (or outline) in the last session. It’s an upgrade of sorts but not exactly interesting or moving on very much.
Objective – continue strengthening
Leg press – feet together 4 x 10 50 kg
Leg press – feet apart 4 x 10 50 kg
Leg extension (single leg) 3 x 10 15 kg
Kettlebell squats 3 x 10 10 kg
Hamstring curls (single leg) 3 x 10 15 kg
Kettlebell deadlifts on step 3 x 10 20 kg
Bosu squats 4 x 10
Bosu stepovers (add weights) 4 x 10
Reverse lunges (add weights) 4 x 10
30 minutes cardio – free choice
Cool down
Stretching and foam rollering quads, hamstrings and IT Band
Notes
I’m doing a lot more cycling than running for my cardio at the moment and the legs are definitely getting stronger as I can ramp up the resistance and maintain that effort for the full 30 minutes, which is good. This is also helped by the fact I have a new gym playlist after inviting friends to pick three songs each for my birthday BBQ which, combined with my own tracks, resulted in a seven and a half hour mix that should keep me going for a while (there's another post in there somewhere: Music to quad set by...)
In terms of the knee itself, it has been a mixed picture of progress and things to be mindful of. On the plus side, it has stood up to a birthday BBQ and a wedding, both of which involved wearing proper heels and having a bit of a dance, with no ill effects. Big yeay!
On the negative side, I’ve had four instances of waking up in the middle of the night with a searing pain through the middle of the knee. When it happens, it runs along the medial joint line, into the middle and front of the knee and the only way I can get it to settle is to stick a tubigrip on (minimal support) and sleep on my back with the leg out straight. I can also feel my lower leg wobbling when I do double ab crunches (legs straight to tuck to straight again, keeping heels off the floor throughout), despite the fact my quads should be strong enough to control that now, but it doesn’t hurt, just feels odd and reminds me that the joint will probably never be 'tight'.
There are some other things going on that may be exacerbating those issues, which I’ll come back to in another post (and link in here when I do so) but, on balance, so long as I’m mindful of them and don’t do anything stupid, hopefully I can keep making progress. Watch this space.