By Ambassador Lisa Chmiola

It’s been 6 weeks since I started physical therapy for my hamstring strain. If you’ve been following along, you might recall that my injury will take closer to 3 months to heal versus a usual 6 weeks because my strain is in the tendon area of my muscle, not the “belly” (main part). Overachiever that I am, if I was going to injure myself, I was going to do it hardcore 🙁

So recently we did a follow-up evaluation. One of the tests was to try to get each of my legs to a 90 degree angle while lying down, without feeling any pull. Last time I was in, I scored a 50 degree angle on the injured right leg. Today: 62% on the injured leg, 70% on the “good” left leg. Big improvement in my range of motion, but still not there yet (they like a 5% or less difference). And this also says I really need to work on flexibility, overall (boy I miss the drill team days!).

In general, my muscles (both legs) are testing stronger, and going farther before I feel a stretch or pain. It’s a lot less tender when I’m poked, and in an increasingly more localized part of my muscle.

My therapist says I could benefit from another 4-6 weeks of work with them, with the possible addition of soft tissue work to increase blood flow and speed healing in the injured area (it’s much harder to get blood flow to this part of the muscle).

We’ve also agreed that I should lay off the yoga for now, so I don’t risk stretching the wrong way. But I ran a few lengths of the turf today with no problems, so I’m cleared to try some 1-minute intervals again this weekend…it will have been 3 weeks since my last attempt, so the backing off was a good idea.

So my recovery is happening, even if at the turtle’s pace. And since I’m a slow runner to begin with, I’m used to not getting to the finish line quickly!

In the meantime, I have begun my Aramco Houston Half Marathon training with Houston Fit. I have opted to join the Purple (walkers) group for now, and have been walking the routes the past few weeks…focusing on achieving distance for now, as well as improving my walk pace for those breaks I know I’ll need when I’m back to running more.

It’s great to have a group to train with, and the post-run core workouts and seminars are definitely a plus! (And a happy note, the planks and bridges I’ve been assigned from PT really help in that core session!)

So for now, I’ll practice patience with being a turtle, so I can be a speedy turtle come January and run across the finish line.

About the Author: Lisa Chmiola
Lisa’s running career started in earnest when she enrolled in Power in Motion for the spring 2008 season. With PIM, she successfully completed her first 5k, and has gone on to run several more races at the 5k, 10k and half marathon distances. She is a member of the Advancement Team at St. Agnes Academy. She’s been facilitating philanthropy for nearly 13 years, working previously for the University of Houston and the American Heart Association. One of Lisa’s biggest hobbies is volunteering, and she currently serves in roles with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Planned Giving Council of Houston and The Junior League of Houston, Inc. Other hobbies include Zumba (she is a certified instructor), cooking and spending time with friends and family.
Twitter – @houdatlisa
Blog – houdatlisa.tumblr.com
Instagram – @houdatlisa