Each day…

Each day I look forward to a few things:

My coffee, my dogs, saying good morning to Dawn and Dr. Kathy Dooley’s Daily blogpost. The first 3 things should be apparent as to why I look forward to them. But some of you may not know Kathy. I’ve never met her personally but I’m going to soon. Her Immaculate Dissection course will be coming to Kinesis this summer and we’re over the moon excited to share in it! https://www.facebook.com/ImmaculateDissection?ref=br_tf

Each day, Kathy’s Daily blogs inspire, push, ignite and remind me of the WHYs Kinesis was brought to life. Her mission – http://www.drdooleynoted.com/the-dooley-mission/ – really brought me back to the REASON for opening our own business.(http://www.KinesisLiving.com)

Each day, Dawn and I hope to give our clients power over their pain, educate them into their own physical evolutions, allow them to safely advance their movement patterns and honestly LIVE in the most optimal way possible.

Each day, all of you remind Dawn and me why EACH DAY is so very important.

Coach Kimmie

The Teacher Becomes the Student… by Coach Kimmie

Most weeks, I’m busy prepping/planning/thinking/conniving ways to give my clients and class participants the BEST workouts possible.

My private sessions, although not always written out, have a very specific direction in which they go for each person.

My FUNctional FITness groups are different each class & host a mixture of all things “life-based”, cardiovascular HIITs and some honest-to-goodness FUN! (what’s functional? (http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/working-out-for-real-life-functions)

My TRX Core and Sweat classes truly live up to their names!! (what’s TRX? https://www.trxtraining.com/suspension-training).

And my Pilates groups are peppered with functional movements, grunts, groans, sweat, fitness “cues” and sometimes a whole lotta laughter! (what type of Pilates do we offer at Kinesis? www.StottPilates.com)

So you can imagine that sometimes, my personal workouts take a backseat and get less than optimum planning, etc.  As a trainer for 19 years (whuuuttt???!!! that’s HALF OF MY LIFE!), I’ve come to not only expect this, but to be ok with it and understand it.  And then, there’s THIS! While at PrimalCon, I learned I tied for 3rd place BEST PERSONAL TRAINER in the Argonaut’s Best of the Westside 2014 issue! Woohoo baby! (what’s the Argonaut? http://argonautnews.com/health-fitness-2/) Gratuitous horn-toot 🙂

But this past week, I got 4 workouts in and 3 of them were actually given to me by SOMEONE ELSE! I didn’t have to “come up with” the plan, think about the reps or figure out the premise.  (can you hear those angels singing?!)

Wednesday evening, I got a fabulous (and OMG hard!) Pilates group workout with Ginger Daniels at Kinesis. I’m ALWAYS reminded how hard Pilates is when you do it RIGHT. Not when you do it fast or crazy or “bootcamp-y” but when it’s done from a place DEEP down in yo’ belly… My core was awake for a few days 🙂

Saturday after I taught at Kinesis, DrDawn created a fantastic “garage gym” workout for the two of us at our house.  Sweating it out with deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups and single leg weighted movements made me so happy! And, it was good relationship time since we don’t get to workout at the same time very often at all.

And today, I’m excited to take a Yoga Tune Up® workshop.  It doesn’t matter to me what the plan is – it’s just that I get to experience it! (what’s Yoga Tune Up®? www.YogaTuneUp.com)

It’s been very beneficial to me to have someone else looking at my form, tweaking my movements and TEACHING me this week. Sometimes you’ve gotta sit on the other side of the room to see what you’ve been “missing”…

And remember, just keep it movin’… ~Coach Kimmie

Sharing the Ball-Love…at PrimalCon 2014!

Hello Kinesis Community!

DrDawnDPT and I just returned from an unbelievably amazing FIRST experience at PrimalCon – Oxnard 2014!  We are so excited to have our first large scale “presenting” opportunity under our belts. And what a phenomenal group we had!

We really wanted to share some photos from the weekend, some links to the wonderful people we met and give you insight into what we were doing away from Kinesis 🙂

http://www.marksdailyapple.com Mark Sisson is the man behind The Primal Blueprint book and Mark’s Daily Apple. Jaynee Higgott (love you!) is the woman who is responsible for our PConOx experience…

http://themerrymakersisters.com These two…what can I say?? Amazing recipes, fun pics and an outstanding attitude towards life and health.

http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com Chef Rachel’s Keynote speech was more than amazing. It was truly life-changing… And Dr Dawn is implementing Chef Rachel’s suggestions for achieving and maintaining nutritional ketosis.

http://www.thefitnessexplorer.com Darryl is Coach Kimmie’s movement hero. She was so excited to meet, talk and play with this guy!

http://dailyvitamoves.com Angelo dela Cruz blends martial arts, fitness, and bodywork skills into his signature movement paradigm – VitaMoves. Dr Dawn is incorporating some of his flow motions into her already popular Yoga Tune Up® classes and they’re a real hit!

http://notsofastfoodtruck.com Bob Montgomery’s company. Check it out!

http://www.urbanprimalist.com Timothy, the Sledgehammer Guy 🙂

https://www.yogatuneup.com We couldn’t have had such a great event without Jill Miller and her famous Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Balls! We were so happy to represent and educate people on the amazing effects these little grippy rubber bundles of love can have!

And so many more! Find them in this recap of the event! http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-are-family-primalcon-oxnard-2014/#axzz3F0n7maW7

 

Saturday’s Survivor-style Team Challenge!! I was on the end of the board and was REALLY glad I could squat low and reach long!!

Sledgehammer workout!! Y’all may be seeing some of this soon 🙂

Brian Tabor showing off his Slackline skills! (@strongmadesimple)

Angelo (Ninja Warrior participant!!) taking the group through his signature series of movements… Vitamoves.

Saturday night Ocean Plunge and Hot Tub sprint! What a gorgeous night…

Our name tags… Love it!!

 

 

As you can see, they fed us VERY well. Paleo/Primal all the way! Never having to ask “what’s in it?” or “how’s it cooked?”

Bob Montgomery of NotSoFast Food Truck in San Diego took very good care of the grill! The PCon crew fed approximately 150 of us twice a day!! Thank you!

Holy wow! Darryl Edwards, the Fitness Explorer out of the UK, easily holding both of us for this outstanding shot! We had such a great time “playing primally” with this guy….

Happy “campers”. It was beautiful weather and we were so excited to be part of this event!

Friday morning, introducing ourselves and our BALLS! We represented for Kinesis and Yoga Tune Up® by educating attendees on self myofascial release.

Darryl’s “world premier” of his new logo for PRIMAL PLAY!

One of the amazing crew, Chris, just playing with his balls… 🙂 He DID actually use them for some great trapezius release!

Brian using the Alpha Ball to release some side seam body parts. Namely the LATS!

Coach Kimmie was SO excited to meet the MerryMaker Sisters Carla and Emma from Australia! They attended a few of our sessions and went home with balls of their own 🙂

Dr D leading a Sunday morning session…

GROK ON, baby! I love my new PrimalCon and Grok shirts!

Chef Rachel had a truly self-healing experience to share. Battling cancer for the last several years, her approach to a more ketogenic-based diet has definitely been a game changer! So glad to meet her!

Mats, blocks and balls!

Coach Kimmie leading a session on Saturday. Rolling out the feet = happier PrimalCon attendees!

Session attendees relaxing a bit between ball rolling sets. Gorgeous skies!!

Gettin’ Trappy with it!! Working out the upper back and shoulder area…

This young man was such a treat to have in sessions. Just a teen, he wanted to attend this year with his parents. High energy, funny ball jokes and here – resting from the side seam/lat work!

Vanessa and her hubby DT brought their baby to PCon this year. He was such a sweetie! Gotta start ’em young! Thanks for posing, Vanessa!

Darryl prepping a group for Primal Play!

Darryl showing off his capabilities 🙂

Carrie Sisson (Mark’s wife) and Karen led meditation groups each morning. Plus, they were presenting and sharing information on “What’s Blocking Your Success?” They were very popular and great teammates for the Survivor Challenge on Saturday morning!!

That’s me in the center 🙂 This is after Primal Playout (instead of WORKout) with Darryl. FUN FUN FUN!

Carla and Emma “holding” Darryl! Looks a little uneven in the workload to me!!

Cyndie and her hubby Justin attended for the first time this year. Cyndie will be graduating from IIN soon and helping people along their nutrition journeys. Thanks for the pose!!

Timothy (UrbanPrimalist on Instagram) and his Sledgehammer group! Crazy, yelling, strength and primal-based movements. Everyone looked like they were having a fabulous time!!

Morning walk from the hotel to the park.

 

Plot Twist!

 

By: Dr Dawn DPT

Plot twist seems to be a theme for me these days. Here’s my latest.

I was seeing the light at the end of a long knee injury tunnel. I built up strength through crossfit-inspired training and rowing, addressed my biomechanics, and lubricated some dehydrated tissues.  I slowly resumed my running and had worked back up to a solid 8 miles. I felt confident enough to sign up for a half marathon at the end of May. Passion, persistence, and positivity got me back on the trails!

 

And then…I dropped a #45 barbell on my right foot during a warm up routine on Tuesday, March 18th at 7:30am. 

I self-treated with LiteCure laser, Rock Tape, compression sock, and gentle range of motion for 2 days but when I still couldn’t put weight on it by Thursday, I went to urgent care for an x-ray. Verdict – no fracture but a type 1 crush injury that would most likely take at least  2-3 months to heal. Definite plot twist!

Dorsal view of right foot injury

Medial view of right foot injury

Litecure Lightforce Pro Laser

Rock Tape for edema and bruising

Me on crutches…putting on a happy face!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I became depressed and relived the moment of losing the barbell from my fingers over and over again in my mind. It was a stupid accident! But why?!? Why now?!? I was just getting my run mojo back and feeling good about it. I was starting to dream about triathlon again!! And then…a barbell dropped on my foot!!!

After several days of this moping, I stopped and yelled PLOT TWIST! I reminded myself this is not the end…just a bump in the road! So get over it!! I set up a treatment schedule for myself…and stuck to it. Laser, linament application, gentle range of motion, and taping everyday for the first week.

By week 2, I was down to 1 crutch and added in Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls to reintroduce proprioceptive awareness and normalize my hypersensitive touch sensation as well as initiate some space-making in the congested foot tissues.

Ball of foot on the ball

Arch on the ball

Skin rolling dorsal tissues

Toes on the ball

At

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of week 2, I was walking with a cane and started my Tuesday and Thursday morning workouts again, albeit modified. I did alot of floor work for my core with heavy focus on the obliques, kettlebell swings (yes, I grip the hell out of the bell even though I know I shouldn’t!), 1/2 Turkish get ups, and rowing on my Indo Row water rower.

Oh, and I spent more time on my left knee releasing and strengthening my tissue imbalances. My left knee is feeling better than ever!

Kettlebell Swing

Indo-Row Water Rower

 

 

 

 

Half Turkish Get Up (TGU)

By the end of week 3 I was fully off all assistive devices for walking and had very little limp. I added single leg work with Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) and step ups on a 20″ box. And I started really pushing my rowing with sprints ranging from 400 meters to 1600 meters (1 mile).

It has now been 4 weeks almost to the day that I was handed my little plot twist. After a few days of wallowing, I think I twisted my lemons into some great tasting lemonade!

I can row a 10k (6 miles) in under 50 minutes. My core is stronger. My left knee is stronger and more stable. My right foot tolerated a light, slow, short jog for the first time today! The light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter! I guess plot twists aren’t so bad after all…until the next one comes along LOL!!

Coach Kimmie’s Half Marathon Training Plan

So when I decided I was going to train for another 1/2 marathon (WTF?!!), I determined I’d do it very differently than any of my previous distance endeavors. I was going to train for SPEED and with my OWN self-created plan! A distance goal is great but what about having a “time” goal as well? My previous 1/2 marathons have all been at least 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes in length. My goal is to finish this race in under 2 hours!!!

Traditional running programs/plans have us running 3, 4, sometimes 5 days + per week and maybe, JUST MAYBE 1 strength/cross training session and possibly a hint of selfcare activities like bodywork or rest.  I’ve done this in the past (because that’s what everyone says you should do!) and I usually 1) got injured 2) got burned out or 3) changed the plan about halfway through the training.  So it was high-time I made a change because I cannot afford to 1) get injured 2) get injured or 3) get injured!!

My week of training looks a little like this…

Monday & Wednesday are really long work days so it’s a no-training day. I aim to do a few simple core exercises, some light stretching and some specific Yoga Tune Up® therapy ball rolling. (www.yogatuneup.com) http://instagram.com/p/kgA3XlrCkd/

Tuesday is a shorter work day (plus a big amount of administrative duties) so I do either sprint intervals OR a strength training session in our garage “gym”. Squat, lunge, plank varieties plus specific ab & upper body exercises are the foundations I build my strength sessions on. Sometimes I mix a lower body strength exercise with a short sprint. Example: weighted squat paired with a 30 second sprint then 30-60 second recovery

. 

Thursday is my day “off” at Kinesis. No clients and I try to NOT do any work-related activities. (yeah right!!)  Thursday mornings I take an indoor spinning class and sometimes do a smaller strength session prior.  I also will occasionally use this day for my LONG RUN DAY depending on what my Saturday is like. Each week, I add between .5 and 1.0 miles to my last longest run.

Fridays I start work at 6am and finish between 3 and 5pm. If I have some leftover energy, I MIGHT squeeze in a 30 minute VERY specific lower body strength session. I do movements that really fire up my Posterior Chain. I LOVE working the back of my body! If you’ve worked out with me, you KNOW I’m all about Lats and Butts 🙂

I also toss in a little plyometric work. Jumping, hopping, jumprope, box jumps, etc. http://instagram.com/p/ktCyMRrCm5/ 

Saturdays are my preferred ‘LONG RUN DAY’. This is tricky because I work 8-12 and it’s usually kinda warm/hot after 12noon. However, after this last weekend’s Los Angeles Marathon HEATWAVE, I have zero room to complain! After an 8-10 minute general warm up, I usually take the first mile to settle into my run & get into my groove.  Miles 2, 3, 4 are usually fairly comfortable and I’m trying to run at a quicker pace the 2nd half of each mile than the first. **speed** remember?? So far, miles 4, 5, 6 have gone ok. I’ve only run up to 7 miles at this point. I have to really keep my mental game on cue or I’ll start losing focus. And I refuse to get in my own way! http://instagram.com/p/kyNBXmLCtf/ The #HTFU brand of clothing REALLY helps me stay mentally “right”! http://store.htfu.com/Reality_Check_by_HTFU_p/ss038.htm

Sundays – oh Sunday!!! I LOVE Sundays. I usually do another spin class and try to devote the rest of the day to rest, friends and other things that just make me feel rejuvenated and relaxed so as I move back into my week, I’m on track!

So that’s that. I just thought y’all might be interested in how I create my goals, my workout plans and to know I’m working hard JUST LIKE YOU… More to come as I progress through the training towards the Mountains2Beach 1/2 marathon in Ojai late May!!

~Coach Kimmie

De Feet Boss… De Feet! ~ Part Deux

By: Dr Dawn DPT

As promised…some of my favorite stretches for de feet! You can check out Part 1 here.

1. Myofascial release for the tissue tension: Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls are the perfect myofascial release tools to create space in the well-packed foot region. Remember, there are 26 bones, 33 joints, and over a hundred soft tissue structures in each foot! I refer to the YTU® therapy balls as my rubber scapels that can poke, prod, and partition the tissues that bind us and manifest as pain. You can roll them around the entire plantar surface of the foot from heel to toes in a weighted (standing) or de-weighted (sitting) position depending on your (dis)comfort level. Aaaahhh…what a relief it is!

I really like to finish off the roll with a prolonged toe extension (especially big toe) stretch. Big toe extension is super important for decent gait (fancy word for walking/running) mechanics. Even a small loss of range here can cause the foot to spin off the big toe joint as you push off during walking instead of rolling over the ball of the foot. This spinning action may contribute to bunion formation.

Interlaced Toes

Foot Alignment Socks

2. Toe separation: Your toes have many of the same muscles as your fingers and should be able to perform many of the same tasks. They are under-performers due to being stuffed in shoes all day with no wiggle room or ability to exercise their right! Free your toes! They will thank you immensely…eventually!!

3. Top of toes/foot/ankle and anterior leg compartment stretch: This is a fantastic but oft overlooked area to stretch. If you walk, run, and/or hike frequently especially on hills…this will feel aahhmazing!!!

Toe/foot/ankle/anterior leg stretch

4. Calf stretch: There are many ways to get at the calf for stretching. This happens to be my favorite. You need a yoga mat or some other device (book, 1/2 foam roller flat side down). Stand with your feet parallel to each other and place ball of one foot on the top of one end of the rolled up mat. Ensuring you keep your hips squarely forward and your knees straight, step your other leg forward only as far as you can keep this good form. Inch your step forward slowly allowing your calf muscle’s stretch-ability to be your guide.

Calf stretch on yoga mat

Double hamstring stretch

5. Hamstring stretch: As with calf stretching, there are a multiple number of hamstring stretches on the market. I like this one because you can easily stretch both…at the same time. And if one is tighter than the other, feel free to allow one knee to bend to get a little deeper stretch on the opposite hamstring. And why are we stretching this far up the leg? Because the posterior fascial chain extends from the plantar surface of the foot all the way up the back and neck!

Be kind to yourself as you begin this process of foot space exploration. A little bit goes a very long way at first. You are releasing prisoners; they may need a major readjustment period. Here’s to FREE AND HAPPY FEET!!!

It’s Genetic… NO, It’s Mechanics!

By: Dr Dawn DPT

If I had a nickle for every time a client tried to convince me their foot problems were genetic, I’d be rolling in the deep money! I won’t dispute the possibility of some genetic predisposition due to collagen fibers, bone structure, and other genetic markers. However, I take issue with the statement “It’s genetic, I have my mother’s (or father’s or uncle’s or grandmother’s) feet being used to avoid owning their bad habits and correcting biomechanical faults that can change the course of their foot health for a lifetime. A genome can not be altered (well, for the sake of this discussion it can’t!) but a mechanome can definitely be modified for the greater good.

“We are how we move” according to Katy Bowman, biomechanist extraordinaire. Read her timely blog on this topic here: Mechanome vs Genome. The moral of the story is you can do something, many things in fact, to address the issues with the tissues in your feet (or anywhere else in the body for that matter but today it’s the feet).

The most common malalignment of the foot attributed to genetics is the bunion. In reality, gait pattern, tissue tension, and poor shoe choices are the biggest contributors to bunion formation. Tight calves and hamstrings as well as walking like a duck (or ballerina) are the quickest way to achieving a beautiful (not) bony protrusion on the side of your big toe. Add wearing a shoe with a small toe box and a heel to push your entire body weight onto the ball of the foot and pow!

If we were meant to wear heels, our foot structure would look more like this:

So… what can I do? you may ask. I will tell you.

First: Wean down your heel height as much as possible and wear heels for special occasions instead of daily.

Second: Choose shoes with wide toe boxes to give your toes plenty of room to spread out. And help your toes find a new spread position by encouraging them with your fingers, spreading with toe muscle control, and wearing my new favorite toe aligment tool:

 I wear these in the evening for about an hour or so before going to bed. WOW! What a stretch!

Third: Use a myofascial release tool to loosen up the tissues in the foot and create space for blood flow, nerve communication, and mechanical efficiency. My favorites are the Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls. They come in several sizes but the classics are best for the feet. 

Fourth: Stretch your calf muscles

Fifth: Stretch your hamstrings/posterior chain

Sixth: Fix your standing and walking foot pattern. If you are not a duck or a ballerina on the stage, please work on paralleling your feet one to the other.

Your feet should line up similar to the middle set, feet in parallel to each other. Practice this in both standing and walking. The more you practice this preferred posture, the more comfortable and less foreign it will feel.

Seventh: Make an effort to do something for your foot health daily. Your feet and toes will thank you immensely for your efforts! You can create change! Your foot structure is malleable based on the mechanical stresses placed on it.

The Importance of a “Plan” ~ Coach Kimmie

The Importance of a “Plan”

Do you go into your week with a plan regarding your exercise and movement?  Just like our “work” week has a fairly specified amount of time allotted for it, so should our “movement” week.  If I didn’t plan my weekly workouts just like I schedule each client or class, TRUST ME – they’d never get done!

“So Coach Kimmie, how do I plan my week?”

Write down all the types of movement you really like to do first. LOVE that TRX class on Monday? Write it down!  Prefer the Yoga Tune Up class at Kinesis on Tuesday or Wednesday? Write it down!! Commitment to what you love (or really like) will undoubtedly help create success. Once you have these in place, build the week from there.

We all know that there must be components of each of these in our general fitness scheme:

**strength**

**cardiovascular**

**flexibility/mobility**

We also know that there should be at least 1 day of no exercise or very light non-impact activity per week depending on our body’s needs.  And finally, we know that our body sometimes needs a little down time.

“So Coach Kimmie, what does a sample week look like?”

Monday:  off

Tuesday:  20-30 minutes of medium intensity cardio plus stretching.

Wednesday:  30-50 minutes of *strength training followed by 10-20 minutes of cardio.

Thursday:  Lower intensity strength & self-care day. **Pilates, maybe get a bodywork session, spend more time stretching or try a Yoga Tune Up class.

Friday:  20-30 minutes of interval cardio with stretching and Yoga Tune Up® therapy ball rolling for your specific “hot spots” afterwards.

Saturday:  low intensity cardio for 60 minutes and maybe a Pilates class or core series as well.

Sunday:  30-50 minutes of combined strength and cardio. Do a 1:1 ratio of strength and cardio movements.

Daily: spend 10-15 minutes stretching major muscle groups and using your self-care tools. Foam roller, Yoga Tune Up balls, foot wakers, etc.

Your week can obviously be different from what I’ve listed, but it has to make sense in your life.  If you know there’s NO WAY you can exercise on Wednesdays, then that’s your definite day off or you can focus on your flexibility/mobility program. If Sunday is always your family/relaxing day, then keep it that way.

The main things to keep in mind are:

1) When performing full body strength sessions, spread them out so you have at least 1 day between for adequate muscle recovery.

2) Be smart and work up to aiming your sessions just slightly out of your comfort zone.

3) Listen to your body.

4) Be aware of and use all the tools available to you! Physical therapy consults with Dr. Dawn, acupuncture/alternative options with Laura, bodywork with our fabulous therapists, etc….

Injury-free is the way to be!!

Ultimately, aim for 2-3 days of strength, 4-5 days of cardio, and 1 day off.  Mix these up into your life and you’ll be set up for success.  Remember, if our bodies are learning something new, there could be some crankiness coming from some muscles. If you’re really sore from the previous day’s workout, keep moving but maybe slow yourself down a bit and be good to your body!

Need help? We’ve got you covered!  One-on-one sessions can be spent figuring out your needs and customizing a plan THAT WORKS FOR YOU. FaceTime sessions are also available.

Notes:

*Strength training can be done with your bodyweight movements or with the use of free weights, TRX, dumbbells, or other weighted non-machine based equipment. If you’re newer to strength training, take a private session with our amazing trainers at Kinesis. We offer a 3/$150 Personal Training special if you’ve never had personal training at Kinesis.

**Pilates is considered strength training in my book.

You have the power to make it happen. ~Coach Kimmie 

Hell on Heels!

By: Dr Dawn DPT

Are you a slave to fashion? A real fashionista? Can’t give up your Choos? And yes, wedges are still heels!

Fashion Heels

There is a growing body of evidence, not to mention your own body you have probably been trying to ignore, that wearing heeled shoes is detrimental to your posture and biomechanics. The soft tissue imbalances created from faulty posture and biomechanics when the heel is in a raised position frequently lead to musculoskeletal pain. The World Health Organization (WHO) states “these debilitating conditions are painful for the individual, lead to the inability to work and to enjoy life fully, and are a cost to societies and countries.” According to WHO, millions of people are affected globally by musculoskeletal diseases/injuries.

Everything matters because everything is connected! What do you think happens to your knees when your heels are lifted throwing your delicate balance with gravity in a tail spin? And then your hips? Your spine? Your shoulders? Your head? Compensatory changes occur all the way up the chain to your brain.

So why do so many women (and some men) continue to punish their feet, knees, hips, backs, necks? Why haven’t more women just said NO! and demand a fashionable flat? We have to demand it and they will supply it! Right?!? Here’s hoping your heels find their way to the dumpster while you’re in search of an answer to your nagging body aches and pains. Throw on a pair of nice flats on your way out the door!

Fascianistas unite! Fashionistas watch out!!

Confessions of a movement specialist

By: Dr Dawn DPT

OK… I admit it… I have an injury. I am done hiding it… hiding is mentally and physically exhausting… and it hasn’t made the injury go away!

I did “something” to my knee almost a year ago. I say “something” because there was no clear injury moment that can be pin pointed. However, I know I foolishly engaged in catch up training last September. I went through a grueling teacher training for Yoga Tune Up® and then suffered a nasty upper respiratory virus. These two things set my Ironman training back a few weeks. SO… as soon as I felt well enough, I came back to my training with a vengeance! I put myself through my hardest run workout for my welcome back… and fools suffer! It all felt great during the run although winded. About 1-2 hours after the run, my left knee swelled to twice its size and I have been struggling ever since.

Initially, I ignored the pain and swelling (I know… stupid… and so not the advice I would give any client) believing it would go away. How could it not?!? I did nothing. Really. Except overwork an already compromised knee joint from 2 previous surgeries that I worked really hard to heal to the point of doing half ironman triathlons without any problems. Really.

Soooooo after months of ignoring the issue, pretending I was fine, running through the pain, cycling under my performance level, gingerly pushing off the pool wall with every turn, and deflecting all questions about my knee (are you limping? is something wrong? etc) I decided to start treating THE KNEE. Bodywork, ball rolling, LASER, kinesiotaping, and directed strengthening took the place of swimming, cycling, and running. I stopped socializing with my tri friends so I wouldn’t have to deal with their requests for a training run, ride, or swim.

Everything helped a little bit for short periods of time but the pain marched on. And the knee began to pop and stick and click with every move. I couldn’t sit on the toilet (or anywhere for that matter) without deweighting my left leg and using my arms to assist. I was frustrated and depressed over my inability to heal myself. I was “this close” to seeing my knee surgeon for another clean up of an already minimal lateral meniscus and joint surface stemming from a nasty lateral tibial plateau fracture in 1995.

And then a miracle happened! Well, not really a miracle. But it feels like one!! The pain is slowly diminishing! So why now you may ask? Well… I finally began devoting 100% of my attention to my movement patterns. And I mean every movement. I began analyzing the way I stand, sit, walk, pick up a dropped item from the floor, etc all day long. It begins with my first movement of the morning upon awakening and my hypervigilance extends until I am lying in my bed and drifting off to sleep… only to begin again upon awakening. Yes… it is mentally and physically exhausting, but so was hiding it. At least now I am reaping the benefits of my hard work. The healing is in motion now that the motion is biomechanically in line with my joint’s best interest with every movement, not just during strengthening work.

I can’t say yet if I can really avoid the surgeon’s scalpel, but I am hopeful. I ran 200 meters twice last week without pain. I ran 400 meters once this week without pain. I can bend and straighten my knee (weighted and deweighted) without clicking, popping, and sticking. The stiffness that comes from joint effusion is gone. I can do a near full air squat without pain. I can swim and push off the pool wall easily with both feet. I cycle to work without pain. But I study and analyze every footfall, pedal stroke, knee alignment during motion, muscle activation sequence, etc. Healing is a full time commitment.  But I’m worth it! Aren’t you?!?

I am excited at the prospect of training again, in due time. Until then, every move I make, every step I take, I’ll be watching me…

My smile at the end of a 6 mile run!