3 Month Mark

I'm actually really sad posting this... this is version x2 of my original post. Don't trust command+Z on Blogger here apparently. I lost the whole post. My original had some thoughts from a few weeks ago, which was a super rough time for me. There's no way I can recreate those thoughts in which I wrote in that mindset. That mindset is long gone now. This is the worst feeling... much like closing a finished assignment without saving! 😓  

I suppose the abbreviated and shortened version will have to do...

Weeks 9, 10, 11 - my 'rough weeks'

I had been dreading the time of recovery when your knee feels fine and back to normal, but you simply cannot use it as normal... and that was this past month. I was in the 'red zone' as I call it- where the graft being used as the new ACL reaches it's weakest point and 'dies' before it begins to build strength again. Because of this, I told my PT I do not want to add in or try any new exercises until I was past the 12 weeks mark, and he agreed. 

In addition to the graft at it's weakest point, the area above my knee cap where they harvested the tendon was very sensitive to any use. It was a healing pain though- I know as a fact I did nothing to cause it the pain. If anything, I slacked in these weeks with exercises. 

These weeks were not just hard physically, but as with any injury, mentally as well. I had been putting on a facade. Heck I am still putting on one. Seeing my ski & trail running friends during this time was hard- being around them made me feel even more unlike myself behind my facade. Not to mention it was prime ski mountaineering season..! So I dealt with it by keeping to myself and staying home when I could. Because when I was home, either behind my laptop here or deep into a book, I could atleast assure myself that I was not bringing anyone else down. 😶

Week 12

I don't know what happened. It's like my quad tendon magically grew back over the last few weeks. All of the few exercises I was doing, I could now do twice as long without my quad bothering me.

If there is anything I'm confident in, it's my foot placement. Anything on two wheels now... I'm not so sure of yet (e.g. mountain biking..!). So I thought I'd try a hike:

Keeping it flat

More flat trail

At least this flat trail came with puppies :P

Not sore after all of these hikes. So I took it up a notch!

Stop one was Aspen with a short hike around Maroon lake, then the next day, hiked to a water fall as well as at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. I'd say this hike was about 6 miles RT.

So nice to 'summit' something

Then hiked ~4 miles on the CO trail the following day, with about 700 ft gain/loss. 

I woke up the morning after three days of hiking, unsure if I had pushed it too much... but was assured I did not when I felt nothing, it wasn't even stiff. 

To add to it- I returned for a PT session after about 3 weeks, now past the 'red zone',  and we added in some new exercises... I finally get to move laterally!

Sideways!

I've always loved this little exercise for some reason...

Well this post will have to do. Onto more outdoor adventures now that warmer weather is here and I'm cleared for some outside activities..!