I am a success story!

My PT is writing a book about running through injury.  He asked me to tell my story since I a "success story"  I had fun writing it and because I like to overshare..her it is:

After running distance in High School, I took a hiatus from running.  I would do it to break through a fitness plateau, but didn’t do it regularly.  I fell into this pattern again during the summer of 2010.  But with two kids in tow, running became an endorphin escape.  In short, I got addicted; the endorphin rush made me more patient, tolerant and a better mom.  Work got hectic, I missed some runs and took some time off.

When a friend of mine began training for a fundraising half marathon, I got motivated.  We shared the passion of the March of Dimes, as we both had babies born too soon.  So the run for dimes fundraising effort put running back in my life.  So in essence, after taking years off from running, running half of a summer and then taking a few months off again, I was ready to become a virtual training partner for a half marathon.

Things were going great until about 2 weeks into actual training my right leg went numb and stayed numb.  This was disturbing to me as I was mentally committed. I saw a doc, an avid runner himself, who made my day with the advice "don't stop running."  He prescribed physical therapy and a gait evaluation at Agility Physical Therapy and Sports Performance.  When it came to getting runners back in the game that was where I wanted to be. He told me everyone there is great, but initially you need to see Scott. He can do an assessment and gait evaluation.  Best advice I ever got.

I had been told that I had "good form" which meant I don't run like a girl. However, the gait evaluation showed differently.  I had some issues that could be helped with good shoes and some with technique.  Scott gave me some tips that would really help with actual good form and got me into some good shoes. I continued to run intermittently, doing most of my training on the elliptical.  When I ran, I concentrated on my form. 

I felt like I had been physically sidelined and it was beginning to affect my mental state.  I began to doubt if I could actually do this.  Between the positive mentoring I was getting from my training partner and the PTA’s at Agility and a book, Run Like a Mother, which is written by mothers who run (and contribute to Runner’s World), I began to get out of that self-doubt slump and get back on track.

I also was given exercises to strengthen my core, glutes and hamstrings.  Ironically, the reason I was running (to raise money to fight prematurity) was the reason I was having issues.  The weeks I spent on bedrest and then being too busy to strength train had atrophied my muscles so much that I was overcompensating and causing the numbing issues.  As my strength increased my symptoms decreased and I was running more and more.  I started cautiously, but added more distance and times per week with the progress ok’d by Scott.  I spent about a month alternating running and elliptical use, religiously doing my prescribed exercises.  The techniques Scott gave me also helped to not exasperate the condition. 

Eventually, I felt comfortable with running according to the training program.  Scott re-evaluated my gait which confirmed how I felt:  I completely changed my running form and my core, glute, and hamstring strength made me feel like a different person.  In short, the doc was right.  Everyone at Agility is great.  I fully credit them for getting me back on the road.