I don't want to continue to bore our broad readership with tales of my kinesthetic woes. Suffice it to say they are fast lessening. I do want to add a few comments about rehab because I'm doing in rehab things I wish I was doing before the trouble ever started.
Lots of stationary flexion exercises. Stand, clench the quad, clench the glute and abs in support, release, repeat. The goal is to straighten the leg and keep the muscle firing through swelling. The broader impact is to concentrate on muscular support of the standing position, which will eventually translate to muscular support of motion.
Lots of single leg exercises, watching in the mirror for zero knee wobbling. Concentrate on a strong foot plant and flexed glutes to support the leg in between. When it gets too easy move to eyes closed. As simple as single-leg stands and as challenging as single leg squats and calf-raises.
Lots of outside-of-leg strengthening, generally with bands around the ankles walking sideways or even forward and back with a wide stance. The band around the legs can be used as part of a low-weight squat routine or wall sit as well.
Lots of stretching. Foam rolling. Massage when I can fit it in (and afford it). It's time to admit that I can't keep bulling through tight IT bands, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors. Unless I sort those out before I get serious gain, I'm in for more surgery before I'm 50. Or so the statistics suggest.
And low pressure cardiovascular exercise is back on the menu. I rode perhaps a tad too much while celebrating P__'s and my 10th in Grand Cayman last weekend (100 miles over four days -- hardly ultracycling, but it's been a long lazy winter), resulting in swelling and pain that needs to subside. Running is definitely off for a couple more weeks, although I definitely plan to try to keep up with Spencer in Chicago at the end of the month.
Soon physical therapy turns into relearning to run. I hope I'm better at it afterward!
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