Three years ago (during fall of 2021) I trained for a 5k and ran it in 20:17 on the track. After that my right glute and hammy were aching more than usual so I took a few weeks of rest and then eased back into running. Two years ago (in fall of 2022), I decided to train for that elusive sub-20 minute 5k again. I made it one month into the thick of training before that same glute and hammy started giving me more grief than before. So I used what training I had in my legs and ran a 5k on the road in 19:53--my first time ever going under 20 minutes! It was awesome to reach my goal, but my glute was hurting. So I took more time off to heal. But the issue wasn't getting better; it just stayed the same for months until I decided to take more action. I got a referral and went to physical therapy for the first time ever, (starting in March of 2023), with a physical therapist that I met at a cross country meet: Daniel Hernandez.
At my first PT appointment, Daniel asked if there was anything else I needed help with. I mentioned my weak left shoulder, so he added it to the list and basically every PT session became a full body workout. I quickly learned that physical therapy isn't a magical quick fix; it requires consistent work, both in the clinic and at home.
After six months of physical therapy work, my running injury (which was actually a hip issue) was resolved and the pain had eased, but I was still like a baby deer in the weight room, and my wimpy shoulder was definitely holding me back (it was a rotator cuff issue). Daniel offered to do an 8 week strength training session with me, and I signed up. Then I did another 8 week session, but brought Jay along to train with me. Then I did a third session and brought my friend Camille. She and I did two more 8 week strength sessions together before she was done. I finished out my final session last week. Over the past year I ended up doing five 8-week strength sessions, once or twice a week, with a few weeks off here and there for trips, recovery, etc. Whew!
It was a lot of work! I am so thankful for Daniel's willingness to work with me to strengthen my many weaknesses. I thoroughly enjoyed this time of strength building. It was different going back to having a coach of my own (especially one who is both younger and shorter than me--haha), but also fun and fascinating. At the beginning, I didn't really know how long or how far down this road I wanted to go, so I took it one 8 week session at a time until I found a good stopping point this past week. My goals were to build leg, hip, and core strength to help with injury prevention and running mechanics, and to be able to do a push-up. I reached all of my goals! Achieving physical goals is so satisfying because it's so blatantly measurable: before, I couldn't do this movement or lift that weight, but now I can do this movement while lifting that weight! It was a fascinating, anguishing, incremental process.
Last week I did a full Turkish get-up for the first time! It was so hard but so satisfying too. I have been doing various degrees of partial Turkish get-ups for the past year, but it all came together at my last workout when I did the full motion, from lying down to sitting to kneeling to standing up, holding a 15 pound weight in one hand above my head the whole time. This one exercise has been my nemesis for a year, but it also made me so much stronger! When Daniel first taught me how to do this exercise, he had me do it with a cup of water in my hand to teach me where to hold the weight. I dribbled a lot of water on myself before I figured it out, haha. Then I did a part of the full movement without any weight and slowly built on it from there. It was hard every single time!
Last week I also did full push-ups on my hands and toes, pain-free for the first time ever! I did five push-ups in a row, and my shoulder was fine the next day--tired, but pain-free! This is something I have struggled with for the past decade, and many times I wondered if I'd ever actually be able to do it. It felt amazing and powerful to do real push ups! I can't go all the way down to the ground or anything that fancy, but I can do push-ups now!
A full year of once-or-twice-a-week strength training with a professional to keep my form correct, teach me proper technique, and target my specific weaknesses was eye opening. I loved learning more about strength training and how to do so many exercises. It was also humbling--doing hard exercises that targeted my weak points and learning new movements that tested my underdeveloped coordination kept me laughing, cringing and sweating, then coming back for more.
Thursday, September 6th was my last strength workout with Daniel Hernandez (for now). It was by choice--I have been working my body to the brink for the past year and made huge gains, but I have also been perpetually sore and worn out from that work for the past year. So I feel ready to reintegrate into life without that constant strain of building. I plan to add strength work into my weekly routine for sure, but hopefully I can blend it so I have a bit more life-workout-balance.
At my last workout I felt happy, excited, nostalgic, proud, and of course a little sad to end this 18 month building process. It was transformative, going from injury rehab PT to strength training. I couldn't even do a knee push up without pain and I could barely lift 10 pounds when we started, and now I can do full push ups and full Turkish get-ups! And kettlebell swings with 30 pounds, and so much more. My core is like an iron wall. I learned better running form and developed leg strength and power along with the core strength and stability to support it. I made a good friend in Daniel Hernandez. I am going to miss the camaraderie of going in for workouts, learning new exercises, and having a personal coach who knows his stuff. It is sad to be done for now, but good to know that I can always go back for more if I want to.
These workouts have been a big part of my life over the last year and it feels like a big deal to finish. Can I stay strong on my own? Will I do the work on my own? So many nuggets of life parallels are tucked into this transition. After the last year of strength building, I had to take a minute to pause, reflect, and celebrate a little!
1 comment:
Shaina, You are amazing!!!
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