This morning was a cold and frigid one here in Virginia. It was 26 degrees when I walked my son to the bus stop. I was so cold that I wanted to get back to my house as soon as I could. So I decided to run. When I got back to my house I noticed several things. First, my balance was great! I didn't feel wobbly while I ran. I felt stable and that gave me confidence. I also noticed I was hardly winded when I got back.
I also wore shoes with heels for the first time in a long time yesterday! I felt very balanced. Unlike my mom, who walks better and feels normal in heels, I feel very unbalanced and disconnected. I think I look to other people like I am walking on stilts.
I have made a lot of progress since starting my training for this half marathon. I started training mid November and I feel great! I feel like I am in one piece, I feel connected, I feel stable and my dislocations and subluxations are fewer than ever!
So here is what I am doing to train. First, I am building up my strength by doing weight machines. I consulted with my Rheumatologist, who at this point is my primary doctor for my EDS care, and also my physical therapist that I had to see after my daughter was born. Both specifically said to avoid the "leg press machine" as you use your knees to do all the work. And the recommended I avoid all floor excersizes such as lunges.
So why avoid these excersizes but approve running? Well, they recommended that I do most of my training "off land." So I will be doing a lot of strength training using weights and endurance training on an eliptical and swimming. I will start running "on land" in March. (I do occassionally now, but am avoiding it for now to avoid injury until I have sufficiently strengthened the tissue around my joints an increased my stability). We will reevaluate and adjust my training plan month to month as we go until the race.
For now, I am using the following weight machines to increase my strength:
Hip Adduction
Hip Abduction
Leg Curl
Leg Extension
Row machines
For balance I also do some arm stuff too.
My physical therapist helped me to learn how to excersize the smaller muscles around my ankle and in my feet. You can do this with marbles or even just a wash cloth under your feet. Put a washcloth or marbles on the floor. Pick up the marbles with your toes or scrunch up the wash cloth with your toes. This excersize has helped me feel much more stable in my shoes.
Then for endurance I do the elliptical or swim. This week I am doing eight miles on the elliptical and the goal is to do that in one hour and twenty minutes.
Mind you, I have worked up to this point. I started from nothing. All I did for excersize was chase my little kids around all day (which isn't bad excersize :)). You too can work up to this point with the proper guidance and avoid injury. You just have to know what your problem areas are and strengthen those.
My problem areas are my hands and my hips. (Because my hands are my biggest problem that is why a Rheumatologist is my primary EDS doctor). My hips are my second worst area. So it is very important that I do the hip focused weight machines.
I have noticed a significant decrease in my subluxes and dislocations. I used to experience the following dislocations in a week:
Hips- daily, dislocating several times a week, subluxing 2-3 times a day at least
Knee- dislocate at least once a week while awake, dislocate 2-3 times a week in my sleep
Wrists- dislocate once a week
Ankles- Sublux 2-3 times daily at least
Shoulders- dislocate several times a week in my sleep
I am going to start recording my dislocations and subluxes to monitor the progress I am making as I strengthen the tissue around my joints through excersize. I can tell you that it is Monday today and where I normally would have experienced at least 3-5 dislocation in a weekend I only had one and it was at church and everyone heard it and it was so emberassing!!! Everyone looked around at each other trying to figure out what that bone shattering sound was. It was kind of funny, but super emberassing. I also did not dislocate once in my sleep at all this entire weekend.
I will be charting my dislocations and sublexes every post at the very top.
Keep reading! I am confident that anyone can do this with the proper guidance.
M.
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