It’s been a
lengthy and arduous road to arrive at this moment (well…at least for the injured one, anyway…) but this week Riley
felt emotionally and physically prepared to (drumroll) attempt running. It would be the first time since
June 2nd …and while this
may seem fairly recent to folks like you
and me, let’s just say it’s approximately…hmm…6 months or so, in Soccer
Player Time. Seriously, I’m not sure anyone on Team WestEnders can put
their finger on a period when either of the boys has gone that long without their sneakers hitting the sidewalk…or turf. So we
knew it was probably going to be slow…definitely
tiring…and possibly-but-hopefully-not painful.
The
orthopedist gave us a handy program
to follow, which lays out a very organized schedule of intervals, to effect a gradual
return to full-on running. For example, the first step calls for
alternating 5 minutes of walking with
1 minute of running, repeated 5 times. When Riley showed this to his physical
therapist, however, she made a few minor adjustments—such
as starting with a 10-minute warmup
(always a good idea, anyway) and beginning with only 4 rounds, to see how it goes.
Based on 2
years of experience tooling around our neighborhood, I had my own suggestion: avoid the hills for now (some of which
are kind of daunting, even for those in “regular shape”) and use the Middle
School’s track as an easier option
until you get some stamina and strength built back up in those legs. And
since he might want encouragement
and/or company on this undertaking, I
offered to be his Running Buddy on
his initial foray back onto the pavement. (Even though I’ve always been what
you might call…an “anti-social runner”,
preferring solitude and tunes over chatting during my sweat sessions…but that’s just how supportive a mother I am—pats self on
back and adds a tally to the Parental Win
column. Oh…and also, I should remember to relish
our little jaunts while they last…because
the truth is, this is quite possibly the only
time he’ll ever be striding at MY
speed…)
Anyway, we
even got a relatively cool…ish…day
for our venture: it was only in the low
80s when we set out, with some fortunate cloud cover. (The freakin’ HUMIDITY is another story, but we’re
choosing to ignore it…as best we can….until it gives up and goes the HECK
away…as soon as possible,
thankyouverymuch!) I’ve gotta say, it felt kind of…momentous…as we approached our first 1-minute jog. I had to remind
myself not to hold my breath (NOT
very helpful for cardiovascular workouts) as I waited for Riley to tell me…anything at all about how he was doing.
When no
comments were forthcoming, I had to pointedly ask, “Well…how was that?” In typical male fashion he
shrugged and replied, “Okaaaay. Feels kind of…strange.” (Yeah, that’ll happen when you haven’t done this for a
while—alrighty then, onward we go!)
After the next couple of cycles, he reported that he was getting “a little stiff” and that his calves were “pretty tight”. Also normal and expected--but
the reeaaally important thing was: he noticed no actual discomfort, other than muscular. So we forged ahead until we’d finished the prescribed amount, then stretched everything thoroughly at home
and crossed our fingers that there
would be no repercussions either
later that evening or the next day.
Aaaannnnd, today
he says: he feels just fine. (Yaaayyy!) According to his self-evaluation: a little
sore when he got out of bed, but
walking around loosened him right up. This afternoon he shared the news with
his physical therapist, who recommended that for next time (that would be “tomorrow”)
he can go ahead and skip right to the next
level: 4 sets of walking for 4 minutes and running for 2. Whoo hoo! Progress is happening, people!
Thus, while
his teammates are on the field sprinting and kicking their way through the first official drills of the season tomorrow evening, he and I will do our part to
continue his rehab and get him ready
to join them. You can just call me…a very specialized…temporary...personal trainer. Yeah, that’s it—and I even accept payment in the form of (gluten-free, vegan) COOKIES (tell your friends)!
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