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ACL Surgery Recovery - Week 12
August 21, 2003
I went to the doctor yesterday and he said that everything was going pretty well. They saw that I had full range of motion back and were impressed with my progress. They saw that my swelling has gone down a lot and that my scars are healing pretty nicely. Then, the doctor told me I should start running outside today. So after work, I went to a bunch of high schools and junior high schools looking for a track to use. The 3rd one I went to had a beautiful track with a nice, spongy yet firm surface. Perfect for me.
I didn't know how far I could run, but I decided to try to run a mile. It was so good to finally run again after almost 5 months! I felt like I was regaining part of myself. I used to run almost every other day, and to move that fast again was great. It was very strange to me though because I was wearing my leg brace so my movement was a little bit hindered. Also, my leg sort of "forgot" how to run. I found myself thinking hard about how to run. At first I started really slow, so I wasn't using my momentum well, it felt like I was starting and stopping on almost every stride. But eventually, I got the courage to push harder off my injured left knee and I was jogging at about 75% of my normal speed at times. All told, I went 2 miles, but I alternated jogging and walking laps... so I walked a mile and I ran a mile.
It felt so good to know that I am getting back to where I want to be. However, I couldn't sustain a fast speed for that long b/c I think it's still too much shock on my knee, and I can't take the turns of the track very well either. The ACL is mostly for support, and if I took the curves with a lot of stress on the hurt knee, I think I might run the risk of injury. But hey, it's a start, and I think I'm going to go back to the track 2-3 times a week. I'm excited.
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