Breakthrough

Isn't it incredible that at any given time, we could be on the verge of a breakthrough?

A new solution. A better route. A goal.

For the last 12 weeks, I've been waiting for mine. 

Progress has been slow and in stages at the physical therapy clinic. 

Step one, determine the issue. Trickier than it sounds, surprisingly. The underlying issue was I'd torn my piriformis muscle. Do you know where that is and what it does?

I was cautioned from the beginning that recovery would be slow with this type of injury. The sort of caution which prepared me for what was the envitible - I would most likely not be running a marathon in October. 

The road to recovery has been slow and sometimes at a standstill. I wondered - Are the whimpy exercises, heat and ice doing anything week in and week out? I needed something, some sort of sign, to show progress. 

At first, there wasn't much progress to be had (or so it seemed). I couldn't run. I couldn't do yoga. Sitting hurt. I was taking pain killers to sleep. 

But looking back now, over the last three months, I know we were on the right track. My pain level decreased and has nearly disappeared. I graduated through levels of exercises in the PT clinic. After a month of doing nothing, I was cleared to go back to yoga. Just a few weeks ago, I started running again. 

This last week though has been by far my breakthrough week. I've ran twice (at a rather slow pace) for 30 minutes without pain. Wednesday night, I attended two yoga classes at The Lab where I made huge gains in a few poses, including a start to balancing in handstand without the wall. 

Breakthroughs. 

They're amazing.

We all need to feel and see them.