Running While Pregnant: Week 21

Had my first Physical Therapy appointment this morning. My PT is a very nice lady - not at all the Hard Ass I was sort of hoping for. She's not a runner but her son just did the Philadelphia Marathon so she gets the running thing and I'm feeling like she's good fit for me.

She took one look at me standing in front of her and said, "Whoa." Basically, I'm all kinds of out of whack. My right leg is shorter than my left. My left sacrum is "scrunched" (pretty sure that was the technical term), probably due to the way I sit or stand or pick up babies or fold laundry or drive the car or.... well, you get the idea. She also found my  lower back, smack in the  middle, highly suspect but I can't remember what specifically she said about it. (I think maybe it was that my posture is wonky based on growing bambino.) All of the issues going on remind me of stuff I've heard from the chiropractor, but they are exacerbated by the relaxin hormones that want me to make room for this kiddo.

"Sacrum" comes from "sacred"... I  totally get that!

See where that dude's thumb is? That's where is KILLS!

 So, the plan is thus:

• get an "SI belt" for pregnancy. She recommends I got to serola.com for this....

Sensible AND Sexy!"Sorry, boys, she's taken!"

• do standing and on-my-right-side stretch she demonstrated which will stretch out my scrunched left side.

• focus on symmetry when I run: no more running on slanted roads or trails for now, though she didn't rule out running all together! ('Course, no WAY can I run right now given the exceptionally sharp pains that course through me when I talk a false step.)

• put a lift in my right shoe to even things out.

Funny  thing about the right shoe thing. Remember Little Shop of Horrors? I played a street person and I thought it would be hilarious to wear two different shoes. The two shoes I chose had different heel heights. I think, DUH, this was a pretty big contributor to my problem. I.am.an.idiot.

I wonder now if the look on my face is "acting" or my foretelling of coming sacral doom!

I have 4 more appointments set up. Next time she is going to get me in the therapy pool. I can't do laps but I can use a float and "run" which I am SO happy about. After the next appointment I can also pay $40 a month for "free access" to the pool. This means I can go in whenever they are open and use the pool. I am SO stoked about this! They open and 6AM so if I get there right then I can do my thing and get back home before anyone misses me. Or, more likely, have Scott drop the boys off to me on his way into school. Either way: yaa hoo!

Finally, the best thing about my PT, Barb, is that the first thing she said when she saw me was, "Wow! You look great for 21 weeks pregnant." She's clearly an observant and wise person. (As if you didn't know: I'm such a whore for compliments....)

So, wish me luck. I'll keep you posted!