Update! Lots happening. Relatively. For a LAZY ASS anyway.

Tuesday, Weds, Thurs, Fri - BIKE COMMUTES
Saturday BIKE 2:36 and 37.4 miles, ave HR 103
Sunday BIKE 1:04 and 15.5 miles, ave HR 117

YAY! I was so happy to send a "wheels down" text to RM to get the Saturday ride scheduled. But first things first.

Tuesday was another appt with Dr L, focused on the lower back. Not much else to report. I'm progressing, although I admit I'm able to detect stiffness and a reluctance to move in the lumbar region. He said I can try biking and we'll see how I held up after a week. Although I don't think he meant 100-some miles in a week...

Thursday was my first appt with Elite PT. I was actively limping, able to do double and single leg squats albeit with terrible form, am not using my glut muscles, and not moving much through the spine. Lots of work to do! I was eval'd by two therapists -- Lauren will be my main person. Happily she's another runner, I feel I'm in good hands. They also noted that L3-L4 and L4-L5 "aren't moving". That's for Dr L.

My daily exercises: seated piriforis stretch (crossed legs), supine piriformis (on floor, on back, cross legs and pull back), IT foam roll, 'lunge' hip flexor stretch, lower abs pelvic tilt (breathing-like exercise, pull ribs to hips), clamshells with gluts tight, and hip-lift bridges. So far the pelvic tilt is the only one that I feel afterwards, wow an ab exercise deficiency! And the clamshells are not not only the hardest to nail the form on (they target the glut mins) they are also most painful for the left side. The "stuck" and "out of place" feeling really apparent here.

Then she did a "movement" manipulation in which she strapped my left out out towards here then wrapped the loop around her to use her weight to pull and move the leg. This seemed to do wonders! Like it really did "pop my leg back" into place which is how I describe the feeling. I walked out without much limp and have felt MUCH better since. I was able to walk do, climb ladders, and bike ride with much less of the chronic symptoms. There were still acute sharp pains, and some of the bone ache.

The weekend rides were a joy, both on Puppy. I rode to RM's met with him and CM, rode to RdP, down to the JB Park on the new trails, loop JB, then back home. I didn't look at the garmin the entire ride :) Didn't care time or distance.  Sunday was a trip to Lowe's to get paint chips, a two-fer-one ride and errand. It took 16 mins to get to Lowes, so I tacked on an extra 15 mins to get one hour by finish.
Second weekend in a row that I went to that Lowes for paint chips :) I keep thinking it might be faster than driving. But it's probably just that much more enjoyable.

The weekend rides did not set me back, so I'm pretty happy about that. No return of symptoms and they were mild if any. As I sit here, my femur has a pulsing ache. Gotta remind myself that I've had just ONE PT  appt, hasn't even been a week yet. Easy Grasshopper :)

I biked. Probably shouldn't have. But I did. AND I LOVED IT.

Saturday BIKE 16.4 miles in 70 mins
Sunday BIKE 24 miles in 1:48
Monday BIKE COMMUTE 9.2 miles

Quick update. The 2nd MRI wasn't done "right", the "weekend crew" didn't know to run a specific protocol, so I went back to MoBap for my 3rd MRI for the hip. This time the radiologist (same "Dr Tate who did the first one, full circle here) was on site and I got immediate results -- no tear. I asked to be sure, and no fractures. Good news right? So then WTF is hurting!?

That was Thursday. Before the MRI I'd already decided that I wanted to bike commute Friday but weather conspired against me, more rain. However, Saturday was wonderful and I couldn't resist. The original plan was to ride to work, the Big Shark for tire tubes, then Walgreen's. I ended up forgetting my wallet at home in the truck, so work only. In my usual all-or-nothing thinking, I almost rode right home. But you don't need a wallet to do a loop of Forest Park, climb McCausland, and ride the tailwind home on Manch.

Sunday, another gorgeous day and a long to-get-to errand list. So once my cook up was done off to Walg (met another cyclist at the bike rack doing the same as I was -errands!), work, BS, off to RdP to use the greenway to connect to Lowes, found the needed Dollar store on the way, ran into flooding in the RdP (it was really a river!), diverted to Carondelet park, corrected to Lowe's, then home via Grand. NICE ride. To my surprise, my hands and wrists were hurting a little. Bum came in second. Hip not on the radar.

Until I went to bed, and the ache was there. I think the ache in the femur was getting better with not riding? Not sure on that. Then in the morning, my left knee had sharp pains coming down the steps.  Other than that, I seem to have done OK on the bike? Enough so that I texted RM about riding next weekend.

The ride in today (Monday) felt wonderful. I missed my Puppy.

I see Dr L tomorrow, we're down to once a week as long as my back flexibility doesn't backslide with the longer interval. Hopefully more questions get answered tomorrow about the MRI and the next steps to take.