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 :)