I decided to go to a physio therapist at the Waterloo Sports Medicine Clinic and see if there were any serious issues. I had a great therapist named Julie who put me through a battery of moves and stretches.
The good news is that I'm "average" and that the problem with my knee is that the muscles on one side are not as strong as those on the other. Now average might not sound great to you, but it actually made me feel good. Before I started training for this challenge, I'm sure that I was well below average in strength. So to be "average" means I've progressed. I wonder if she meant average athlete or average person or average person my age?
Anyway, I have these special exercises to do that will help strength the muscles around my knee. My least favourite is the one-legged squat.
But I think these exercises are really working. My knee feels better and better everyday and I'm hoping for a fairly quick return to full strength.
This has caused me to reflect on how fortunate I am. I have access to someone who can assess my problem and give me some exercises to do to get me on my way. I have health benefits that help to cover the cost of these assessments. But the women and children that I'm raising money for through World Relief Canada rarely have that luxury. To them an injury can be devastating and even life-threatening. That's why I'm motivated to do Tough Mudder and raise funds for these programs. I'd like to even the playing field for as many of these courageous women as possible.
Stay tuned...
