Good evening, guys! It’s been an eventful week. Sunday I absolutely crushed that 5k I signed up for, even though I couldn’t run. I really didn’t want to go and just walk it, and I was going to be there alone instead of with friends like usual, but I knew I’d regret not going more, so I laced up and headed out. My only goal was not to get caught by the sweepers, but it turns out I didn’t need to worry about that. I kept as quick a pace as I could walking and actually set a new PR! That’s how much my fitness has improved this year. I never thought I’d get a PR walking a 5k, but I did. I’m so pleased with it, but it makes me wonder how fast I would have been able to finish if I could have run it. Hopefully someday soon that will happen.

Thursday I started physical therapy. The PT I worked with also thinks it’s my IT band, but he didn’t really say anything about why it would hurt in the back like it is. I still think something else is also going on, but I’ll give it some time following his recommendations. I had to go to a new clinic because of insurance, and I just don’t know how I’m going to feel about their process. The initial consult didn’t even last a half hour. He felt my knee and did a couple quick tests, and didn’t really ask many questions. I tried to explain that the main issue is that it hurts in the back more than anything, especially when I bend it all the way, and that while it did hurt on the side when I stopped running, it hasn’t done that in weeks, but hurts in the back. I didn’t really feel heard, and the appointment was so quick. He gave me five things to do with three reps each, then told me I wouldn’t be coming back until a week and a half later. This is different to every initial consult I’ve ever done. I’ve always had at least a one hour appointment and been told to schedule another in a few days. I’ll see what they tell me when I go back, but it just feels very strange to me. I want to get this issue fixed, and it’s already been nearly two months. I don’t want to waste time. I want to get back to being able to run and squat and kneel without pain.