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StylinLP38
01-11-2013, 13:13
After working out for a year 3x weekly at a gym (1.5hrs) and hiking x3 a week 20+ miles I decided to go get an evaluation at a personal trainer / physical therapy center. My Cigna insurance covers $1500 a year of it so why not...

The reason I decided to check it out is because on a 10-12 mile hike Im hurting. After the 8mile mark my ankles and bottom toe knuckles hurt. Im limping to the resturant afterwards. Tight the next day. Then feel fine the next day. MAYBE I just need to do it more or maybe something is wrong. So I went to have it checked out.

The fake doctor had me walk back and forth a bunch of times just like at a pro sports shoe store. He has me crab walk, backwards sidesways, etc etc. He concluded that my right hip was tight. Was not letting my right leg follow thru in a straight line. My toes point outwards if im not paying attention. I noticed this when i ride the cycles at the gym. He also concluded that I have moderate over pronation in my ankles.

So, now im on a 3x a 1hr weekly sessions with $10 copay. He got me doing all sorts of weird exorcises that Ive never seen before. Alot of big rubber bands. I told him he will be responsible for me getting to the top of Kalahdim. :)

If I fail and drop off the trail in the first two weeks im blaming him. Hope it works lol

RedBeerd
01-11-2013, 13:17
Good luck on the physical therapy! Hopefully he knows what he's doing. If you don't make it you can keep your ego and blame it on him :p
I was side swiped by a car cycling home from work and have had back issues since then. Physical therapy is really helping. Great stretches, muscle stimulators, heat pads, massages...feels almost like a spa day.

StylinLP38
01-11-2013, 13:29
Hey, Thank you RedBeerd. Me too. I would never have done this without insurance. My feet and ankles do seem bigger in the last year. But still ache. I learned an exorcise on this forum that I have been doing daily. While sitting in my cubicle at my IT job everyday I spell out the alphabet with my toes x2 a day. Hoping that improves the ankles. Im exactly like AWOL. Same age and same job lol On the last few chapters of his book right now. He is about to cross over the New York border. Differance is, my feet are fairly normal. His was really messed up!
Also, im afraid, there is more grey in my beard. Not happy about growing a beard....im more age sensitive (

Maddoxsjohnston
01-11-2013, 18:06
I did physical therapy for 3 months last year when I tore my my ACL in my homecoming basketball game. It works wonders.

RedBeerd
01-11-2013, 18:51
Also, im afraid, there is more grey in my beard. Not happy about growing a beard....im more age sensitive (

As a young man with a brown/red beard well say the "salt and pepper" look makes you seem..."wise"

BCPete
01-11-2013, 20:08
Definitely review your hiking show/boot of choice for hiking the AT!

If you go too lightweight (or heavyweight for that matter), you might self-inflicting part of the problem that way.

Also, watch the pace of hiking. Go too fast, and a lot of the problems that you are describing could be the result - especially if you're going too fast, and wearing the wrong boot for you!!!

Just speaking from past experience after a couple of decades of of hiking & backpacking.

Pedaling Fool
01-11-2013, 20:56
After working out for a year 3x weekly at a gym (1.5hrs) and hiking x3 a week 20+ miles I decided to go get an evaluation at a personal trainer / physical therapy center. My Cigna insurance covers $1500 a year of it so why not...

The reason I decided to check it out is because on a 10-12 mile hike Im hurting. After the 8mile mark my ankles and bottom toe knuckles hurt. Im limping to the resturant afterwards. Tight the next day. Then feel fine the next day. MAYBE I just need to do it more or maybe something is wrong. So I went to have it checked out.
I don't know, maybe you have an over-pronation issue, but I also go to the gym about as much as you do and I've noticed that a lot of people that go to the gym really don't workout. Regardless if they workout with weights or on one of the various cardio machines they simple go through the motions. But to get truly fit, one needs to constantly challenge their capabilities; without challenging workouts, you attain a certain level of fitness and then after that point you plateau and once that happens you actually lose fitness overtime.

The samething can happen with hiking. A thru-hike is an outstanding way to develop an aerobic base, but if after your thru-hike you don't expand on that aerobic base you plateau and overtime, i.e. as you age, you lose fitness. Granted you'll be an OK hiker, but everything else will fall apart.

Same with weightlifting....don't plateau, always challenge yourself.





My toes point outwards if im not paying attention. I noticed this when i ride the cycles at the gym. He also concluded that I have moderate over pronation in my ankles.I've noticed this with other people, my feet don't do that. I'm not sure if it's alright or not, but it does look weird.






So, now im on a 3x a 1hr weekly sessions with $10 copay. He got me doing all sorts of weird exorcises that Ive never seen before. Alot of big rubber bands.Let us know how it works out.

StylinLP38
01-14-2013, 12:54
Update: Had two sessions. The trainer confirmed that its my tight hip that is causing most my issues. Not letting my ankle and knee do what it should be doing. Its the Root of the problem. Gym work outs and hiking alot will only help but never fix the root of the problem. Thats what I tried to do for a year. gym workouts for 2 hours several times a week. Starts with 15min bike warmup getting heart rate up to 122. Then 30min on the floor doing stretchs, 3 differant kind of situps, laterals, planks, ets. Then 30min lifting weights on 8 differant machines. 3 sets at 15 reps. Then 20min on treadmil which climbs to 9% elevation that gets my heartrate to 142. Then finish off in steamroom to sweat for 10min. Then cold shower. My trainer is telling me I need to do the stairmaster instead of treadmil. Ok started that.

After 2nd appt the trainer confirmed my hip issue. Has me do alot of differant stretch exorcises that basketball and football players do. Felt like I was in training camp for pro league lol. Ive NEVEr done any of these kinds of exorcises in the last year at the gym. Used the gym ball quite a bit too. Then he did something more which he charged me more for lol. He did a hurtful hard rubdown along the back of my calf and achilies heel. Ouch! That fricken hurt. After 15min of that my foot felt awesome! I was comfortable walking around like I was on a cloud. Crazy. for the next day my right knee with the tight hip was kinda raw. Now it feels fine. Going in for another session tonight. Found out after insurance my out of pocket is $30. I may need to cut 3x a week to 2x week and do the rest on my own at the gym using his guidance.

fredmugs
01-14-2013, 14:19
My feet point out really bad. I get hip pain from standing still vice carrying a pack.

If you think what you're doing is working then keep it up. Like somebody else mentioned you should review your footwear. A wider width shoe or more room in the toe box can help with that toe pain. Switching to wide width trail runners and loosely tieing them has helped me out a lot.

StylinLP38
01-14-2013, 15:56
Trainer gave me two thumbs up on my moderate supportive gym shoes by Pearl Azumi.
I should have him look at my Solomon Crossman XR trail runners. They feel a little less supportive. Solomon doesnt make anything stronger than that.