My Road Thus Far II - Month 1 through Month 3

Month 1: September 5 - October 3, '08
- Swelling has reduced sizably, and range of motion is big, almost heel to rear, an inch away.
- PT has extended to include some more balance and strengthening exercises including standing on the injured leg with a slightly bent knee with an exercise band (EB from now on) around the ankle of my other leg and, with that leg straight, moving it to stretch the EB. This is done facing all compass directions to strengthen the injured leg and work on balance. Also, standing on that injured leg again, still slightly bent, move a medicine ball around your body one direction, then the other, then make a big V in front of you, raising it up to the right above your head, down to the middle in front of your pelvis, then back up to the left side. Continuing with leg press, step-ups on a 12" plyo box, and adding hip strengthening on abductor and adductor machines.
- This is what the PT called the slow months. Basically, the tendon has been taken from its blood source, and is currently deteriorating as it reconnects with a new blood supply in its new location. During this period (months 1-4), it is at its weakest, although you are getting stronger and more bored with the same old same old over and over. This is the time to be most diligent with your rehab and the most focused to not have any lapse of judgment and think "I could run/play right now." This was good for me to hear.
- The cross-country drive occured in this month, and went just fine. It definitely got stiff, but that was expected. I left September 6 and arrived September 10. I also took this month to chill a bit, the only time that I did less than I could have. I did this because I knew that I had a lot to accomplish in this time period outside of rehab (get a job to start), and that my road would be very long and wouldn't be sustainable unless I took it at a comfortable pace. I didn't get a gym membership until the last week of September.

Month 2: Oct 4 - Oct 31, '08
- This month I continued to take it relatively easy. I continued to do some workouts (hitting the gym for leg press, all balance stuff from above, etc), but didn't enter with the drive I later found. This was to preserve a level of sanity, as I knew my drive/determination would increase exponentially as soon as I went full-bore, and I felt it was simply too early to enter that mindset. In addition, I would go crazy when all I could do at the gym was weights stuff, without any more "speedy' stuff i was used to and enjoyed, like running, plyometrics, jumping, etc. During this time period I also got a job, got my car broken into, got my car stolen, and saw half my new company get laid off. Crazy times. I was focused elsewhere.
- Swelling was down markedly, and stairs were becoming much less of an issue. Not that they ever really were much of an issue, but there was simply an expected soreness each time I stepped up, and this was noticeably decreasing.

Month 3: Nov. 1 - Nov. 28, 08 [I measure months as 4 weeks, not simply the length of the month]
- During this month I began to be much more focused. I knew I could run at the 4 month mark, and this gave me something to prepare my legs for, in terms of strength and stability. In addition, I had an occasional training partner, a friend of my girlfriends' who also tore her ACL at nearly the same time, who also was very consistent in her training and rehab. I hit the gym diligently and really worked on building my quad strength. I also started my PT appointments in my new locale, and was cleared to begin a walk/job program on a treadmill mid-month. This was exciting and gave me something new to do in the gym, making gym visits much more attractive.