The home stretch!

Hour 1 - the usual, strap in the harness, tether to the treadmill. 20 min of 3.2 mph. 10 min at 12% incline (whew!). 10 min at 10% decline (a little scary, in my opinion). 3 sets of 2 minute jogging intervals without assistance. 1 set of fast walking without assistance and focus on hee'ul strike. At one point during the jog, I have 1 person saying 'hee'ul, hee'ul, hee'ul' to remind me to focus on the heel strike. Then there is another person saying 'remember to swing your arm' - it got too crazy and I finally said 'pick one because I can't do both' & they said heel strike. I can focus until one is second nature but I can't focus on both easily.

Hour 2 - inside, step aerobics practice. Fun but weird since everyone is just watching one person step up, down, & all around and it is tiring!

Hour 3 - balance practice on the balance ball. Good balance practice. Then on to the Wii fit. I think we might get one of these. I tried to soccer ball one that makes you lean from side to side to either hit the ball with your head *OR* avoid cleats and panda heads(!!). I also did the slalom one where you have to lean to make it through the flags - toughie! Then we finished up with the yoga Wii exercises doing Warrier Pose and Half Moon. I scored pretty well with these & was proud given the effort I put in.

I was talking to Bob before the session and realizing how these sessions are bringing back some hard memories. I had bad PT experiences for the first year or so. I had therapists ask me to do things that were not correct such as doing a squat keeping the back completely perpendicular to the ground. This hyperextends the knee and is incorrect (the correct position is to stick your butt out as though you are sitting in a chair and squat down keeping your knees above the foot and not to extend beyond the toes). And, really, PT sessions are tough on the ego anyway - pounding in what I can't do. I realize that I am improving and PT is the reason for it, it is just difficult to realize what I can't do now that I used to be able to do BS (before stroke). It seems as though every time I accept that I will have to work on one thing, another is pointed out.

I realize how pitiful that sounds. I'm okay with that. It's simply tough to have these things in your face A LOT.