I'm happy to be writing an update of achieving a major milestone attributed to GST just 2 weeks in.
Some background - I used to do these 30 minute HIIT workouts on a treadmill that were devastating, but I loved them.
One day I went in to do it and POP! Right in my knee. Kept popping and hurt. The pop followed me everywhere - especially on stairs. Stability was compromised. I felt like my leg could just collapse.
It *kind of resolved on it's own, but the running never came back. I just could not run and I mean I couldn't even jog alongside my 3 year old at the park. He dominated me every time.
Thought I tore a miniscus in my knee. Went to ortho. Got X-Rays.
Diagnosis was not a torn anything. It was too tight of muscles and ligaments and knee was off track.
Went to PT, they gave me stretches. Never did them. 1.5 years later I still can't run. I always jump on the treadmill to test it out, but same terrible results: popping within 60 seconds.
Here's where it gets good.
Week 2 of working on front splits exercise. Doing a simple pike stretch, my finger tips are barely touching the floor. That's funny. First time I did this, I was 3" short of the floor. I must not be locking my knees.
I readjust. Lock the knees. Flex my quads to make sure they stay locked. Do it again. Fingertips barely touch ground again.
Amazing.
So then yesterday I thought well if I'm progressing in stretching, maybe it's time to try running again. Started off at 5.5 mph like my usual warm up. 2 minutes in, no popping. Decided to try a HIIT interval. Bumped up the speed and incline. Ran through it with no issues.
...Next thing you know I'm cooling down after a complete 30 minute HIIT just like I used to do 1.5 years ago. The feeling was nostalgic. I stepped off like a new man who just got out of a time machine.
Good stuff. Still not even close to doing the splits. But oh hell yes I am going to keep working!