While it is no secret that Core Fusion is my preferred bar class of choice, I am always open to trying other studios out. In fact, Core Fusion was not the first class I tried. Prior to really getting involved in Core Fusion, I took two Physique 57 classes, one The Body class, two Nalini Method classes (not counting the third I recently tried). I reviewed those initial classes without having Core Fusion to even compare them to!

And while I enjoyed each of those experiences, I didn’t feel compelled to get memberships at the time. It wasn’t until I fell in love with the strength-in-stillness style and motivation teachers at Core Fusion that I knew this style of exercise was for me.

But just because I now know what I love doesn’t mean I’m not open to finding something else I love too. That is how I ended up at Refine after all, and I go there all the time now.

So when I met Physique 57′s social media manager at a Travelzoo blog event and she invited me in to try two more classes, of course I said yes!

With my hip injury, I can’t take a regular Physique 57 class right now, for the same reasons I can’t take Core Fusion. So I looked into my other options and found two classes that sounded like they could work for me: Mat 57 and Abs & Arms Booster. Mat 57 was offered at a time I could make it last week, and so I went.

From their website:

Mat 57® offers a:

Comprehensive workout. Mat 57® improves balance, posture, and alignment through targeted exercises that strengthen and lengthen every major muscle group. Mat 57® incorporates cardio, toning and stretching to intensify the workout and challenge each student.

Quick tempo. Mat 57® offers all of the proven benefits of Pilates while increasing stamina through a more athletic and high-energy routine.

Class was at the Spring Street location in SoHo. I had been to this location once before, and to the 57th street location once as well.

The Space

The good:

• The retail shop had a gorgeous selection of workout and relaxation clothing from brands like Splits 59, Lululemon and more.
• Locker room offers hair spray, hair dryers, deodorant, mouth wash, showers and hair brushes.
• Everything was clean.

Could use improvement:

• Locks are not built in to the lockers. For the price of these classes and a membership, I do think there should be locks. I was forced to leave my items in an unlocked locker. I had this same gripe about Pure Yoga.  I feel there are certain amenities that should come with the high cost of classes.
• There is no sanitizer to hold the hair brushes. Use the brushes at your own risk.

The Class

The good:

• Abs, abs, abs. This is a class for anyone who wants to get an intense abdominal workout. I wasn’t paying attention to the time, but we must have done about 15 minutes of devoted ab work in the beginning of class.
• Use of light hand weights to do familiar arm exercises like bicep curls and lat pull-downs during the abdominal work.
• Light weights are so difficult! When Natasha advised me to take 2s and 3s, I seriously doubted this and considered getting 4s. She told me not to. She was right. I was humbled. No more than 3 pounds are needed because it is hard work using the weights during abs.
• A couple of nice plank sequences.
• A long glutes section including foreram tabletop  and pretzel positions.
• The hour literally flew by. When class was over, I couldn’t believe it.
• The instructor was upbeat.
• Easy to modify for injuries.

Could use improvement:

• Instructor adjustments. Some of the positions we did on the floor for abs were unfamiliar to me, and the instructor did not correct or adjust me to ensure I was safely and effectively positioned. I had a feeling the entire time that I was not doing the exercise correctly, but I didn’t know how to fix myself.
• We did about 15 pushups total: 10 regular and 5 yoga-style (elbows squeezed close to sides). I incorrectly assumed this was the first set of pushups that would appear multiple times throughout class. More pushups — an excellent full-body exercise –  would provide more intensity and opportunity for a higher heart-rate.
• The squats and lunges sections seemed very short. I thought this class could have used a bit more thigh work.
• The abdominal section to start the class dragged on a little too long.

Overall thoughts:

Throw everything you think you know out the window. In spite of the name, no mats actually make an appearance in Mat 57!

While Mat 57 was definitely a challenging workout that will tone your body, I didn’t feel the cardio intensity or increased heart rate that was advertised. It is a good change of pace and nice alternative to a regular bar-style class, and I would definitely do it again.

Keep in mind I only tried this class one time with one instructor, and every instructor has her own teaching style.

As for the space, it also comes down to personal preference. Physique 57′s environment is very much about the workout. Get in, work hard, get on with your day.  While I prefer a warmer environment, I know that this style would appeal to many people.

I am excited to go back for my second Physique 57 class in this two-class pack.

Now you know about Part 1 and Part 2 of My Hip Injury. While physical therapy seems to be helping (the swelling went down! finally!) and cortisone took the pain away (at least for now), who am I to turn down something I have always wanted to try when it was offered to me — acupuncture.

From their website:

Exhale incorporates the 5,000-year-old system of healing known as acupuncture and oriental medicine into its everyday environment. Both safe and effective, acupuncture excels at integrating the body, mind and spirit to promote health and balance. Throughout its history, this complete system of healing has addressed the medical needs of large parts of the world’s population. The focus of this medicine has always been the prevention of disease by establishing and maintaining the balance and harmony of all aspects of the individual’s health.

At exhale, all of our acupuncture practitioners are master healers, achieving the highest level of training and exceeding national standards for the profession. All are Nationally Board Certified by the NCCAOM (California State boards) and are State licensed health care providers. They hold a Masters of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. More than that, each acupuncturist at exhale was hand-selected for their unique healing skills. They bring to exhale the deepest level of empathy, compassion, and care combined with skill and knowledge.

I went to exhale spa for my appointment last week and met my acupuncturist, Jordana Allen. I actually heard about Jordana before this visit because one of my Core Fusion teachers told me that there is an acupuncturist who also has a torn labrum. How ironic coincidental (a little pet peeve of mine, kids — learn it).

After changing into a comfy robe and lounging with a warm neck pillow, Jordana took me into a massage room and instructed me to sit in a chair so we could talk. I actually expected to hop right onto the table and get right down to business, but now I realize how important this initial evaluation is.

When Jordana asked me why I was there, I told her about my hip.

Then she asked to see my tongue for her . . . tongue diagnosis? Clearly I did not do my research beforehand because I would have learned that this is an important part of any acupuncture evaluation. According to Sacred Lotus, “the tongue has many relationships and connections in the body, both to the meridians and the internal organs. It is therefore very useful and important during inspection for confirming TCM diagnosis. It can present strong visual indicators of a person’s overall harmony or disharmony.”

[Source: Sacred Lotus]

Apparently my tongue did not reveal the fact that I am always freezing, although many external factors can influence how my tongue looks on any given day, so it is not 100% accurate. Also, Jordana explained that tongue diagnosis can change from session to session and every acupuncturist will have a different opinion of you and your diagnosis.

Jordana asked me if I have any other issues she should know about, and I didn’t really think of anything until she gave anxiety as one of her examples. I’ve actually battled anxiety for many years. She said that the acupuncture treatment would help with this problem.

Then, as an afterthought, I casually mentioned that I suffer from a chronic gastrointestinal illness.

I could tell by Jordana’s face that I probably should have disclosed this sooner. I honestly thought I was there only for my hip! And while I had considered acupuncture for my GI illness in the past, I never did go through with it due to the inordinate amount of money I spend weekly on other treatments.

“We will work on your stomach too,” Jordana told me after I gave her the details of my problems. WOW. I did not expect this. Wow. Wow. How did I get this lucky?

As I lay on the heated table with a heat lamp over me (I could have done just that and been happy with my hour!), Jordana told me she saw a tinge of blue in my stomach channel along my legs. She said this is not normal, and that it indicates cold.

[Source: ITM Online]

She also revealed that my tongue showed some stagnation in my stomach (meaning things are not moving). That reminded me of the time I was getting a pedicure and during the foot massage, the woman was pressing on this one point on my foot that felt strange. She asked me if it hurt and I said yes and she jumped up and came back with a big book. She opened to a page about the colon and pointed to that, and then pointed to my foot, explaining as best she can with our language barrier that the foot issue indicated colon problems.

Obviously I was shocked that the pedicure was so completely on the mark. She could have said that strange sensation on my foot meant anything, but she got it exactly right.

And so I went to this acupuncture appointment aware that my body reveals the underlying issues I have.

Discovery Health explains the two thoughts on how acupuncture works by explaining:

Approximately 2,000 different acupuncture points lie along the body’s meridians. The idea behind acupuncture is that stimulating these points with acupuncture needles or pressure relieves obstructions in the flow of energy, enabling the body to heal.

In the Western view, acupuncture likely works by stimulating the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to release chemicals called neurotransmitters and hormones. These chemicals dull pain, boost the immune system and regulate various body functions.

Jordana put about nine needles in different parts of my body to target my hip and my stomach (I say stomach as a general term to mean my overall digestive issues). One needle went in the top of my head.

Let’s talk needles. I was not at all afraid of them going into this session. From everything I’ve heard about acupuncture, you do not feel the needles at all and they don’t hurt. Before the session, Jordana showed me a needle, and flinged the sharp part to show me how light and bendable it is.  Because of this, I had no apprehension whatsoever about the needles.

But you know what? Yes, they’re small but they are still NEEDLES. They are still sharp and you do feel them. Each one pinched as it went in. While they were in they didn’t hurt, but I could certainly feel that they were there. They’re needles! And after the session, when Jordana pulled them out, I felt the little sting again.

It wasn’t pain and it wasn’t bad. But come on.  Let’s call a spade a spade.

[Source: Discovery Health: How Stuff Works]

Once Jordana had the needles in place and made sure I felt no discomfort, she asked me if I wanted a foot massage.

Um, does Santana love tummy rubs?

YES of course I wanted a foot massage!

In addition to being an acupuncturist, Jordana is also a licensed massage therapist. The foot massage was the most amazing added benefit and really took my experience from great to incredible. I want to go back just for more foot massage. Mmmmmmm….

The entire time, we chatted. Those who know me know I can be uncomfortable and awkward with new people, unless vodka and tequila are involved. But Jordana made me feel completely at ease, and she was so knowledgeable and sweet. Also, SHE LOVES CORE FUSION! Yes, it was a match made in exhale heaven. The only thing I love more than extolling the virtues of Core Fusion with anyone who will listen is chatting all about them with someone who understands!

It was especially helpful to tell her I felt the pain get worse during the pretzel because she knew exactly what I meant when I said pretzel, a Core Fusion exercise.  Going to acupuncture in the same place I work out is a huge plus.

I did want to mention that I found an old email I wrote to a friend in September, a month before my hip hurt during Core Fusion, about a 10 mile training run I did. For 5 of those miles, my hip was bothering me. So it turns out the problem was getting bad before I even realized when I wrote my Hip Injury posts.

As we discussed my stomach problems, Jordana advises against eating fiber, which I already know is my #1 enemy. I haven’t eaten salad in years and I miss it every day. However, she gave me some advice I hadn’t heard before: avoid cold foods, like ice cream. She also suggested I put a heating pad on my stomach and lower back every day. So this visit was beneficial for more than just the needles.

According to Jordana, the benefits of acupuncture vary, and the effectiveness varies also. It depends on what the condition is and how long it has been going on. She always suggests that acupuncture be done at least once a week because each treatment builds on the last one, and you get better results that way.

Because I already had a cortisone injection and haven’t exactly been in hip pain, it might be difficult to know the effects of the acupuncture. It would have been a lot more cut-and-dry if I didn’t have the steroid injection, was in pain, went to acupuncturist and then could tell you all “the pain is gone!” or “ugh I still feel pain.” Instead, I am just going for overall healing and long-term health. As for my stomach, I should be able to tell you about any overall improvements by the end of these sessions.

I will write a full review of my entire acupuncture experience at the end of these four sessions. Given that it will be over a month after my first visit, I will be able to describe my entire experience along with any results. I actually noticed some improvements since this session but because it could be chance, I will wait to go into detail until the end of these sessions. I will also determine at that time if I want to continue with acupuncture treatments.

Have you ever tried acupuncture? How many times did you go? Did you feel or see any improvements?

I received this acupuncture treatment (the first of four) from exhale spa at no charge. While I am obligated to write a review, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thank you for your words of support about my hip after I posted Part 1 of this two-part series: My Hip Injury – Part 1.

So, where did we leave off? Ah yes — I realized I had to stop taking Core Fusion.

Like I said, that one was mentally hard to deal with. I love Core Fusion. I lived for Core Fusion! Part of the reason I was even in this situation to begin with is because I didn’t want to STOP taking Core Fusion even though I felt pain. I worked so hard for the last year taking class 4-5 times a week and was terrified of losing everything I worked so hard to achieve.

It is very strange to go from being extremely unhappy with your body to being amazed by the drastic changes that come from hard work to being terrified it could all disappear just like that.

The bad news was that I could not take Core Fusion. But the good news was that I could still exercise.

The following classes did NOT cause pain (as long as I modified certain moves): Refine Method, Core Fusion Cardio, Core Fusion Sport and, as I very recently discovered, Core Fusion Yoga. So while I still held onto my fear of losing everything (Core Fusion was my basis for everything, and the class I took most) I did feel better knowing I had options.

At Refine, Brynn helped me learn exercises that would strengthen the muscles surrounding my hips. She often tailored the class to my needs, and when there were exercises I could not do, she always had a modification for me. In Core Fusion Cardio, Kate gave me advice on what to do instead of mountain climbers (of which we do hundreds!) and always watched out for me during any knee lifts, which I always modified. I am fortunate to have such amazing teachers who look out for my best interests.

In early December, with a month to go until I could visit a doctor because health insurance in this country is terrible, Brynn recommended her sports massage therapist Danielle DeMaio. I never had a true sports massage before and it was certainly an experience — one I would strongly recommend to all athletes, runners or people who exercise with any regularity. The massage was not relaxing or peaceful. For most of the time, it hurt, but in that good way where you know you will feel a thousand times better afterwards. Danielle would have me do certain movements, like having me press my ankle against her hand, and ask if made my hip hurt, to try and gauge where my pain was coming from and what made it worse. She was so helpful and knowledgeable, and explained so much about my muscles while she worked. I hoped that my hip pain was just a result of extremely tight muscles (and they were all extremely tight) and I would feel better the next day.

While I woke up the following day feeling like I had new legs (after a year of intense exercise, I had forgotten what it was like to not be sore!) but my hip felt just as badly as the day before.

I continued to do those activities that did not hurt me.  I began taking Refine a lote more often. And the more I went to Refine, the more I fell in love. Brynn and her other teachers were so helpful and so wonderful, and I was getting some phenomenal workouts. Refine worked my muscles in an entirely different way than I was used to. Rather than isolate one muscle and work it to exhaustion, we work muscles in combination with each other, complementing each other, causing so many more small muscles that I normally ignore to wake up.  I was so lucky to have this option and keep exercising, because as I explained in my Mojo post, I can’t imagine NOT exercising. It is such an important part of my life, a priority, something I need.

January finally arrived and I had an appointment at an orthopedist who specializes in hips. At the doctor, I explained my symptoms and limitations — any exercise or stretch where I turn my knee out or lift my knee up hurts, some glutes exercises hurt, sitting for a long time hurts (once I stand – ouch). I was able to pinpoint the exact spot of pain. And, most importantly, the fact that for two months I discontinued doing the exercises that hurt me, iced and took Naproxen but failed to get any better led the doctor to the conclusion that I likely had a labral tear.

This was exactly the news I was hoping not to hear.

“Could it be anything else?” I asked him. “No,” the doctor told me. “All your symptoms pretty much point to a tear. Anything else would have healed by now.”

Crap.

The next step was to get an MRI to confirm this. I asked the doctor if a period of total rest would help; no exercise at all. By this point, I was willing to do anything it took to get better; I had a marathon to run in less than a year. The doctor told me that total rest would be pointless and is not a sustainable way to live. He told me to keep doing any exercises that did not hurt, just as I have been. It was then that I officially kissed the half marathon I signed up for in April goodbye — although I already unofficially kissed it goodbye.  Kissing has never been less fun.

And then I registered for the 2011 ING NYC Marathon.

I had to register because I spent time and money qualifying through the 9+1 Guaranteed Entry Program in 2010, and I clearly would not be running nine races again this year. Once you register, you have the ability to defer your entry to the following year — for a large fee, and then you have to pay the entry fee again as well — but it is a really great option to have.

So I went and had the most relaxing MRI of my life (this was my fifth — how is this my life!). The results confirmed the tear in my labrum (and no, Erica Sara, I did NOT tear my labia.)

You know I was still hoping for something less serious, so I felt absolutely shattered when I received the results. The doctor discussed the next steps with me at his office. First on the list was physical therapy and a cortisone injection. If in a month I was not doing better, we would discuss surgery. The surgery would entail cutting the torn area out of my hip. I do not want surgery. I couldn’t believe it even got this bad.

I found a physical therapist who takes my insurance and emphasizes core work and is located a few blocks from me. I am now going there two times a week and getting ultrasound on the area, massaged, stretched, strengthened on a Pilates reformer, electric stim (LOVE — feels like a massage) and iced. There are worse ways to spend an hour. I especially like how many of the exercises we do that I also get at Refine, such as dead lifts and squats. It makes me even more confident that the work I am doing at Refine is helping me get stronger and recover.

As for the cortisone,  I had one big concern that I discussed with my doctor. The injection would NOT heal my injury, it would just mask the discomfort. I asked, “If I get this injection and I can’t feel the pain, can I make my injury worse by inadvertently doing things that are hurting me?”

He said that this is a valid question, but he is not worried. By now I know what to avoid, and he felt that the benefits of the injection would outweigh the risks.

And then my big question: “Will I be able to run the marathon?”

He does not know.

I got the cortisone shot two weeks ago. A couple of years ago I had cortisone in my shoulder and I don’t remember it being particularly painful at all, so I went in expecting the same. WRONG. I have been through so much medically and I am not afraid of needles (although I can’t look at them), and I have never cried from pain during any procedure. From humiliation and discomfort, yes, but never from pain. Until this injection. That freaking hurt. The needle was in my body for what seemed like eternity. The tears streamed. And for the rest of the day, I limped. I couldn’t exercise for three days!

A few days later I was fine, but my hip still felt off and I was just as swollen as always. I kept living life as I had been. Fred DeVito, co-founder of Core Fusion, gave me a Thai Therapy treatment which was absolutely wonderful. I will describe this in greater detail in its own post, but, along with the sports massage, this is something every runner needs to experience. Nothing else will loosen you up and refresh your muscles like this.

As soon as I left, I was shocked at what it feels like to not be sore anywhere. After the sports massage, my legs felt new. After the Thai massage, my entire body felt new. I exercise so much I seem to be in a constant state of soreness, so this was a very nice reprieve. And this week, I will get my first acupuncture treatment at exhale spa. I am very excited to share this experience with you in the coming weeks; I will have about four treatments in total. As you can see, I am determined to do whatever it takes to get better.

Physical therapy is going well. I might not enjoy the thousands of leg presses, but that electric stim sure feels nice. As of last week, the swelling in my hip has finally gone down. I don’t know what exactly that means, but I know it is a good sign.

I miss running. Specifically, I miss racing and creating playlists. I miss sharing my race experiences and playlists with you. I was really looking forward to running the Brooklyn Half Marathon for the first time, but that is out of the question. There will be absolutely no running for me while I heal. For me to do the full marathon, I would need to be better by June so I could start training.

June feels so close. At the time I drafted this post, I wrote that June feels too close. But now? Now I am finally starting to feel better. I am really beginning to feel like this marathon just might happen.

I originally planned on running the NYC Marathon for charity, with Team For Kids. Part of the reason was because it is a wonderful charity, but the other aspect was the training they provide. If I trained with them, I would get coached runs three times a week, forcing me to train smartly in ways I wouldn’t know how to on my own, particularly in terms of pacing, hill and speed work, and most importantly, preventing injury. There’s the added benefit of always having other people to run with, and meeting new people.

My charity auction for the NYC Half Marathon last year raised so much money for Think Pink Rocks, I knew that with a lot more time (assuming I started fundraising this past January for my November race) I would be able to get some really amazing products and services from various companies and hold an even better auction, plus fundraise in other ways. But I can’t ask you to donate your money for a race I can’t commit to run.

If, in June, I believe I am truly well enough to train for a marathon — and this will be after extensive physical therapy, more doctor visits, second and maybe third opinions — I will reconsider Team for Kids and determine if I think I can raise $2,100 in a much shorter time period than I planned. And even if I decide not to go the charity route, I will still train for the marathon if I am sure I am better. I have so many friends running this year which is partly why I have been so excited about this marathon. I will definitely have more than enough support to train either way.

If I am not 100% better by June, I will give myself one more month, until July 1 — the absolute final day I would be able to start training -- before officially deferring the race.

And what about Core Fusion? I’m just taking it day by day with that one. Right now I am really loving Refine as my base and Core Fusion Cardio and Core Fusion Yoga as supplements. After giving Sport three more chances, I decided I still don’t love it . And if there is anything you might have learned about me through this blog, it is that I only do workouts that I love.

Were my fears right? Did I lose anything from not doing Core Fusion for so long? The only difference I can really tell is that I lost some flexibility. I especially noticed it in CF Yoga the other day. I plan to take that class once a week now that I know it doesn’t bother my hip, and I hope that helps my flexibility. Otherwise, Refine has definitely helped me maintain the strength and endurance I accomplished last year — and I even noticed some additional improvements in my butt and shoulders.

I still can’t let go of my fears though and I do hope to be able to add Core Fusion back into my life again.  While I am afraid of not taking Core Fusion, I am more afraid of making my injury worse. When I am ready to get back into it, Fred DeVito will meet with me and show me modifications and offer advice on how to avoid hurting myself again (seriously, the people in my life are awesome) so I know I will be OK.

But right now, my goal is to run this marathon. I will avoid everything that bothered my hip at all because I simply won’t risk hurting myself again. It is so important to me to run this race, this year, with some of my closest friends. If that means giving up the classes I love, if that is what it takes, I will do it. And the amazing thing is that this experience opened me up to new classes I also love. I might not have been nearly as receptive to this before. I learned so much more about how exercise and muscle groups work, and I learn even more from the Refine blog. I am taking my new knowledge that I learn from Brynn and using it to help me heal. I am learning that challenging my body in different ways with different types of workouts will help avoid injury from always doing the same thing and using the same muscles. I have been introduced to new experiences (acupuncture! thai massage!) that I might not have gotten to try. This is all amazing.

So while my injury sucks and I can’t help but blame myself for ignoring the pain before it got worse, I believe that in the long run this could be a blessing in disguise. I now know how to exercise smarter and decrease my chance of injury again.

I just want to run this marathon. If I’m not better in time, I won’t. But I believe I will be.