Ok so things are...getting better. My other issue has been taken care for now at least. So, I have been able to get some more training in with the lower stress levels. Today was a great ride - over an hour and pretty heavy on the effort. I clicked down a few gears on the Orbea (on the road) and cranked up the hr. I can finally stand and pedal with little to no forgiveness on the left leg - only for about 5 minutes though before some soreness starts up (tonight was a good dose of ibuprofen). I'm curious about how things will feel tomorrow.
Last weekend was Sarahs golden birthday and Saturday night many from her running club came, so it was great to be around a group of athletes - all talking running for the most part. BUT I did get some good tips for hill training on the bike in St. Paul - something about Ramsey St or Ave or something off Sunnit Ave...and then the "High Bridge" (Smith Road?) I've seen that before as I drive up Shephard Road. It looks like it could be a nice longer steady 5-6% grade climb - will have to check that out...hopefully soon! Then some other road - Ohio Street I think. Full reports to come later as the leg heals.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I'm Riding!
The transition back to hard training and riding after the ankle break has been slower than I anticipated due to...wellllllllll...say life's curve balls?? The last two weeks have been extremely full - some really good...but a lot of stuff that I wish would smooth out or go away so I can just relax and enjoy life. Its interesting to me how some people are like robots. And honestly, I don't think they'll ever realize what they're missing by living life the way they do. Its also interesting though, to watch how easy it is to get sucked into that same lifestyle by them...and those are the people I feel sorry for the most. The ones that wake up 10 years from now or more and say, "wait...what just happened?" Nope it didn't just happen it took 10 years for you to realize it did. That's as far as I will go on that one.
Good news though! I went out for my first ride on the road today! Ohhhh now that really felt great. I met Sarah after work and we went out for a little over an hour around Eagan - which has some nice hills by the way. My left leg definitely is NOT back to even with the right leg yet however. Last Thursday night I attempted a few lunges. Lunges 1-5 were good...so I thought. I went down for number 6 and didn't come back up! CRAZY charley horse in the hamstring and I could feel it twisting around my leg to make sure that the quad was gonna get in on that action as well. Yowza that hurt! That leg was sore until Sunday, even after massive massage work and active rest.
Yesterday and today though, I've been doing some more "weighted" excercises on it and I felt like the intial shock of work to the leg was over - I was right. Definitely still down on power but its working fine and now I can really start logging some miles and getting that leg back up again - still on flat pedals of course.
Good news though! I went out for my first ride on the road today! Ohhhh now that really felt great. I met Sarah after work and we went out for a little over an hour around Eagan - which has some nice hills by the way. My left leg definitely is NOT back to even with the right leg yet however. Last Thursday night I attempted a few lunges. Lunges 1-5 were good...so I thought. I went down for number 6 and didn't come back up! CRAZY charley horse in the hamstring and I could feel it twisting around my leg to make sure that the quad was gonna get in on that action as well. Yowza that hurt! That leg was sore until Sunday, even after massive massage work and active rest.
Yesterday and today though, I've been doing some more "weighted" excercises on it and I felt like the intial shock of work to the leg was over - I was right. Definitely still down on power but its working fine and now I can really start logging some miles and getting that leg back up again - still on flat pedals of course.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I'm Walking!!
The cast came off Friday and by Friday afternoon I was able to walk around!...albeit slowly...but I was walking! Ditched the crutches that night and really put my leg to the test Saturday morning by walking around Ritchfield to different spots to watch and cheer on Sarah in her first ever half marathon (The Urban Wildlands)- which she totally knocked out of the park by the way.
This was really REALLY inspiring, she looked so strong through the whole race. Talk about stepping it up, she improved by leaps and bounds dropping 15 minutes off her time from the training run the week before and beat 2/3rds of the women and half the men! Nice work first time out! Nice work period!!
Anyway, the whole time my leg felt great! Still getting the muscles and tendons used to moving again, and some soreness because of that but feels like it gets better by the hour. I wrapped it up on Sunday evening and was actually able to spin lightly on the trainer for about 45-50 minutes! Wow that felt good! I'm gonna work hard through rehab...no predictions on when I'll officially be strapping on a number plate this fall. I'm taking it day by day and gonna do it right...but I'm anxious.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Cast coming off...?
I'm hoping in less than 12 hours...it will be off. Leg is feeling good, but its up to the Doc and what he sees in the xrays. I haven't written for a couple weeks. For not being very mobile, I sure have stayed busy. Workout-wise this week I've started some more organized training again with guidance from TJ. Thats boosted some confidence in my recovery abilities. I'm still in this 'all in' mood...not sure I can be more motivated going into this fall and the upcoming 'off-season'!
I have stories over the last few weeks that have helped that. I'll write more later on that. Some star struck days out west, watching the Tour, going to mountain bike races even though I'm not racing, having awesome (and extremely motivating) conversations about marathon training and running; the commitment we all put into pushing ourselves and the feeling of accomplishment following a big race or training day...I'm in it, I love it, I'll be back soon. Small daily and weekly goals can go a long way.
Last Sunday at the MNSCS event while watching the Expert/Pro riders TJ, Brenden, Jeff Hall, Sam, Jenna, Kyia, many others...fast fast fast riders, I told the story a few dozen times. After one rendition, this guy said to me in front of a small group listening in "Well, ya know it's not gonna be the same...it's gonna heal stronger or weaker."
...it's gonna be stronger...I've already made that decision ;-)
I have stories over the last few weeks that have helped that. I'll write more later on that. Some star struck days out west, watching the Tour, going to mountain bike races even though I'm not racing, having awesome (and extremely motivating) conversations about marathon training and running; the commitment we all put into pushing ourselves and the feeling of accomplishment following a big race or training day...I'm in it, I love it, I'll be back soon. Small daily and weekly goals can go a long way.
Last Sunday at the MNSCS event while watching the Expert/Pro riders TJ, Brenden, Jeff Hall, Sam, Jenna, Kyia, many others...fast fast fast riders, I told the story a few dozen times. After one rendition, this guy said to me in front of a small group listening in "Well, ya know it's not gonna be the same...it's gonna heal stronger or weaker."
...it's gonna be stronger...I've already made that decision ;-)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Ok, maybe a little longer than expected
Met with Dr. Hsin on Monday. I apparently did do a good enough job of breaking my leg two years ago. This time around, I broke it much closer to the joint and the fibula started to split from the bottom. Soooo...I'm in a cast - a real cast for 4 weeks. Real bummer. It'll be about 2 weeks longer than the year before overall. Anyway, still need to go shopping somehow:
Haha...his could be fun...needs a little more power though....needs a little tweekin'
Haha...his could be fun...needs a little more power though....needs a little tweekin'
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Story
Well, on Tuesday afternoon, I was training and crashed hard going through a fast rocky downhill section. Braking for a left turn towards the bottom of a valley the rear tire slid out for awhile and as my right foot unclipped, the rear tire hit a rock solid in the ground and all lateral force of the speed and sliding went into the left fibula and SNAP!
After almost an hour by myself - which felt like forever (especially knowing it was getting later in the day and this IS mountain lion and rattlesnake country), a few bikers and hikers passed by and left water and trail mix while they went to get help and after 2 1/2 hours one person came by and stayed with me until help arrived. She told me her life stories in San Diego of surfing and swimming with sharks and Manta Rays to keep my mind off the accident which helped a lot...and was really cool! She couldn't believe I was so calm laying there with a broken leg in the middle of the forest...I couldn't believe she was so calm about swimming with sharks, but you know they were only the 6 to 8 footers she said...haha!
Anyway, unfortunately, at best, people were one hour and 30 minutes from any cell phone service to get help. I layed at the bottom of a rocky valley next to a rough mountain river for almost 4 hours before I was finally hauled out strapped into the caged stretcher that I've seen other people hauled out with on extreme sports TV shows by the Rocky Mountain Rescue team. I was initially treated by RM Fire Dept ambulance before being taken to the hospital. Xrays from ER revealed the broken left fibula.
The Rocky Mountain Rescue team is a super cool operation by the way. There were about 14 people involved in getting me out including the RM Fire dept medic's and Boulder County Sheriff. Huge thanks and appreciation to them for how they handled this. If I lived out here...no question I would train and at least be a volunteer for them.
The xray looks like an exact mirror image of the the one taken two years ago of my right leg. Again, I didn't get up and try to walk around on it to 'see' if it was really broken which helped keep things in line. Comparing notes to 2007, I was walking in the boot after about 4 weeks and back pedaling on the bike after about 7 weeks. I did race the MNSCS event in St. cloud that year on flat pedals. I'm hoping my prognosis from the ortho doc on Monday will be the same. And with proper training and guidance from TJ I should hopefully be back training and try some races maybe later this year.
I gained so much and had so much momentum going into the Nationals and a strong second half of the season, this is very hard to swallow. But it is what it is...I guess.
After almost an hour by myself - which felt like forever (especially knowing it was getting later in the day and this IS mountain lion and rattlesnake country), a few bikers and hikers passed by and left water and trail mix while they went to get help and after 2 1/2 hours one person came by and stayed with me until help arrived. She told me her life stories in San Diego of surfing and swimming with sharks and Manta Rays to keep my mind off the accident which helped a lot...and was really cool! She couldn't believe I was so calm laying there with a broken leg in the middle of the forest...I couldn't believe she was so calm about swimming with sharks, but you know they were only the 6 to 8 footers she said...haha!
Anyway, unfortunately, at best, people were one hour and 30 minutes from any cell phone service to get help. I layed at the bottom of a rocky valley next to a rough mountain river for almost 4 hours before I was finally hauled out strapped into the caged stretcher that I've seen other people hauled out with on extreme sports TV shows by the Rocky Mountain Rescue team. I was initially treated by RM Fire Dept ambulance before being taken to the hospital. Xrays from ER revealed the broken left fibula.
The Rocky Mountain Rescue team is a super cool operation by the way. There were about 14 people involved in getting me out including the RM Fire dept medic's and Boulder County Sheriff. Huge thanks and appreciation to them for how they handled this. If I lived out here...no question I would train and at least be a volunteer for them.
The xray looks like an exact mirror image of the the one taken two years ago of my right leg. Again, I didn't get up and try to walk around on it to 'see' if it was really broken which helped keep things in line. Comparing notes to 2007, I was walking in the boot after about 4 weeks and back pedaling on the bike after about 7 weeks. I did race the MNSCS event in St. cloud that year on flat pedals. I'm hoping my prognosis from the ortho doc on Monday will be the same. And with proper training and guidance from TJ I should hopefully be back training and try some races maybe later this year.
I gained so much and had so much momentum going into the Nationals and a strong second half of the season, this is very hard to swallow. But it is what it is...I guess.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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