Well it's been almost two years since my last post. Since then there have been a few setbacks. First was a torn Posterior Tibial Tendon that is still not 100%. While recovering from that I decided to check out my right hip. I then found out both my hip sockets are too shallow, have arthritis and the labrams are torn. I opted to fix my right one last year which has taken some time to heal but is now finally feeling pretty good.
Since I was going to be off my feet for a while with the hip scope I decided to fix my bunions at the same time. While this was by far the most painful of the three surgeries it took the least amount of time to heal. All in all this has been a long recovery and have been looking forward to getting back on the starting line since September of 2011.
I had intended for Minnetonka Sprint to be my first race back but as the season got closer my endurance was up and training times were decent. Since Buffalo fell on the weekend I was going to do my first brick I decided to jump in. I had the hopes of doing a 2:05 and thought given the start list this might land me on the podium or close. While I fell short of that mark by nearly 5 mins I would have to say this was one of my favorite races I've ever done.
To start there was no pressure. I was relaxed and new that I can only do what I can do. Before the race I also got a lot of "good to see you backs" from friends which was awesome. Buffalo is an awesome race with a lot of great people. I knew this was not going to be my fastest race ever so I concentrated on keeping a steady pace and not blowing up. Normally I finish and nearly need medical attention but this time I finished and while I had pushed it I didn't need a ton of recovery time. I finished 12th overall and even got chicked by Cathy Yndested. No shame there as she will be in the hunt for national Athlete of the Year honors this year. Still I had a warm and fuzzy after the race and was super happy with a 2:10.
Since then I've gotten back to training like I used to. My times are still not where they were in 2009-2010 but I feel good about them and enjoy my workouts more than I have in a long time. I keep showing improvement and my energy level is still up. The problem has been that my left hip and knee are showing real signs of wear and tear. I'm already scheduled to have my right hip scoped in September and my knee may need to be scoped as well. It's an issue that has plagued me for nearly 8 years now and I need to get something done before there is a real problem that would keep me from running all together. I'm hoping the doc says fixing the hip will fix the knee but something tells me there's been too much damage done.
Having said all that I still hope to have a great race tomorrow. The competition will be stiff with my buddies Patrick Parish, Scott Swensen and Ross Weinzierl there along with three time winner Brett Lovass and last years winner Brooks Gossinger. There will more than likely be a couple of other fast guys in the mix as well. I'm hoping for top 5 but realize that top 10 will be a victory.
After Minnetonka my future is uncertain. My knee and hip are not responding to training well on a regular basis. Some days they feel great while others I wonder if I should continue or move up the surgery date and scratch the rest of the season. I want to get in at least one more race but health is a priority and believe getting the surgery(s) done sooner will help me get back close to 100% by the start of next season.
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