Spring 2017 Schedule

The preseason pickup game went relatively well. I played an inning at first (I hate playing first base!) and got to pitch an inning. We did 5 out innings so I got a decent amount of work in. I even got to pitch against Jay (from my team). Almost got him to foul out.  I kicked twice and neither attempts were all that pretty but I got on base twice and scored so that happened.  Was definitely a bit sore after the game but that's just gonna be the deal. Got to get used to the new new.

We finally got the schedule this week and here it is.  Won't lie. I was hoping we'd get a new team for the first week but we're scheduled against three veteran teams to start the season.  All good.  Ain't no rest for the best. I'm excited about our new players and looking forward to finally starting this!

Preseason

We're having some warmup practice pick up kickball action tonight and it'll be unofficially/officially my first action since going down..   Let's do this!

So it's been a minute

Hi everyone!  Apologies for a lack of updates over the last year.  Everything has been going good.  Still feels awkward at times.  It's an ongoing adjustment.  Been walking a lot and running a fair amount.  About to kick things into high gear and really blast off.

Running -- The hardest thing about getting back into half marathon shape is getting back into a regular routine. I've been doing 2 mile runs but only a couple times a week.  I'm still looking at getting back to where I was and I am going to schedule myself for a half marathon this fall so I'll really need to upgrade my training real soon here to stay on pace.  I'll be doing the corporate challenge for the first time next month. That's only a 3.5 mile race.  I did do a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day last fall in Delmar for my first actual race back.  My pace is super slow these days but that's okay.  It's all about the duration and distance at this point for me.

Kickball -- Being a spectator last year was tough. It was great to hang out with my friends but by the time the Fall season wrapped up I was ready to be done with the watching and ready for the rolling.  But here we are, on the cusp of a new season. I've got a fully loaded team of 20 people and spring season starts on 4/20.  My goal is to wrap little recaps of our games and how I felt to keep this blog updated moving forward. I'm just excited to start and get back to rolling the ball again.  It's been 623 days since I rolled it!!  I never even took the field the day I got injured since it was the top of the 1st inning.

Anyway, just wanted to chime in and let you know I plan to update this some more this summer moving forward.  Even if no one reads it, that's okay.  It'll be good for me!  Cheers everybody..  and it's okay to ask me how the knee feels even if I laugh at how many times I get asked. It's topical.

Oh hi!

It's spring and I've got a bit more spring in my step lately.  I've got back to some light jogging, have yet to find a good consistent pattern but I trudge along at my 13-14 minute miles. It's something. Still getting better every day.  Kickball season started again but I'm not playing. I watch. I ref our games and help out where I can. It's something. The jogging is getting a bit better but I'm not quite back to where I want to be yet. With near certainty I won't play Summer league either. And that's ok. No rush here. I'm enjoying walking.
I'm sure there's more to report, and I've been bad about these. But everything is coming along as expected and as planned still.  Slowly, but steady.

Hitting The Streets

Yah, I've been bad. I owe you a recap of the last few months. The short version is that my surgeon recommended I stop going to PT and just do it on my own in January. It felt like I was breaking up with a girlfriend when I told my PT guy. Mid way through January I started using the Elliptical machine at work. I've maxed at 30 minutes so far and have stuck to a path of slow progression.

Last week I attempted to actually jog for the first time. I started my intervals small at 30 seconds walking, 15 seconds running. The running felt okay but awkward. It isn't looking very pretty to see but it's happening. I felt decent enough halfway through that run to switch intervals and do 30 on, 15 off. I actually had a few strides that felt normal. I did a little over a mile.

This past Saturday I went back out and did 30 second walking, 45 second running intervals. It again felt okay, but limpy. It should improve. I' going to try to stick to running only a couple times a week until it feels better and better. But it's nice to get back out there and get my feet on the ground. I'm getting closer to feeling slightly more normal!

Happy New Year!

Here's a quick glance at how I finished out the year with my fitbit stats. My fitbit died on vacation in mid July so that explains that "empty space". The fitbit company sent me a replacement shortly after, and shortly before I had my injury.  The graph shows my pre-surgery progress in late August and then my slow recovery in Fall.  This chart would have looked much different had I finished 2015 the way I started but things happen!  Let's make 2016 great!

Progressing

Not a whole lot to really update you all on at this moment, at this juncture, in this space of time. Things are progressing. Did have a doctor follow up last Thursday 11/12. He thought it all looked good and I was progressing nicely. I was aware beforehand and he reiterated that the graft itself is at it's weakest 2-3 months post surgery. I don't really know all the medical science behind it but as part of the healing process with the graft, it's strong at first, becomes weak, and then begins to strengthen again.  So for now I am in a bit of a holding pattern with what I can and can not do with the knee/leg.  As it is, I still have a few more months to go before I can start to jog again because of the meniscus repair. But I have been using the cycle at the gym at work and will continue to do that. I am progressing to new exercises at physical therapy as I really try to focus on balancing on the leg without having to shift all of my weight over to counter balance. I do a lot of squats, a lot of steps. It's still difficult for me to control my leg going down and I am pushing to get better at that. But otherwise, I am completely crutch free at this point and able to get around to where I need to go. It still has feels, not painful, sometimes sore, but where the left leg just feels like a leg with the absense of feeling, the right leg still feels like, well for lack of a better description, that it got cut open and operated on 2 months ago.

Long story short, I'm progressing. Trying to get my range of motion further along so I can use both legs to go down stairs. Working on leg strength so I can balance better. And feeling a little less worried about the soon to be winter, ice, and snow season. Winter is coming. Oh and I almost don't have to think about what it takes to get out of my car yet, almost.

Getting There

It might take me a while, but I'll get there.  Slowly and surely.

Left the crutch in the car today for first time.  Well, left it in the car yesterday when I got home. I'm still walking with a hitch so I'm not confident to give the crutch up completely. (I should just be walking with a cane but I don't want to spend money on a cane).  Knee definitely feels a little more sore the more I use it. I can get used to that if that's the way it'll be. I suspect the more it heels the the better it'll feel. I'm coming to grips with the fact that several holes were drilled thru it. ha.

At the last PT appointment, was the first time he physically worked on bending my knee more. Oh man that shit hurt so bad. No pain no gain. I know. And I know it needs to bend more. But man, as I laid there and he did his thing, it definitely hurt!  After he was like, how do you feel, and I'm all like great if you don't do that again!  Knew that day was coming, it came.  Will have to brace myself for next time, which is tomorrow at 1.

But anyway, just a quick update that I'm sorta walking now. It's still not pretty. I can almost imagine what it will be like to run again but I'm definitely a few months away from that. I have been getting good at doing the stationary bike, and getting it to revolve all the way around front and back. Still positive that I'll make a full recovery by next summer. Just hoping I won't slip or anything this winter, that would suck!

Trick or Crutch!

Still progressing.  Still using the crutch. Despite having a decent day last week without the crutch, my PT guy basically advised that I should use a cane (or the one crutch) until I can actually walk normal without a hitch. I'm still hitching quite a bit though each day is still getting better. Slowly but surely.  

I had hoped to be able to walk the neighborhood sans crutch for trick or treating over the weekend, but couldn't. I put on my running gear (which was nice since I hadn't in forever :sadface:) and took to the streets with my kids as an "injured" runner!  Hilarious, I know!  It was actually my first time around the loop since the injury. As tired of running the loop as I started to get, I'd do just about anything right now to run it again.  Couple more months.  Got a couple comments about my costume from other parents.  "Costume".  

I'm still icing almost every night and I'm still working on my exercises at home. I've kicked up my PT to go twice a week now. I'm a little frustrated that I'm not further along than I am but I still know that it's part of the process. Can't believe that it's almost been two months since the surgery and that time is still doing it's part. I hope by the end of this month, if not sooner, I'm more confident and comfortable walking. I should be.

There was a couple significant knee injuries in the NFL that I'm keeping my eye open on MRI results today. Hoping for the best for those gentlemen.

"Injured Runner"

Pumpkins!

First No Crutch Lap

And on the 87th day of using crutches, I was able to do a full lap around the parking lot at work (a half mile).  It's not exactly pretty but I made it.  I've been getting a little more comfortable walking on this leg the past few days or so.

I can't exactly say that I left the crutch at home or in the car. I used it to get to my desk this morning, but that's as far as it's gone.  Tomorrow I will plan to leave it in the car.

As this month has gone by I've had it in mind and have been hoping to be able to walk on Halloween for trick or treating. Assuming the rest of the week progresses like this, I should be in good shape and even more ready for that.

Hopefully as a few more weeks go by walking will feel normal again cause right now it certainly doesn't. Feels like about a 75/25 split between the knee and leg needing to be stronger and sturdier and my mental psyche of whether or not to trust it.  Time time time, every day is better!