Friday, March 18, 2011

Putting the past behind me

Any of you who follow me on twitter or have seen my FB updates will know that I have been battling an achilles injury for sometime now.  The injury struck shortly before I left for the wind tunnel and though I thought the 3 days of inactivity would solve it, this was not to be the case.  Thus, unfortunately, I was unable to run for the entirety of the Tucson training camp with the Squad.  To me, if I am not running, I am not really "training" and certainly not getting everything out of the camp.  Disheartening, maddening, disappointing, infuriating, frustrating, saddening, etc... all such adjectives fall short of capturing the range of emotions this caused.  It weighs on you when you have just "quit your day job" to undertake a sporting career and then are unable to perform.

The upside of not running was that I was able to fit in some "extra" riding, and was that much "fresher" for the rides and swims with the Squad.

I was fortunate to be turned onto an excellent Physical Therapist up in Scottsdale and finally started to get the treatment that my Achilles so desperately needed. Nate Koch, and the entire team at Endurance Rehab have been a Godsend and I am happy to report that I am on the mend and have logged 3 runs and about 13 miles of running this week.  And I GET to run again on Sunday.  Yes I said "GET to run again."  This injury has once again taught me not to take good health for granted.  Please take heed, if you are in the Phoenix are and have a nagging injury, get into Endurance Rehab and get it solved before you make it worse like I did, and find yourself on the disabled list.

That is enough of my bitching.  I am putting the past behind me and writing off the missed camp as just a learning experience.  I am now staying in Fountain Hills with fellow Zooter Bryan Dunn and his wife Jamie.  They were kind enough to let me share their amazing home and dogs for a couple weeks while I rehab my achilles at Endurance.  Things are still "touch and go" but I am confident that with another week of treatment I will be back running without any limitations.  If that is the case it will be just in time as the following week I am excited to be heading up to Morgan Hill for the Specialized tri team camp. I am definitely excited for that trip.

On a funny side note, I have been doing all my "runs" this week in some big dirt/gravel parking lots next  to Endurance Rehab.  The lots are overflow lots for Western World, a golf tournament and a horse show arena.  Today, all three were in full effect, as was I, complete with the bright yellow and black Zoot "Kona 2010" compression socks.  You should have seen the looks I got from the golf attire clad spectators, the horse show goers, and best of all, the "Western World" carnival goers and exhibitors some of whom had donned full cowboy/girl and frontiersmen dudds.  Never have I been looked at so strangely by those who I perceived to be so strange. 

4 comments:

  1. Great to hear you are on the mend Ian!! Injuries can be so frustrating, I'm sure even more so when you are in the situation you are in (being pro that is). Here's to an entirely healthy achilles from here on out! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good read, especially the last paragraph, that cracked me up. I totally could see all of you eyeing each other up and down and making the other person feel strange.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great to hear things are getting better and your back running! Ironic that golfers would give you any looks since they are generally the worst dressed IMO..

    ReplyDelete
  4. I LOVE Endurance Rehab!!! They too have put me back together in the past and taught me a few invaluable lessons to help keep me injury free. So glad you get to spend your time in the Valley with a couple goldens and the Dunns. Heal up quick!!

    ReplyDelete