Clint Juhl - The Ironman

It's been a while since I've written about my recovery.  And there hasn't been much to say except I'm battling a case of Plantar Faciitis in not one but both feet.  The fracture in my left foot is hardly noticeable anymore.  Bike fitness continues to improve - dramatically, I might add.  Time to increase the baseline threshold power and see what happens.  Have increased my *Long* run up to 65 minutes.  My speed is good in kind of that Zone 1-2 range.  But when I run at threshold I'm finding that gets the Plantar Fascia and the tendons in my feet pretty mad.  So, I've had to work on the speed here and there and try to find a happy place where my feet don't bug me.  Ok, enough of this.  I want to tell a story about a real Ironman and his name is Clint Juhl.  

Clint Juhl is our very own triathlon legend living in Sandy, Utah.  Clint "grew up" in triathlon in SoCal with all the legends like Mike Pigg, Scott Tinley and the father of the Time Trial bike, Dan Empfield.  Clint was doing triathlons right alongside these dudes back in the day.  He has great stories about the emergence of this great sport.  As a result, it's no surprise that he's very passionate about triathlon. 

I've known Clint for a few years.  He leads some killer spin classes at Alta Canyon Rec Center to the tunes of Jimmy Buffet (his favorite).  It's like walking into Margaritaville there every morning.  You can't help but feel happy around Clint.  So Clint has dreamed for 25 years about doing an Ironman.  I think I dreamed about it for a year or so...like starting when I signed up for my first Ironman and said, "What the hell did I just do?".  Clint is passionate about triathlon and he's a walking encyclopedia of the sport.  He started training for Long Course triathlon (defines Half and Full Iron distance races) and knocked over some Half Iron distance races (Oceanside a couple of times IIRC).  He continually refers to himself as the "Old Guy" which I don't get because he's 51 years young, super fit, motivated and in great condition.  Anyway, so Clint has always wanted to do a Ironman so a year ago he signed up for the 2011 Ironman Arizona.  Clint is smart.  He signs up for a race that's literally in the backyard of where he works (he travels to PHX weekly for his job) so he can train on the course regularly.  This past year he trained for the Ironman and along the way nailed some great PRs in races and set himself up for a great performance at Ironman Arizona.  Fast-forward to last Sunday, and he completed his life-long goal and dream of becoming an Ironman.  And he did it in style wearing a Utah Utes jersey!  I've posted his race report below...it's a great recap of his experience.

No question Clint inspires me as a triathlete.  But what's more compelling about his character is his positive attitude and his genuine friendship to other people.  The day after I broke my foot he was on my doorstep, with a Jamba Juice in hand, smile on his face, and assuring me that I'd be back.  And then a couple weeks later Clint I'm startled by Clint running into my garage knocking on the door (mid-Long Run I might add) to check in on me.  He's that kind of guy.  His positive attitude is contagious.  I've often thought that when I am 51 like Clint that I want to have the drive, motivation and fitness to keep doing cool endurance sports and living my dreams like he does.  But I think I'd rather have his character, compassion and positive outlook on life. 

So congratulations Clint, #2722, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

Here is Clint's race report:

Greetings Family and Friends,

Monday  morning  11/21/11

After Swimming, Biking and running for 140.6 miles………..and 14 hours, 17 minutes and 54 seconds later….I am an Ironman!!!!

Greetings from the car driving from Phoenix to Las Vegas where Stephanie and I will enjoy a well deserved get away night in sin city. We are then driving to Huntington Beach tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with my mom and Scott & Randall. Plan is to then drive back home on Friday.

I had the most awesome, fantastic race ever imaginable!! I was so mentally and physically prepared, it was so fun. Remember my goal was to just finish, standing up, with a smile on my face avoiding the medical tent. Secretly I had 15-16 hours in my mind. Heck I blew that away.

I had an awesome swim, 1:22, I never got in any trouble at all, there was lots of bumping and pushing but I swam right at the sight line buoys the entire swim, I kept my composure and focused on what I was doing. I was so quick (for me) that Team Iron Juhl almost missed seeing me come out of the water.

On the bike we had a slight head wind going out on the (3) loop, out and back bike course. Coming back, there is a section between about 20 miles to  25 miles where I averaged 29 mph on the decent. On the next loop the wind switched and was really strong in our face and I averaged 14 miles in that same section. By the third loop (early afternoon) the wind had died down a bit. I was extremely pleased with a sub 7 hour bike ride.

My nutrition was spot on, I executed it with precision and ate energy gels, shot blocks and bananas and drank tons of water and a Gatorade type drink. (So much that I had to stop and pee twice on the bike ride). I say this because hydration has been a huge problem for me during the ½ Ironman distance races I’ve done the past couple of years. I have traditionally not had enough to drink during the races. Dehydration and Hypothermia are major problems as the race goes on. Every time I came back into town there was “Team Iron Juhl”, going crazy and cheering so loud. Steph, Tara, Brett, Scott, Randall, Tanya, Jim, Dad, Judy, Brian, Andrea, Jannalyn, Kat, Bill, Steve. It was such an emotional lift that it pumped me up soo much every time I saw them. I have an amazing family and friends.

When I came out of transition from the Bike to the Run. They were all there, I stopped and hugged and kissed and high-fived everyone.

During the previous week I had taken time to write a personal note to each person on “Team Iron Juhl” that came to cheer me on, I wanted them to know how much I loved them and appreciated their support. I had stashed my notes in my back jersey pocket transition hoping to see them rather soon (otherwise they were going to get pretty stinky and soggy). So I was glad I saw them right off the bat. There was not a dry eye in the bunch. I had to get the heck out of there or I would have been in tears as well.

The run course was a three loop figure 8, the group had set up a canopy and had chairs, blankets and a cooler full of all kinds of food and snacks and used that as home base. It was located about 500 yards from the finish and right next to the run path. I got to see the group 2 times per lap, which made the 26 mile run more bearable knowing I had them to look forward to. Then on the final lap I saw them for the last time and told them I would see them at the finish line. They all made their way there and were among the hundreds and hundreds of people that lined the Ironman finish line. What a thrilling experience.

Throughout the day I had purposely ignored my race time, I only paid attention to my Heart Rate Monitor. I honestly had no idea what time it was during the race or what my race time was until mile 24 of the run, much to my surprise it was before 9PM and knew that I would be finishing under 15 hours!

I can’t express the feeling that overcomes you when you make the last turn and see the finish line (roughly 100 yds long) at this race, you truly have to experience it to really understand what I am talking about. It is a magical place.

I want to thank all of my friends and family all over the USA and Germany that were following me throughout the day and into the night. The outpouring of emails, phone calls and texts I received after my goal had been accomplished was unbelievable. I dropped my phone this morning and it has died, so if you have tried to call me and couldn’t contact me today, that is the reason. I have an appointment at the Apple store late tomorrow afternoon in Southern California.

Thank you for letting me share with you all and take you thru my awesome adventure and mental and physical test…………. of being an Ironman.

Love, Clint

Ironman

This is Clint (told ya, the dude is fit) and Mike Reilly, who is known as "The Voice" of Ironman.  This is the guy who announces your name when you cross the line and says, "You are an Ironman!".

Clint, a Utah Man Am I, crossing the line!

Running Is Hard...

Been "off" for two days - traveling for work and decided to just take the time and rest.  I've been running on a regular basis (nearly every day) for three weeks.  I'm following a plan from a running coach named Barry Pollack who trains triathletes and elite runners.  Barry's rule is that running short and frequent is the best way to improve run fitness and avoid injury.  I've been doing runs of 10, 15, 17 minutes and a "long run" (yes, it actually felt long) of 21 minutes last weekend.  It's hard to tell if I am doing much for injury-prevention because before I started this plan I had a little case of Plantar Facitis (long, thick tendon running along the bottom of the foot that attaches to the heel).  Rarely hurts during a run but then later in the day my heel flares up and it hurts pretty bad. 

On the bike front things are progressing.  I've increased my threshold intervals to the 12-14 minute range.  Tomorrow is the big day - the dreaded 2 X 20 minute FTP test.  Goal is to go as hard as possible for two 20 minute segments and then take the average watts.  This will become the new baseline for threshold training.

Pain at/near the fracture site is nearly gone.  Bone is amazing.  When it heals it heals and there's no retraining or balance between stress and rest.  When I am out running I rarely feel any pain near the fracture...but the rest of the tendons and ligaments in my foot are the limiter.  I'm still afraid of uneven ground, rocks in the road, manholes, etc.  It's going to be interesting to see how I deal with this in the winter.  I've had thoughts of using the dreaded treadmill on snowy/icy mornings so that I limit my exposure to dangerous terrain.

That's it for now.  New TT bike is fun and fast!

"Things Are Going To Start Happening To Me Now" - Navin R. Johnson

 

It's time to make a bigger plan; a plan that will get me in position to train for Ironman Coeur d' Alene in June 2012.  I say "into position" because I'm nowhere near that right now.  I've been doing some research, have cross-referenced some of my training plans from the past and have come up with the following.  This is just the macro-level plan.  It could be disrupted by injury or other unforeseen situations - but we don't want to discuss that now. 

Regarding the current state of my fitness:  Dr. Rodney Roof, my good friend, triathlete and foot surgeon from Ohio said, "You built a massive aerobic base leading up to 3 days before the Ironman in June when you broke your foot.  Your aerobic engine is likely pretty solid right now but it's going to try to write checks that your legs can't cash."  In other words, my legs are considerably weaker than my heart and I need to give them time to catch up.

Objective:  They key objective is to be prepared on October 31st to begin the Endurance Nation OutSeason 20 Week plan.  This plan is the high intensity work that is necessary to prepare for heavy Ironman distance volume in February through June. 

Here's my current status in each category and what I need to do to be prepared on October 31st.

Swim:  This is where I need the least amount of focus.  At this point I could just flop around in the water 1X per week and be fine.  I will stick to swimming 2X per week and mixing it up with some endurance and intensity.  The #1 goal is to just maintain a feel for the water.

Bike:  I can make some big gains in four weeks on the Bike with very little work.  I estimate my Functional Threshold Power to be around 245-250 watts (down from 275-280).  With 2-3 Threshold workouts per week I can bump that back to near peak levels by October 31st.  Weather-permitting I will add some volume to this as well (get in some 2-3 hour rides, etc). 

Run:  This is the wild card and the area most prone to setbacks along the way.  I am currently at a 10 minute run and I'm running nearly every day.  My pace, on average, is about 9 minute miles.  Pre-injury I was holding 6:45 minute miles while doing threshold work.  I got a long way to go.  Dr. Van Boerum cleared me to experiment with pace when I am ready.  But at this point I simply want to progress the run time up to 25-30 minutes before I start doing any intensity.  So I'm conservatively setting the goal for running to two things: #1 - progress the time to 60 minutes in duration and then #2 - experiment with some speed/pace work.

Nutrition:  I'm fat.  I've put on 10 pounds.  I am soft around the middle.  I need to drop some weight in October.  It will start coming off naturally as I ramp up my workouts but I need to pay attention to what I am eating and then just exercise some self control. 

Equipment:  My TT bike fit is still a bit off.  I am working with a guy in Rhode Island (virtually) to get it dialed in.  This needs to happen before October 31st.  

The plan is clear.  It's time to execute.  

13.5 Week Update - Bottom Line...I'm Healed

A lot has happened in the last two weeks.  Jenny and I were in Maui for a week and while there I started running again.  I slowly progressed my walking schedule up to a 60 minute walk.  On Monday, September 19th, I ran for 4 minutes during my walking "workout".  Wow!  Everything hurt: knees, quads, hips, ankles.  But my fractured foot was fine.  I've been running the last 8 out of 9 days and it's been great.  I've progressed from 4 minutes up to 10 minutes.  The goal this week is to get to 15 minutes on Sunday. 

Yesterday I had a follow-up appointment at Dr. Van Boerum's office.  X-rays look great.  Still a small notch in the cortical bone that needs to fill in.  But the fracture line can't be seen anymore and with some of the views you can't tell it was broken.  The doctor said I have "graduated" and there's no reason to come back unless I feel pain.

On the pain front things get better every day.  No joke.  I can tell a difference from day to day.  The walking/running is helping to strengthen the bone.  I can go full gas on the bike now without any issues.

More Bike Threshold Work

This morning 2 X 8' @ 258, 263 watts respectively.  Heart Rate was in a more manageable zone.  No issues.

Walking is up to a 31 minute walk.  I'm convinced that this is the single most important thing I am doing.  I feel like I get stronger everyday and my foot discomfort is less and less.  Should be able to run in less than two weeks. 

3K Swim tomorrow.

Back on Wasatch Doing Intervals

My friend Dr. Rodney Roof, a foot surgeon/ortho and Ironman triathlete from Ohio, told me last week I could probably go out and give some 5 minute intervals @ full gas a try.  The goal here is to be able to baseline or at least get a sense of where my Functional Threshold Power is.  From that number I can begin to do some focused training on the bike to build fitness.

So...this morning I rode up to Wasatch on my Cannondale.  Did a few 1 minute warm-up intervals to test the legs and more importantly, test the foot.  No issues.  Did 3 X 5' @ full gas which turned out to be 272, 271 and 271 normalized average power.  Not too shabby.  Zero foot pain...maybe a little stiffness but no pain or nothing telling me to back off.  Heart Rate was sky high - a whopping 182 bpm.  My HR hasn't been that high in years.  A true sign that fitness needs to be rebuilt. 

Based on this information I would SWAG my current FTP @ ~240 - I'd say that's conservative.  If that's the real number then I'm pretty happy.  I'm confident that in about 5-6 weeks of focused work I could build that back to 270+.  

But before I begin working on rebuilding my FTP I need to be able to handle a full 2 X 20' test.  The 2 X 20' is a very taxing workout (even for someone who's not returning from injury) and so I will wait until I see Dr. Van Boerum on Sept 26th before I attempt it.  Need to see solid signs of radiographic healing before going full gas for a total of 40 minutes.

Total ride this morning was 83 minutes with 207 average normalized power.  I haven't been at that level on a ride in more than 3 months.  Legs hurt.

Boot Burning Party!

This is the day I have been looking forward to for a long time.  I admit that I kind of hung onto the boot a little longer than necessary...just in case I needed it.  But I realized after a week of freedom from it that I wouldn't be needing it any longer.  I hope I never have to see one of these again.

As a result of our great heritage in pyrotechnics my kids are all natural-born pyros.  I doused the boot with gas and then Jake and Nick simultaneously threw matches on it and "POOF" it was on fire!  A well-executed cremation I must say.  All that was left was a charred, dead carcass of melted plastic. 

Things are progressing, very slowly I might add, on the workout front.  But bottom line, it feels good to do something and know that even easy movement is contributing to the rehab process.

Summary of Workouts:
Swim - No issues with kicking except feeling a little drag and cadence/beat of my kick is off.  Doing two swim workouts per week right now. 
Bike - Still Road bike only, haven't tried out the new TT bike yet.  Keeping it around 60' per workout, although on Saturday Jenny and I went 75'.  Watts are around 50-55% of pre-injury FTP.  No standing, no hills, small chain ring only.  Yesterday I got a little aggressive and pushed the watts up around 61% effort and paid for it later.  Foot was pretty achy after that.
Walk - Up to a 17' walk.  Progressively increasing daily.  On or about Sept 19th I will attempt to run for 4' during a walking session.  Truth is, I'm terrified of running right now.  Before I do my first run I will get it pre-authorized by Dr. Van Boerum.

I'm Comfortably Uncomfortable

So I've been transitioning out of the walking boot for the past six days.  My foot has been released from prison but is still on parole for a few more days.  All of the nerve endings, muscles, ligaments and tendons have come back to life and it feels a little uncomfortable.  Pins and needles, weird sensations when walking in different parts of my foot, etc. But it feels great to be free.

The rebuilding process is going to be very slow...and probably painful.  On Saturday I got a little too excited and rode my bike outside for 80 minutes.  I kept the effort very easy but still that added time likely contributed to some of the discomfort I felt later in the day.  I'll ratchet back the rides to 60' for the next few weeks.

On a good note, kicking while swimming is pretty much a non-issue.  I've done two swim workouts where I've kicked for some shorter sets and it's been fine.  And it feels great to kick and not have that pull buoy between my legs. 

The next big thing is to start walking regularly.  Beginning with 5 minutes and progressively working up every other day to a longer duration.  Dr. Van Boerum says he wants me to insert a 4 minute run when I am at the 12 week mark - that's in two weeks and then progressively increase the run.  I can't fathom running right now.  One day at a time...

"No Boot Burning Party Yet"...

That's exactly what the doctor said...unsolicited and without knowing I had plans to douse the boot with gas and set it ablaze.  This isn't really bad news...I kind of expected it.  The fracture is healing on schedule. The line or crack in the bone is still visible but it's closed in and kind of hazy.  I am cleared to start "weaning" out of the boot over a 7-10 day period.  Remove it for a few hours in the morning, put the boot back on in the afternoon and then take it off for a while in the evening.  I'm supposed to gradually increase the time I have it off until I don't need it anymore.  We had a long talk about rebuilding strength, walking a lot and then eventually returning to running.  He wants me to run after the 12 week mark which I found surprising.  I told him I wanted to wait until 16 weeks to start running and he said no.  He wants me to start building more strength and he says a good way to do that is run a little during a walk session.

We had a lot of debate about returning to riding a bike on the road...this is the one area we don't agree on.  The doctor told me that I should still take caution and not road bike more than 15-20 minutes in these first few transition weeks.  I think he doesn't understand cycling really and the mechanics of the pedal stroke.  I've gone 60' on the stationary bike without any issue.  The only risk with a road bike is having to make a quick move or stop fast.  I can mimic the same effort and cadence out on the road.  So, I pumped up my tires this morning and rode for 60 minutes @ 155 watts out on the road!  To put 155 watts into perspective, that's 40+ watts below Ironman race pace and 56% of my previous Functional Threshold Power.  In other words, even for the maimed and out of shape sloth that I am it's WAY EASY.  Didn't feel real easy though on my heart...I was up in the mid-140's for most of the ride.

Honestly, I'm more worried about swimming than anything.  He said I don't have to use a pull buoy and I can just start kicking freestyle.  That thought scares me.  The kicking action really activates the tendon that's attached to the broken piece of bone.  I will give it a very small and easy try tomorrow morning.

So I walked to my car from the doctor's office yesterday!  It felt weird.  Strange feeling throughout my foot and ankle.  Muscles and soft tissue that's not used to being moved or used.  I walk with a pretty significant limp right now.  But I'm able to get around without much trouble.  And suddenly I'm excited to go on walks around the neighborhood.  It will be something good for me and Jenny to do together.

Progress is being made.

Big Day Tomorrow

Going to Dr. Van Boerum tomorrow for another round of x-rays - it's been nearly 9 weeks since I broke my foot.  It is expected (hoped) that he will tell me to stop wearing the boot and start walking on it.  If this does in fact happen, we will be holding a boot burning ceremony tomorrow night.  Gas and matches, my favorite combination.  All of this is highly dependent upon what the x-rays show - but based on how I feel it should be positive news.  Fingers crossed.

Yesterday's stationary bike workout was legit - 60 minutes at around 170-180 watts.

Here's the New Ride...

2011 Cervelo P2 56cm, Shimano Dura-Ace, Custom Zipp 808s with Aerojacket disc cover by Wheelbuilder and PowerTap, Zipp cockpit, Cane Creek 200TT carbon brake levers, Adamo TT saddle, Vittoria Open Corsa tires with Latex tubes, DarkSpeedWorks aero box, SpeedPlay pedals and DT Swiss Ti ratcheting skewers.

Should be a half-decent aero setup for next year...

Workout Summary:

8/17 - Swim ~1,600 meters

8/18 - Bike (stationary) - ~40' @ 130 watts

8/19 - Swim ~1,600 meters

8/20 - Bike (stationary) - 45' @ 130-150 watts

That wraps up a solid six days of what I would call "exercise" not really training.  It's progress.  Pain and discomfort comes and goes.  I feel pretty good though.

Almost 8 Weeks

We're back from Oceanside.  We had a great time at the beach with my family.  My foot enjoyed doing pretty much nothing the entire time.  Any pain or discomfort was minimal.

I go back to Dr. Van Boerum next Wednesday, August 24th for another round of x-rays and hopefully the green light to give the boot "the boot".  Not so fast...I've learned from other people who have had an avulsion fracture that I'll likely be "weaned" out of the boot over time, perhaps with a walking shoe or brace.  Not set free, but on parole for a while.  The 8 week mark is kind of the minimum for ditching the boot and starting to do real activities such as riding a road bike outside.  The real milestone is 12 weeks because at that point the bone should be about 90% healed - enough to pretty much do anything on it.  However, I plan to hold out on running until at least the 16 week mark.  I really have no idea what to expect at this point.

Workout Summary:
8/6 thru 8/14 - OFF
8/15 - Swim 1,700 meters - form, power, resistence
8/16 - Bike (stationary) easy spin 40' @ 100 watts.  No pain, no discomfort.

This week's workout goal is to hit 6 out of 7 days of doing swimming or biking.  On Saturday I'm going to try to do a swim and bike workout back to back - not long, just an easy hour of swimming and then biking.  Trying to keep weight gain to a minimum.

Here's what it looks like to do Disneyland with the kids in a wheelchair.  Not much fun.

 

Nothing Much To Say

There's not a ton of new news to report.  This week I went swimming 2X and rode the stationary bike 2X.  I have some discomfort when riding the bike.  It feels like I have to get my foot kind of warmed up and then in a position where it doesn't cause any pain.  It's hard to pin down what I'm feeling.  The boot kind of desensitizes normal feeling. 

I'm finding that late in the day, from 4-5pm my foot starts to ache - especially on days where I have done a workout.  I'm managing this with lots of ice. 

Don't know if I would categorize these activities as real "workouts".  I'm getting my heart rate up and sweating, but not that much.  While spinning yesterday on the bike I was holding 150 watts which is about 55% of my threshold power.  The limiter here is pain - if I feel it coming on, I back off. 

We're heading to Oceanside to the beach for a a week so I'll be effectively out of commission without any workouts for 10 days.  Should provide some significant healing time for my foot.

Dr. Visit Today - 4 Weeks 6 Days

All good news this morning from Dr. Van Boerum's office.  Healing is evident, fracture is stable, and the gap hasn't widened.  Took x-rays right out of the gate, nurse brought them up on the computer in the exam room and then left...so I took over at the controls (it's been a while since I've played doctor!).  I changed views, zoomed, fiddled around, even took a picture of the x-ray with my iPhone (see below).  With my vast medical education and experience I was able to easily see some filling in of the crack in my bone.  The fracture line is still very visible and there but the gap is closing. 

Four more weeks in the boot.  Should have it off around August 24th and start transitioning to normal activity.  Van Boerum cleared me to ride the stationary bike as soon as I want to as long as I'm wearing the boot.  So I'll give that a try and see what happens.  I swam a mile this morning - the water feels good.

It's Been 4 Weeks...

Quick post to say it's been 4 weeks since I broke my foot.  It's gone both slow and fast.  I expect it will be much like a 2-year mission where the last half goes a lot faster than the first half.  Although, it's premature for me to assume that I'm halfway there.  I could be stuck in the boot for 10 weeks if the healing process is slow.  The good days are starting to outweigh the bad days in terms of discomfort around the fracture site.  Swimming a couple times a week is sort of keeping me sane.  Big visit to Dr. Van Boerum scheduled for next Wednesday, July 27th.

The Cougar 9000 "This is like...you're almost glad to be handicapped" (Seinfeld)

Gearing up for the big trip to Oceanside in a couple of weeks.  The kids want to go to Disneyland...and so do I...sort of.  I've been carefully researching Disneyland's policy on "Accessibility" and I'm not finding anything that says, "you get to go to the front of the line".  What I have learned though is that for $50 I can cruise around the Happiest Place on Earth in one of these beauties.  This guy seems quite happy given that he's old, bald and stuck in an electric vehicle.  And why the hell not, after all, "It's the Rolls Royce of wheelchairs".  Not to mention it looks like this thing is hovering above the ground!

I Feel Kinda Normal...Again

Back at the pool this morning.  Got up at my usual o'dark thirty (5:30 AM).  Swam 1,300 meters long course this morning with pull buoy.  Long course means the 50 meter configuration of the pool, which equals 50% less push offs and less chance for my broken foot to flop around.  I did a whopping 300 meter warm-up followed by 4 X 200 with 15' rest in between and a 100 cool-down.  It felt good and my foot felt fine.  After I was done swimming I felt just a hint of soreness/pain in my foot - but not enough to worry about.  I'll be back on Wednesday and will probably do the same workout.  The objective here is to string together 2-3 pain-free workouts before increasing time/distance/intensity.   

1st Workout in 20 Days

I swam 1,500 yards this morning.  I had to use the pull buoy between my legs.  No kicking allowed.  Technically my stroke felt better than I expected after a long layoff.  Fitness-wise it's hard to judge because I had no kick.  I can definitely understand why I'm not allowed to kick because a few times I felt the movement of the water push my ankle around.  That type of motion engages the peroneal tendon which is attached to the broken bone and that's not a good thing to have it moving.  When I arrived home, I could feel some soreness around the fracture area.  It still might be too early to swim. 

This Picture Sums it Up Quite Well...

My foot is doing significantly better.  Swelling, color and pain have all improved.  I can actually see the tendons and some definition in my foot now.  So why the grouchy demeanor?  Well, when you feel like I did two weeks ago right after the accident you can't fathom doing anything active.  The thought of swimming, biking or running is out of the question.  And so the desire to get out and swim, bike or run is somewhat absent.  Fast-forward to today and I feel really good and feel like I could for sure swim and maybe even ride a bike.  But I can't because I've been sentenced to prison in the boot for 3X as long as the time already served.  So the frustration sets in even deeper and my attitude is not in a good place. 

On a positive note, we went to the Howard Jones concert on Saturday night.  We had a great time and it was good to get out and do something fun like that.  The HOJO song, "Things Can Only Get Better" really resonated with me. 

Detox

Being sidelined for a while is like being in detox.  On a regular Ironman training day I am consuming somewhere in the neighborhood of 500-800 mg of caffeine.  Some Excedrin, some Spike Shooter, lots of Infinit with caffeine, etc.  In the past two weeks my caffeine intake has dropped dramatically.  I've even backed off of the Diet Coke because caffeine in any form is bad for bone healing.  When I get back to training I'll have a nice little buzz waiting for me. 

13 Days Post Injury

Things are improving after 13 days.  I'm able to walk in the boot without much pain and the swelling and bruising on my foot has diminished quite a bit.  My foot actually looks like a foot again.  I haven't completely abandoned the crutches because I've found that when going long distances (walking through the store, Home Depot, etc) that my foot will sometimes get sore and a little cramped.  So I use the crutches on the long distance walks.  I've been using my bone stimulator daily and have no idea if it's working - I may never know.

Finally got an x-ray of my foot.  This was taken at 7 days post injury.  I have been told that the fracture is "minimally displaced", which is a good thing. 

Christmas Comes Early

A Sex Change or a Stimulator?:

I'd heard from several of my triathlete friends (who have also broken bones in their feet) that a bone stimulator can help dramatically accelerate the healing time of fractures.  Who am I to disagree with this idea?  That's what triathletes are all about - getting from A to Z as quickly as possible.  This isn't snake oil folks - it's medically and scientifically proven to grow bone. 

Dr. Van Boerum said on Wednesday, "A bone stimulator is great if you can get your hands on one.  Your insurance will never pay for it though."  Let's hope this is the only thing that Dr. Van Boerum is wrong about.  I started browsing the United Healthcare web site yesterday and in addition to "Sex Reassignment Surgery" UHC also covers medical devices such as a bone stimulator.  So after traversing the usual doctor's office and insurance company red tape I finally got my bone stimulator.  And I got it delivered on a Friday night @ 8:00 PM.  How's that for "I want it all and I want it delivered?"

Someone "One Up'ed Me":

Some of you may be familiar with the triathlon virtual community on the internet called Slowtwitch.  It's often referred to as "ST" for short.  This forum is a unique way for triathletes all over the world, professionals and amateurs, to collaborate and share information about the booming sport of triathlon.  Recently, I've corresponded with several physicians and other athletes on ST about my injury and it's surprising to me how many people have been affected by a 5th metatarsal fracture. 

Last night, I received a message from an ST member named John who had a similar experience as me last year.  He started out, "I'm not trying to one up you, but...".  He went on to tell me that just 20 minutes before Ironman Canada he was in a hurry and decided to jump over one of those plastic orange mesh fences. 

He landed wrong on his right foot, rolled it and broke his 5th metatarsal and smashed his cuboid bone (another bone in his foot).  His race was over.  He sat in the medical tent and then his hotel for the rest of the day waiting for his buddies to finish the Ironman.  He had to pack up all his gear, board a flight and return home on crutches and in a great deal of pain - minus the Finisher's medal, of course.  I thought my story was hard to believe...I'd say John's story takes the cake.  The good news is he's healed up and training for Ironman Canada in August. 

I Got The Boot...For 8 Weeks...

Went to Dr. Van Boerum today at TOSH.  First of all, I'm glad I have access to a place like TOSH - the doctors, staff, etc. are great.  New set of x-rays.  This time weight bearing x-rays to show what's really going on in there.  Dr. says that this is an Avulsion fracture of the 5th metatarsal.  Don't need surgery and he says that 1 in 30 cases actually do need surgery.  He says the bone is lined up well to heal and there's plenty of blood supply to make it happen.  So why am I so bummed?  Well, I am sentenced to the boot/cast for "at least" 8 weeks.  Wait, it gets worse...swimming in 3-4 weeks with pull buoy only (no kicking), cycling (stationary NOT out on the road) in 4-6 weeks and running...12 weeks.  Sun-uv-a!  Going to Oceanside and Disneyland with the kids in a boot should be lots of fun.  Doc said "no" to hiking in the Wind Rivers anytime within the next 90 days so that trip is pretty much out for me.

The objective is clear: follow doctor's orders.  "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"  In addition I will be significantly ratcheting back my food intake (already have).  Goal would be to come out of this with <5 pounds of weight gain - that can be done.  I've sworn I won't go to the gym and do that stupid hand cycle thing.  $50 says I'm there doing it tomorrow morning.  I'll go in an lift a few weights to at least stimulate my heart and mind a bit.  But for now, I am a sedentary couch potato.

Short-term goal is to swim in 3-4 weeks with pull buoy.

Follow-up with Dr. Van Boerum on July 27th (5 weeks post injury).

A Letter To The President

In a feeble attempt to do another Ironman this year to makeup for missing Coeur d' Alene, I wrote a letter to the new President and CEO of World Triathlon Corporation, Andrew Messick.  I say feeble because WTC is worse than the government when it comes to exceptions or any type of special consideration.  Messick has the reputation of being an "Average Joe", an Ironman finisher himself and someone who cares about the everyday athlete.  I all but begged Messick to let me into Ironman Arizona in November.  I'd be more than happy to pay the $$$ entry fee to do it.  I sent the letter snail mail style and hope that he visits their headquarters in Tampa, Florida from time to time to pick up his mail. 

Hitting The Reset Button

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Today is Ironman Coeur d’ Alene.  As I write this, my friends Kevin Parry and Colter Hammer are about halfway through the bike leg of the event.  I’m sitting at home with a broken left foot.  On Thursday morning I went out for a short “shake out” run.  Bags were packed and we were ready to head to Coeur d’ Alene.  About 20 minutes into a 30 minute run I stepped on a medium-sized rock on the asphalt, turned my left foot to the outside and broke my 5th metatarsal.  I have what is called an Avulsion fracture...but I didn’t know it at the time.  I limped home and knew in my heart that this was going to significantly impact my race on Sunday - I had no idea it would require me to not start at all.

We got the car packed, picked up Kevin and Jenn Parry and headed north.  I iced my foot while Jenny drove.  All along I was thinking I needed to get an x-ray to see what was wrong.  My foot got more and more swollen and bruised. 

We stopped in Missoula, MT and I got an x-ray at the ER there.  The bad news became a reality.  An Avulsion fracture.  I saw it for myself and there was no mistaking it.  The ER doctor said to not do the race as it would likely make things worse.  Jenny and I made the excruciating decision to turn around and come home.  Kevin and Jenn carried on to Coeur d’ Alene. 

I can’t begin to describe the emotional and mental torture this is causing me.  I have been over all of the “what if” scenarios a thousand times.  It’s aggravating to say the least.  The work, the preparation, time and money that has gone into preparing for the Ironman is unfathomable by most people.  I have never been fitter, lighter, more aerodynamic on my bike, smarter about race execution and faster in the five years I have been doing long course triathlon.

Jenny was in tears when we were in Missoula at the ER.  I was in a state of shock.  It didn't hit me until we actually turned the car around and headed home.  Jenny is my biggest supporter and none of what I do would be possible without her.

I don’t know what I am supposed to learn from this.  I am sure there will be some things I will learn.  For example, all of the little details that Ironman triathletes obsess about pale in comparison to something like this.  It might help me gain some perspective.  Patience, determination, resolve, etc - those are words I’ve thought about quite a bit.  My good friend Chad said it best when he said, “God didn’t put that rock in your way but he also didn’t move it out of your path”.  And Chad said, “Bad things happen to good people”.   

Upon arriving home I have made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon at TOSH.  I see him on Wednesday.  At present, the opinion of several ortho docs (who are also Ironman triathletes) is mixed.  One says surgery for sure, the other says this will heal in 3-4 weeks time no problem.  Either way I think I am out of the game for a couple of months.  So I’m on crutches, with a cast/boot that the ER gave to me and I’m hobbling around the house.  A great way to spend the summer.

Some will say things like “well, this is good because you will be able to rest, do XYZ, etc”.  To me, that’s just a manufactured way to make someone feel better about a really, really bad thing that has happened.  There is no good that can come of this that I can rationally and honestly see.  After the Ironman I had planned to rest, spend more time with my kids (which is in jeopardy because I can’t walk), dedicate more focus and attention to work and do a mental decompression from triathlon.  All of that would happen in a healthy, natural way after a big event.  Instead, because of this injury, I will have to focus an undue amount of attention on medical issues, rehabilitation, therapy and strengthening to get back on track.  None of that is worth anything to my family.  None of that is worth anything to progressing in triathlon. 

Having said all of these negative things I do believe in a higher power and believe that through faith in God and through his blessings I can be healed and made well again.  I believe there is an end to this and that I can press forward and be back doing what I love to do.  The only question is time. 

The only way to describe this is it’s like the “Reset Button” has been pressed.  I am literally starting over.  My body, especially my left leg will be significantly affected from a fitness perspective.  I believe I can rebuild that fitness quickly but doing so will come with it’s own series of setbacks.  What I mean is a rebuild process is not going to be just progressing swimming, biking and running on a perfect trajectory - there will be micro-injuries and issues to deal with to get back to full capacity. 

As for what I am missing out on today in Coeur d’ Alene, I’m missing the reward.  I did all the work and got the shaft.  The actual event is the fun.  It’s the time to celebrate.  I expect that whatever time Kevin Parry clocks I would have been within 15 mins (plus or minus) from him.  And that likely would have been a big PR for me.  Most of all I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to try out my new run fitness.  The training I did and plan I followed put me in a good position to have a strong run.  I won’t find out until next year.

I plan to post updates here on this blog in the coming weeks and months to detail my return to training and competition.  I love the sport of triathlon and love Ironman.  I’ve been beat down pretty hard in the past few days but I intend to fight back.  It will not be easy and I expect disappointments along the way.  But I will treat it like any other obstacle that I’ve been thrown and pragmatically attack the problem with great determination and resolve.