Two Wheel Blogs

So ... where was I?

That's right. I was training for the St. Louis half marathon when I stupidly twisted my left ankle while running some place where I had no business running. The twist not only severely sprained the muscles in my ankle, but it fractured an ankle bone as well.

That was Tuesday, October 12th. And it triggered a sequence of events I know well from prior experience:

• Go to see my sports doctor.
• Have an MRI.
• Spend 6-8 weeks wearing a plastic boot.
• Go to physical therapy twice a week.

I've done all that before, and I just finished doing it again. I was in the boot throughout October, all of November, and the first part of December. In mid-December, two months after the injury, I started to jog a little on the treadmill as part of my physical therapy. During my last visit on December 31st, I "ran" a slow three miles on the treadmill. As temperatures were in the mid-60s that day, I followed it up with a bike ride, my second of the month after not riding at all in November. Yesterday, I bundled up in all my winter gear and rode for an hour. Today, I ran outside for the first time since the accident, running four long, slow, cold miles on the Nickel Plate.

I regret that I was not able to race cyclocross this season. After getting my feet muddy last year, I was looking forward to it. But I was not in condition to do so. If I had raced, I would have ended up paying a lot of money to have my a** handed to me over and over again.

And I regret I did not go to the health club to keep up my general fitness. A major project at work required my full attention, and my evenings and weekends became a casualty of its demands. (Unfortunately, the project continues until March.) So I am heavier and softer than I should be, and it's my own fault.

But this is my piper, and this is my drum,
So you never will hear me complain.
And if it's all for nothing
All the road running has been in vain.
~ Mark Knopfler, "All The Road Running"

I'm back at square one. It's familiar territory. I've been here before and, knowing my history, it's likely I'll find myself back here again some day. This weekend, I took my first "baby steps" towards getting back close to where I was. I have no specific goals for 2011 other than to stay healthy (read "injury free") and to run and ride as much and as often as I can.

Last year, I managed to ride about 3,260 miles and run about 520. If I could approach those same numbers this years, I'd be happy -- regardless of how fast or slow I ride and run any of them.