12 weeks post op . . . 3 months, wahoo!
Well, I think 3 months is one of the patience milestones I had in my head, so I am glad to be here - I am feeling pretty good, and have been pretty active . . . although trying to go back to my former workout schedule is absolutely zapping my energy (shocker, eh?!?).
My knee feels okay - it is a bit stiff in the a.m. and I seem to have some resistance in the patellar region when I want to bend it (after a few times, this goes away). I do have some pretty significant kneeling pain, and this gets annoying in yoga and some other random life things, but is generally manageable. I also have a hard time not compensating with my good leg - I have to consciously use my left so if I forget to concentrate, my right leg gets super tired! Oh well, I suppose this is just part of the game.
Activity-wise, I have been on the roadie and am working on re-integrating my rides into my work-week . . . although they make me exceedingly tired, which has admittedly stolen some of the joys of road riding, and killed a bit of motivation. I've been spinning in the gym a fair bit, so that should help, I hope. :) I am loving yoga and trying to figure out how to swim correctly . . . and entertaining myself with some gym climbing and beginner whitewater paddling in my spare time :cool: I continue to be amazed by how energy-zapped I get, but I am hoping that as fitness comes back, so to will my energy.
Overall though, it's great to be out there enjoying fresh air and being able to regain fitness and hang out with active friends :cool:
Since it's been awhile . . .
Well, I haven't been hanging out here as much these days . . . probably for the better :)
I'd say things are going pretty well. I am almost 5 months post-op and definitely feel like my strength and energy are much-improved. I am back on my mountain bike and was stoked to be a part of the Downieville maggot gathering as well as being able to greet Wednesday mornings with the dirt at Briones. It's been great to be out exploring NorCal trails and to re-integrate some adventure into my life. I had an unsettling balance-loss last week that resulted in having to put my left foot down pretty hard, but I was glad to feel the stability and strength - still need to be cautious, I know, but it's nice to have your leg there too. I have also started running and am taking it easy at about 4 miles max. I may start ramping it up though, as it's been feeling pretty darn good.
Overall, my knee still feels wierd and hurts at times . . . and I still ice pretty regularly cuz it feels good and I think it probably helps. I think most of the discomfort is related to having the PT graft, but I can't be sure as I have nothing to compare it to, thankfully!
I guess my biggest milestone recently was last weekend . . . I am proud to say I finished my first century! Yep, last Saturday was 105 miles and 6250' in Marin County and I've gotta tell you I loved it! I had no idea what to expect, or if I'd even be able to finish, but I figured, why not try . . . so I did. By some miracle, the fog lingered until about 11am, making the first 50 miles a surreal journey through Nicasio and some farmlands, over a big hill (that was shrouded in the fog, so you didn't have to know how big it was!) and into Tomales Bay and Hwy 1 . . . then out to Valley Forge, through some more farms and on to Petaluma (where it really got hot!). The last 30 miles were hot and largely uphill, but it was good to end with a struggle . . . nobody wants to get 100 miles "for free" do they?!? The funny part was the last 20 miles as I was getting so excited to finish. I was a wreck . . . almost on the verge of happy tears the whole time as I was thanking my body for being able to be injured and heal itself to the point of taking on a challenge and working through it with confidence and drive. I rode hard to the end and finished strong - regardless of speed or time, the real success was in the mental approach. It was not a ride of downshifting at the sight of a hill, but rather jumping out of the saddle and giving it my all. I don't really feel like I can do justice to how it felt here on the intraweb, but suffice it to say, I felt like myself again for the first time in a long time, and it's never felt so good!
So, to celebrate, I carried the rest of the weekend out in Kellie-style, thankfully feeling great enough on Sunday to take my mountain bike out and enjoy some more wonders of NorCal at Annadel State Park. Nonstop singletrack and Lake Ilssanjo for a lovely mid-ride swim made for a rad day, and an overall phenomenal weekend of appreciating the beauty and diversity of landscape that exists in the Bay Area . . . and of being thankful for the fitness that's returned and the ability to challenge myself :cool:
So, I feel like I still have a ways to go in order to be where I want to be - my left leg is still smaller than my right and doesn't have the responsiveness that I'd like, but I am getting there slowly and surely . . . and am hoping to be ready for that first snowfall :biggrin:
