ProLine Sports, Nutrition Blog

Early Rehab

The past few days have been a bit rough. Quite honestly, getting out of surgery and coming home wasn't that bad. I didn't realize how much local pain medication the doctors had injected into my knees. I was able to walk around the rest of the day without crutches from time to time. However, the next day when I woke up, it was quite different. I wasn't able to stand up and get out of bed without reaching for my crutches. But the rehab has to start, and start right away.

The first week of rehab doesn't really have a lot of hard work to put in, but it can be quite painful. I know I'm only a few days in, but it has been a bit tough. Getting used to walking around with and immobilized leg is frustrating. I'll forget from time to time, and go to take a step only to stub my toe. Or I'll slide my foot off the table where it's resting and wince with pain where the incisions were made. 

The only exercises I'm doing are pretty simple. The main two I've been doing these first couple days have been letting my knee drop down so it can straighten out. The brace has it locked in about a 5º angle, so letting it drop down and straighten is pretty tough. 

The other exercise is to lay flat on my back and with my opposite knee bent, I raise the hurt knee up so that my knees line up. Mostly concentrating on using my quadriceps for the work. The quads tend to be the muscles that lose the most after being cooped up in a brace for a long time. 

Throughout the day as well, I constantly do calf raises and pump my foot up and down and side to side to keep my blood flowing. There's always a risk of blood clotting, especially early on after surgery. So, doing these exercises is crucial.

Most of this is pretty simple, but like I said, pretty painful. However, I wanted to keep up with my other training as best as I could. My wife and I decided to join up at our local gym, so I can continue to hit the weights and do strength training while I recovery my leg. Since I can't run, ride, or swim quite yet, I need something to keep pushing my body. Now having a gym so close I'll be able to get on the treadmill more often once I can return to running. Most of my running for the first few months when I'm cleared will be on the treadmill. It'll be safer and more controlled, so I can be more conscious of what's going on with my body. 

It's also a gym run by one of my high school friends and track teammate, so it's good to see some familiar faces as well. These next few months are going to test me, but I'm looking forward to getting them done and moving on. 

-Dave

Surgery Complete: Recovery Time

This morning was surgery day. This week felt like it was taking forever. I had a meeting with my doctor on Monday to schedule the surgery. All I wanted throughout this ordeal was to get in and get it done. I know it's not all for nothing, but all the training I had been doing leading up since the initial injury seemed like a waste of time. I'm the type of person who when there's a problem, I want to get it fixed. Quickly and accurately.

The doctors at Rush University Medical in Chicago are outstanding. My doctor has done multiple surgeries on some of Chicago's professional athletes, so I knew I was in good hands.

The good thing about having it done early in the morning is that you can't eat or drink anything for a long period of time. For me it was after midnight. So I was able to go to bed at a normal time and get up early. 4am early. Which is only 20 minutes earlier than normal days for me, but today was sans coffee. So it was a struggle to stay awake on the drive in.

The surgery isn't very invasive as it was done arthroscopically. There's three small dot holes and one incision about an inch long.

I elected to get the allograft (cadaver) as the recovery time is quicker than if I used some of my patella tendon. And there would be scarring.

Surgery took about an hour and a half and I was out like a light once I was slipped on to the operating table. I didn't even need to start counting. I woke up to a slight dull pain in my leg and had it wrapped up in an immobilized brace. The brace runs from my upper thigh down to just above the ankle. It has an adjustment along either side of my knee so I can change how far my knee is allowed to bend. It also locks at just about straight until I start.

Now on to recovery... According to the doctors and reading a few threads about acl injuries, I should be able to put full weight on the leg in a day or so and go without crutches. Then in 6-7 days, the brave can most likely come off. The most exciting part for me is the possibility of getting back in the bike for light training in 8-10 days. In a few weeks I can start some light work on the treadmill and then in about over a month probably some road running. I guess the lucky part for me is that I'm an endurance athlete mostly. The acl causes main concerns for cutting sports, like how I hurt it skiing. I'll news to be waiting a good 4 months most likely before I look at doing anything like that.

I guess all in all I'm much more optimistic about my recovery time than I initially was. I am planning to do a couple races later in the summer and fall, if the doctor clears me for it. It's going to be a long journey to get back to peak form, but now I've got new goals to achieve and a strategic approach to getting there. And it all starts with my physical therapy. Right now it's simple leg raises and toe extensions and flexion. I'll slowly work into range of motion and go
from there getting back into light training. So stay tuned to see how things go.

-Dave

Running the Sahara

There's something about inspiring stories. Whether they encourage you to go above and beyond what you think you can do, or just give you a new perspective on humanity, they change you. Yesterday I took the time to watch the documentary about a group of three men who decided to take on the challenge of running across the Sahara Desert, and end up in the Red Sea. 

A friend of mine suggested this a while back, and I finally got around to watching it while I was on the trainer yesterday. I was able to find it on Netflix and spent just under two hours riding and becoming inspired. The movie didn't inspire me to go running through some exotic locations, but it gave me a different perspective on what and why endurance athletes do what they do.

"Endurance athletes are running away from something inside of themselves, and that's one of the reasons they do what they do." -Lance Armstrong

I think this quote rings true about these three men, and of so many endurance athletes that are always looking for more. Whether it be getting faster, or going further. Two of these men battled to get away from a partying lifestyle with alcohol and drugs. And I think that's such a key point to nail down on so many endurance junkies. It's an addiction. 

I've been pondering on this point for a while now, and have come to the realization that this is 100% true. Whether I'm on the bike, running, swimming, or even when I would be out skiing, I never want it to end. The euphoria that comes to a junkie while they're training is indescribable to anyone that hasn't experienced it. And the guys in this film all have the bug.

For me, the part of the film that was most inspiring was when Kevin Lin, an elite athlete, was on the brink of giving up. He, a well-known and celebrated marathoner in Taiwan, came ever so close to leaving the expedition. That was a shock to me, then watching the two other average guys, having to talk the elite runner back into the journey. Kevin was ready to pack it up and go home, when faced with the realization of the dangers that lie ahead if they weren't granted access into Libya. Both Ray and Charlie were able to talk Kevin back into running, and finishing the journey with them. And I think the key point was Charlie telling Kevin to think about the amount of regret he would be faced with if he dropped out of the race. This was the moment that really brought the group together, and solidified them as a family, more than just a group of friends. This was their journey.

Watching these three men go through so many emotions. On the brink of giving up, losing hope, being away from loved ones for over a hundred days, they somehow made it through. They weren't running fast, but the sheer amount of miles they put in was truly mind-boggling. On average they were going through two marathons a day, day after day after day. For some people, one marathon is enough. But for these three, the Sahara was their goal, and they conquered it.

In the end, I think Ray summed up the psyche the three of them shared, and something that every endurance athlete should ask themselves. You need to ask yourself what your goals are. If you put parameters and limits on what you can achieve, that's all you can do. If you're only going to run a 5k or 10k, that's all you'll do. The mind is so powerful. Yes, you do have physical limitations, but the key contributor to what you can achieve is truly all mental. These three guys set their sights high, and almost didn't believe in themselves. But between them, they were able to stomach up enough mental strength to keep going, keep pushing and accomplish their goal.

So when you're out training and setting goals for the coming season and thinking about what you can and can't do, just remember that what you can accomplish is mostly in your mind. If you believe you can do it, you can. Put your plan in motion and execute, and eventually you'll get there.

-Dave

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Diagnosis: Torn ACL

This past week has been a little bit of up and down. I was able to get into my Orthopedic Doctor on Monday in Chicago to hopefully give me a full diagnosis and an MRI. I was looking forward to that and learning what the next steps were. However, when I showed up, there was no MRI scheduled, just a quick ten minute consult, and an order for an MRI. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed with the scheduling staff at that hospital. 

The next day, Tuesday, I was able to fit in an MRI after work and get those sent over to the orthopedic to look at. After waiting another day, I was finally able to get my results: a torn ACL. Complete bummer. But I was already planning for the worst, and that's what it was. So I wasn't overly disheartened by the news.

I've got my next meeting with the surgeon coming up soon, but it's still too long. I'm the type of person who hates waiting to fix things. If something is broke, I want to take it in, get it fixed, and get back to normal. Like with my car. I had an appointment for a small oil leak from bottoming out on the drive back from Utah. The appointment was for 11:30, so I figured it would be done and taken care of by 2:30 or 3:00 that afternoon. I gave a call at 3:30, to learn they hadn't even gotten the car up on the lift yet. If I would have known that, I would have taken it somewhere else. 

Now, back to training and such. I have been able to put in some training this week. I got in a couple swims and some easy bike riding. I didn't really want to push it. Especially since everything was still a bit stiff. But each day seems to be getting better and better. So before I go in for my surgery, I want to have a great base and some strong muscles to support the joint which will be pretty tender and tight for a while I'm sure.

I'm at the point now where I want the surgery tomorrow, and I want to start rehab the next day. I want to be working my way back into good form and be ready for the season coming up. Whatever that ends up being. I'm certain I should be able to fit in a few races. Most likely towards the latter half of the season, but that's ok. This is going to be a great test for me. I'm going to find out a lot about myself. I won't be able to go hard running for a long time. And that scares me. Running has always been my go-to. But, I'm going to spend a lot of time in the gym, getting strong, and cranking out lots of miles on the bike and laps in the pool to build up my weaker two sports. I still feel that this year could be a good year for me in the world of racing. I may not be able to hang my hat on any long courses of 70.3 or more, but I feel I can come in and be a good threat in the sprint and olympic distance courses

I look forward to cataloging my experiences coming back from such a big blow to my training. Hopefully I can put some good thoughts and ideas down to help anyone who may be in the same situation or will be soon after me. You never know when you might slightly tweak something wrong, and have your training plans come crashing down around you. I honestly think the thing I'm most bummed out about is that this ski season is basically over for me. The lateral movements will be tough on the knee, but we'll see what I hear back from the surgeon in a week. He's worked with a lot of professional athletes from the Chicago teams, so he'll completely understand my drive and determination to get back out training and racing.

-Dave

Anxiously Waiting

I've been icing, resting and recovering for a few days now, and already I'm itching to start training. This could be both a good thing and a bad thing. I have yet to go see my orthopedic doctor, so I don't have a full diagnosis on my knee yet. However, each day gets better and my range of motion gets a little better. This makes me think positive about it being mostly just a bad strain or a slight sprain of a ligament as well as the small fracture seen in my x-rays.
Most of my time has been sent sitting on the couch icing. Probably the best idea, but with the weather we're having in the Midwest, I can't help but want to be out running.
I've been trying to think positive through my injury so far as it's in a decent part of off season per say. I wanted to be doing mostly base building and cross training, but honestly rest could be good as well. I'm mostly itching to be out skiing. If I weren't so involved with triathlons, I'd say I'd be a compete ski bum. Seeing what skiing could be like to do every day before or after work is truly amazing.
But, there's still something about endurance training that gets deep inside me a little more than skiing. I think it's the pure freedom and individual achievements I reach with each session. But I feel the same way with skiing too. Except seeing so many others out on the hills with me. Maybe being out in the backcountry more I can find the same sense of freedom I find in those long runs or rides I do. Just me and nature. Having a conversation about whatever I feel like.
Being hurt for the past few days has given me a little more time with family and honestly feel a little less stressed from planning out each day for training, work, eating, family, and rest. Right now, it's family and rest. And it feels good.
Not that being injured is good by any means, but this forced time off makes me enjoy the smaller things in life. Spending a whole day with my wife, honestly doing nothing, is amazing. Celebrating my brothers birthday with my family, same thing. I'm not worried about getting up before everyone on Saturday or Sunday to get my training in before the regular day starts. I'm not saying I want it to stay like this, succumb to the laziness. But for a few days or a week, it feels really good.
I'd highly recommend it to anyone feeling overworked, tired, or stressed from the rigors of high amounts of training. It will make those days of competition that much more special.
Remember those who are sacrificing their lives for your endeavors besides you. After all, they'll be the ones cheering you on when the race starts at the crack of dawn, and be there hours later when you cross the finish line.

- Dave

From Ecstasy to Mortality

My wife and I had been planning our trip to the Salt Lake City, Utah to go snowboarding and skiing for a long time. Finally, the day came to load up the car and hit the road. We left on Friday morning and had about 20 hours of driving ahead of us. Honestly, not too bad of a drive. We hit the boring parts of Nebraska and Wyoming during the night on the way out, so it wasn't too bad. However, during my part of the early morning drive (around 4am) I found out why driving through Wyoming is miserable. It's terribly windy! For about an hour I was fighting a complete whiteout with 50+ mph wind gusts trying to throw my VW GTI off the road. Having the Yakima Rocket Box on top wasn't helping either. It gave the wind more to grab onto and felt like we could be carried off the road, even when we were only driving 25mph. Thank goodness for my snow tires and few hundred pounds of equipment in skis and other gear.

We arrived on New Year's Eve in the morning in Salt Lake City, a little earlier than we planned, so we stopped in at a local breakfast place and grabbed a monster breakfast. It felt good to eat some real homemade food. We also didn't want to storm in on our friend's place we were staying at too early since they work later at night.

 

(<-- view from the porch)
After unpacking and getting things settled in, my wife and I went up to meet our friend Kate Hourihan while she was working at the Peruvian Lodge in Alta. Kate is an insanely good telemark skier, and she was going to show us around and take me out skiing along with some other friends coming into town for the week.

One cool thing about the Alta Ski area is that after 3pm, you can ski for free on the beginner lift. For it being my first day skiing in the mountains, this worked out perfect. I could get a little taste of what was coming, in a few runs, and not have to pay the heftier full-day price. 

Kate got off work and we put in a few runs before it started getting dark. The beginner runs in Utah, are probably as or more difficult than the black diamond runs from my area in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, and easily 4-5 times as long. So, these runs gave me a good workout.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a huge dump of snow like we experienced last year all over the US yet, but there was enough to have some good groomed runs. I have never skied in powder, so this was pretty normal to me, and my narrower skis held up just fine for these conditions.

The second day of skiing, we got out pretty earlier and spent a good 6 hours skiing at the Alta area. I was literally on cloud 9 all day. Every run was long, fast, and full of fun. Yea, it would have been awesome to experience some powder and throw it everywhere, but I was in no position to complain. I could ski this every day, and not even think about it. 

The third day of skiing was looking to be promising as well. It was a little warmer, so the snow was a bit stickier and slower, but still, it was great. We decided to hit up Snowbird resort today. I was riding a pair of my brother's Moment skis. They're a little longer and about 15cm fatter underfoot. They're a bit tougher to initiate a turn, but they power through anything and can haul! Even without a wax and tune, they were cruising. I had a bit of trouble initiating turns at first, but got used to them and just took it a bit slower so I could get used to them. Each run I got a bit better on them and more confident. I started to hit some small drops and some little booters coming out of the trees and small gullies we were riding through. It was so much fun. I was following one of our friends who is a really good snowboarder and trying to run similar lines as him to challenge myself. He has a good eye for finding some terrain and features to hit.

However, I found one drop in, about 10ft down into a small bowl and a nice lip coming out and decided I wanted to slow up, drop in, and hit it. The first time I took it nice and easy, only cruising a few feet in the air. Unfortunately, the second time through I got a bit more confident. I hit the lip a bit harder and had more speed. I got a little squirly in the air and landed far back on my heels, feeling like I would slip out. I tried to correct myself, but felt my right leg locked in and it twisted in an awkward way as I tried to turn out and just fall on my side. I felt something tweak awkwardly behind my right knee, and i fell to the ground. My first thoughts were torn acl. I couldn't move. Sitting there in pain, I knew I had to get out of the way. So I slowly pushed myself up and skied a few yards out of the way and felt some strength come back to my knee. I took the rest of the run slowly, and did some damage control to check out my knee. 

Nothing seemed too bad. From the way it felt, I was feeling like I may have sprained my LCL, since the pain was running along he outside of my knee. I have sprained it before, and it felt pretty similar. I decided to take a few more runs nice and easy, then call it a day. 

I got back to the house and took my time getting my gear off and inspecting my knee. It was getting a bit stiffer and swelling up. I figured this would happen, so I wasn't overly worried. I threw some ice on it right away and was taking it easy, hoping things would clear out by the next day, maybe wearing a knee brace for stability. 

The knee got a bit worse as the night went on. We went out to dinner and I struggled hobbling around a bit, but still assumed it wasn't too bad. We got back, hung out for a while and I met a few more friends who stopped over and then went to bed, hoping to get out and hike with my wife the next day. 

Waking up the next morning, I knew things weren't right. We decided right away to get to the hospital and have it checked out. Hobbling along, super stiff and a little groggy, I got some x-rays done and had the doctor run a few checks. The x-rays showed a small fracture in my knee, but that was all. He said it should be too bad, but just needs some rest and to wear a knee immobilizer for a bit. He still recommended an MRI, which I will be getting just to make sure all the ligaments around my knee are alright. Judging by how mobile I am and that I can place pressure on it, I'm thinking it's just a sprain or strain on one or a few of the ligaments. Something I can handle. I'm alright with taking some time off this time of year. Better now than later in March or April.

I'm still planning on getting in some good weight training and swimming. And since swimming is my weakest part, this could be a blessing for the upcoming year. I'm staying as positive as I can, hoping things can heal quick and I can take care of everything in a couple weeks and get back into some easy base training again. Only time will tell.