In just a little bit over a month I’ll be starting my 2014 Ironman 70.3 training. It will be my second attempt to finish, after a spot of over-hydration took me out of the race and into the medical tent earlier this year.
Yeah… I was a little over-zealous with the whole water drinking thing. And come to think about it… it was a New Thing I Tried On Race Day. Lesson learnt, moving on.
Winter Of My Discontent
Meanwhile, back on the ranch, my grand plans of cultivating my fitness and unleash my inner awesomeness were seriously derailed when peroneal tendon surgery had me on the couch with my foot in the air for over six weeks.
I don’t want to relive the emotional anguish I had to endure over that time (read my older blog posts for those sad tales), so I’ll sum this time up in a few bullet points:
- Every single pic taken of me during my time on the couch is of my leg in a cast.
- Our nanny ignored my “I’m on a diet” pleas and fed me chocolate and custard donuts because, according to her, the lack of sugar made me grumpy.
- Which resulted in serious muffin topping.
- … and added grumpiness because I was turning into a lard-ass.
- I lived through the ups and downs of doing nothing but work on my laptop and staring at my swollen purple toes.
- I suffered the indignity of falling down – and up – the stairs many, many times… and having my kids laugh at me.
- Jackie Chan, my cat, took an unnatural interest in my toes and I can only hope it was because he’s a little freak and not because they developed a fishy smell while in the cast.
- I became addicted to Glee.
Foot Chronicles
Big Green Monster
While I’ve been on the couch with my foot in the air, my friends have gone from strength to strength. Megan and Gavin started training for the Knysna full marathon, which they’ll run next week. Sofie, in addition to her new status as paratriathlete champion, participated in the Berlin IM 70.3, together with Dave and Melissa.
And I must admit that I started to get quite jealous reading and hearing about their adventures, mostly because I’m missing out on all the fun. Since there’s nothing I can do about my situation apart from being patient, all I can do is live vicariously through my friends’ conquests 🙂
But still… I wish I could be out there with them. Soon… soon…
Leg Cast: BEGONE!!
OH!!! My cast finally came off three weeks ago! I was SO excited. What I didn’t expect was that it would take a couple of shower and bath sessions to get rid of all the old dead skin – BLECH!
Rehab started the following Monday, and that’s when I met my very own Mr Miracle Man Hands (not my own original phrase, mind you… this one belongs to the legendary Swim Bike Mom).
During my first session with Chris, I didn’t know whether I was going to pass out or puke from the pain. By the third session (one week later), I walked without crutches. This week he declared that he was “ecstatic” about my progress, gave me a two-week break and an exercise plan, and when I see him on 7 July I will hop onto the anti-gravity treadmill for my first running session.
(Hopefully I’ll be as skinny as the photoshopped pic of my head on Ryan Sandes’s below, really soon. But with boobs… obviously. Which Ryan doesn’t have. Obviously.)
Me, in two weeks time. But, sadly, not with Ryan Sandes’s body (I WISH I could be this skinny… thanks Photoshop for this awesome little edit!!).
Just Keep Swimming
The other thumbs-up I got from Chris-the-miracle-physio is to cycle and swim. So I went off to Long Street baths the other day for my first dip into a pool in about 10 weeks. And I gotta tell you, 25m suddenly seemed very far!
But an hour later I was having so much fun, and I’m really looking forward to joining the Cape Otters / SEALS swim squad at 05h45 on Monday morning.
In addition to following the Embark indoor cycling training programme (I had to start a few weeks late), I’ll be swimming with the squad three times a week, which will hopefully have me ready for my 70.3 training programme that starts in August. My big goal for the 2013/2014 season is to get stronger in my swim and smash a couple of PBs. Really looking forward to racing again soon.
All in all… I’m excited to see what the rest of the year will bring. And I can’t wait to start training with my friends again.
I have to tell you it was great to read this. I had the surgery 6 weeks ago and have hit stir crazy time. I had a tear in right foot and when he got it was worse, said my two tendons were just floppy. He roped them together and wrapped in graft so like a new rubberband. I’m lucky because I work from home and lay on the bed or on the couch and probably more productive than if i wasn’t recovering. Less distractions since can’t do nothing. First 4 weeks, I was in a splint. The last visit he was concerned because my incision decided to start draining around my ankle so he thinks graft may be rejecting. He wrapped it up in compression then splint again so my 6 wk follow up is Monday. I’m hoping all is well and I can start PT. I hear it’s very painful. And yes, I had plenty of help as an only child, my dad is retired so he got the duties of walkin dog and helping me.
How was PT? Unbearable from what I hear. I hope you are fully recovered now and training. Lastly, I refer to my butt as crutch butt now, it has a new unflattering shape.
Hey – just doing some research on this surgery and came across your blog post – I’m 6 months post surgery now and still suffering
Just wondered what things were like for you now a couple of years down the track ?
Hey there, rehab was tough but it is important to stick to the programme. Sadly I had a terrible injury last year that resulted in another, more aggressive ankle surgery. The mental side of rehab was really hard this time around. BUT… I decided to focus on strength. I joined my local crossfit box and thanks to an excellent coach I found myself stronger and pain free for the first time. I cannot recommend strength training enough. Find what works for you and work on strengthening the muscles that support your ankle. Good luck!
I completely tore my ATFL about 5 years ago and have been suffering ever since. I have seen numerous GPs complaining about the pain. Not until I fell for the 3rd time in as many months and saw a fill in GP did anyone actually investigate it. (That was Sept 2015). I see the orthopedic surgeon on the 1st of March. I am reading through your blog and I am assuming it is going to be very painful but worth it when it’s all fixed back up. How long can I realistically expect to return to work? I am a full time labour and delivery nurse.