"The waiting is the hardest part." -- Tom Petty
I recently met a woman who tore her ACL a few years ago. She is about forty-four, so I am gathering she was about forty when she had her accident.
"One day, your knee is all of a sudden fine," she said. "It stops twitching and aching and you just don't think about it any more."
I am waiting for that day. The typical recovery time for an ACL is nine months. I am not quite five outside of my surgery--just about that the halfway point before I can return to sports, as they at the sports medicine clinic I attend. The hard part is that there are days when I feel pretty normal. I can walk. I can go up and down stairs. I can be on my feet for the better part of the day and I feel okay.
Then I added road biking into the mix. I love road biking. It is one of my favorite activities. It clears my mind and I feel so much better. Plus, I am literally moving forward. I am going some place, reaching a destination, accomplishing something tangible that doesn't need to be counted. I can ride to Matthew Beach,* which sounds better than forty-five minutes of kickboard laps.
In about two weeks, we are going to France. Two weeks ago, I was feeling great about the trip. I was feeling strong and healthy. Then I started to bike on the road. I know biking is making my leg stronger, but by pushing it, it is getting a little sore. I am doing more squats, which are necessary for me to do if I want to run. Tuesday, I threw out my back from squatting too much and now my knee is stiff. Argh! I thought this was all about forward progression? Why does this progress make me feel like I am slipping back?
* How many times do I ride to Matthews Beach, turn around, go home and not see the beach and Lake Washington? Too many. I need to stop from now on. What is the point of riding to Matthews Beach or Gasworks Park if I don't stop and see the water?
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