​Well I had a computer mishap that delayed last week's update, and since I was seeing the doctor soon I just pushed it off to today.  So, today I had my first follow up appointment with my surgeon. After a near 45 minute wait followed by a three minute chat with the Doctor, my immediate prospects for returning to athletics have been given a huge boost!  Over the last two weeks, my rehab sessions have been becoming more and more like a workout, complete with dripping sweat and me having to wipe down machines and tables (ALWAYS WIPE DOWN WHATEVER YOU SWEAT ON AT THE GYM).  My brief foray into dieting was obliterated over a couple of beautiful weather weekends, and a general lack of self-control.  I eat when I’m bored or frustrated, and I’m bored and frustrated all the time because I can’t exercise.  Despite my best efforts, this has been my cycle for pretty much ever, and even though I’m testing the limits of my wardrobe, I’m tired of beating myself up over it.  Let’s get to the good stuff!

Let's start with the following list of athletic seasons lost to injury:

6th Grade Football - Broken Hand
7th Grade Football - Broken Hand
9th Grade Wrestling - Broken Ankle (still won)
10th Grade Wrestling - Viral Bronchitis
11th Grade Football - Shoulder surgery
11th Grade Wrestling - Shoulder Surgery
Freshman  Football - Dislocated shoulder, fractured shoulder blade, career over.
Freshman and Sophomore Wrestling - Shoulder surgery to repair football injury
Junior Wrestling - Concussion, seven stitches in my face (still won)
Senior Wrestling  - Dislocated both shoulders, torn labrum (did not win...or finish)
2011 - 2014 - Catastrophic ankle/foot injury
2014 Triathlon - herniated disc
2015 Triathlon - Rhabdo, heart attack, hip bursitis
2016 Triathlon - L & R hip labrum tear (or more accurately described as being "obliterated"), hip bursitis, gluteal tendinitis.

As you can see I've put together a pretty strong and robust career for several medical facilities across the nation.  SO, while as extremely disappointing as this one is (and it is devastating), I'm not exactly a stranger to dealing with injuries.  Luckily, this time I'm not on a timeline and there isn't a small window of opportunity for me to accomplish my goals and dreams.  I'm not going Pro anytime soon, and this is a sport that I can do for a very long time, assuming I can still physically still do it...Considering my history, though, that may be a big assumption.  

In 2014 I completed my first triathlon and achieved something that I really thought I'd never do.  My earliest triathlon memory was sometime way back in the 90s when I was in ridiculously good shape.  I'm pretty sure I had stopped swimming and was really getting into wrestling at the time, and I just remember my Mom saying to me "You should really do a triathlon."  I remember saying something profound, like "Ok."  I had never ridden a bike for exercise before, and I pretty much only ran to stay in shape or cut weight, so basically no interest in 2 out of three sports, which is not the ideal state of mind.  I still remember my first training session:  I went out and rode a bike (a road bike I won in 1984 that I still actually have) 10 miles and then went for a run.  I'll never forget that feeling in my legs.  I told my Mom, "nevermind," and that was the last time I thought about triathlon until I signed up for one around 3am on a random night shift in December of 2014.  I really have to credit my cousin Pat, who does a couple of races each year, and he brought it up the weekend before at a family gathering.  He bet me that I wouldn't do one, and something in me clicked.