"Your labrum looks like ground beef"

another season gone before it starts.  the road back is long, but i've been there before.

Next year team, next year!

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.  

so why the hell do i do it?

I.FREAKING.LOVE.COMPETITION.  That's the core of it.  I love competing.  I love working hard, and I also love working harder than you (well not you specifically, "you" in the general sense, although if you're in my age/weight/group, then yes, you specifically).  I have never been the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest, but I've always tried to out-work, out-prepare, out-techniques, and out-gut my competitors.  Also, when every season ends pre-maturely, it only stokes the fires for the return.  I've been told several times that my career was over, and that's hard to hear.  There have definitely been some tough, tough moments along with plenty of self-doubt and despair.  Then I start feeling a little better, start moving around, start feeling a little better, start doing a little more, start feeling a little better, start pushing myself, start feeling a little better, start seeing the results, and then I'm right back in the mix.  

So that's where I'm at now:  Labral reconstruction surgery, a long rehab, and then starting over again from scratch.  Bring it on!  I welcome the pain and the challenge!

Without all of the time I'd normally be spending training, I'll be able to really keep this blog up-to-date.  I'm in talks with some big-time swimming Guru's from around the country that will be contributing, I'll be posting some of my favorite workouts and training plans, and I'll be documenting my recovery and return.  Good luck to all you multi-sport athletes out there and thanks for reading!  If you've had labrum surgery, please leave a comment or send me an email at rulethelake@gmail.com, follow me on instagram, or on twitter.