Dr. visit, long swim, police

I prepared a lot for the Dr's visit and it was pretty short and inconsequential.  Drove 95 min, he was nearly 90 min late, had to cancel my blood work appt.  He spent maybe 10 min with me.  Despite coming with pre and post op MRI reports, surgical report, laptop with images, he blew all that off and I had to get radiated again with their Xrays.  The ones I had from just weeks ago, they couldn't download.  

The only thing he looked at was the surgical report, he commented that "Justin's work is amazing" and this repair was far more involved than the LaPrade repair on my right, which I knew, but he emphasized it.  He said I had some arthritis and due to my bow legged alignment / running form, running L turns, etc... my medial side is susceptible and he showed me xrays that showed 1/2 the joint space on the medial vs the lateral knee compartment.   It was still not bone on bone.  Bottom line, he thinks there is a chance to recover the knee with the goal of limited running, and seemed more than happy to do injections as needed, which I would only do as last resort.   I got measured for an offloader brace which will help recovery.  He seemed to think that biking, rowing, and weights were ok.  I'm not so sure, but will return to seated only biking.  Generally, not a great impression, and a guy I will likely not see again. 

So, I got home after meeting with a contractor at my house and took a brief nap.  Got on the motorcycle and went to the lake.   Just as I crossed the lake, I looked back to the opposite shore and saw 3 police trucks and a small swarm of uniformed police standing around my motorcycle.  I took off and swam a half mile down the lake.  Back stroke, I can swim forever.  When I was out of sight, I came ashore and and walked to the near shore opposite of the bank where I parked.  I was thinking they'd just get tired of waiting and leave.  They didn't leave.  I reasoned that I'd better not keep them waiting any longer and swam back to face the music.  

Well, it went ok.  I just had happened to go around the gate when Nate the forestry chief was driving by.  Just bad luck.   He was there with a couple cops.   The old cop gave me a stern warning and asserted the strict no motor vehicle policy on Sewanee protected areas.    I told them I had been doing this for more than a decade and several times just this past week, and I how I've cleaned up this place and picked up garbage.  It was fine.  No citation.   I could have been cited for multiple things - bike hasn't been registered in 6 yrs, uninsured, violation of protected property, etc... since it's a small friendly town, we just chatted.... about how great this place is, about motorcycles, E-bikes, etc... Nate knew my name and that I'm a professor.  This is really the end of an era, I've been doing this more than a decade without any issues.  It is literally the only place I ever go with my motorcycles.  So it's quite significant.   I wish I had thought to have gotten a group photo before I drove off.   They did bring up an interesting issue... very gray area between an electric motorcycle and an electric bike.  (E-bikes are ok on trail but must be below a certain wattage)
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water running, guitar

4th day in a row at the lake.  After dodging strong storms all day that kept the temperature just perfect, there was an evening break and the lake was surreal, quiet, smooth.

Did a set of water running but no significant swimming, as the thunder was rumbling in the distance.   I really needed to burn some calories.  My diet has been bad.  Yesterday, just wasa crackers, fig jam, a banana sandwich and tea.  Today only slightly better, sardines, spring mix lettuce, wasa crackers, Royo bagel w/ almond butter and honey.  

Water running

6 x 60 strides with 1 min rest

Max HR 143

Spent 80 min at the cathedral practicing after midnight.  It was actually pretty taxing.  Got home, fell asleep in a chair and slept straight until 8 am.  Got up, did my usual bedtime regime and went back to bed for 90 min. 

I love the sound and the feel of playing music but, to pull off a concert of virtuoso repertoire, it takes an enormous amount of time and commitment, and even then, rarely is a performance perfect.  Not to mention the stress involved.  At this stage of my career, there actually seems to be more to lose than gain in some ways.   The stress involved, the risk of a substandard performance.   I never perform 'badly' but sometimes have had mistakes, memory slips, etc... and like a car wreck in an auto race, that's what people remember the most.  That's why I wonder sometimes if I should even do it.   Some of my colleagues have stopped or scaled back performing.   Years past there were rewards involving academic standing, tenure, money, career, etc... but now none of those things are at stake or an issue.  It's all personal.  Making video recordings for Youtube is actually a better way to reach the public instead of giving a guitar recital.  Rarely have I played a guitar recital for more than 80 people or so, typically it's like 40-50.  Social media reaches so many more.  But, to be a teacher and proponent of the rare art of solo classical guitar performance, since I can do it, I should do it.  I need to set an example and attempt to inspire students.  20+ yrs ago, I inspired a bright kid from East TN who was a heavy metal shredder.   Years later he was performing in Carnegie Hall and playing for ambassadors, now recognized as one of the best guitarists in the world. 

Been working on the Rameau variations again.   No one in the world played this piece but me until just the last few yrs, now a few have. Probably the single most important and unique piece I've ever played, but I stopped playing it in concerts about 15 yrs ago because of the difficulty.   I'm fairly sure I will perform it this fall.  Taking a fresh look at it.  Fingers are still working.  

Like racing a 400m... we do these things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.   Beautiful and expressive as well.  

Back to the cathedral tonight.    

380 yd swim

Just an evening swim at the lake.   Beautiful.  22 pullups this morning.  

Hanging around 143 lbs.

Finally they got a day of competition in at Masters Nationals.  Moved everything indoors because of air quality.   What a situation!    M65 hasn't been impressively competitive this yr.  Happy to see people who've never won medals get them.  Ron won the 400m easily in 61.02, and the 100m in 12.99.   Dale got Bronze in 65.25.   Happy for him.  Silver was 63.31.   

Sour grapes for me, since I was running 62 back in Nov with less than 2 mo training.   Oh well.   Also, ran 13.8 in trainers for a 100m after not running for 2 mo.   My bronze medal time in of 57.59 in '23 would have won Gold this year in M60.  That was one incredibly competitive yr.  

Going to the cathedral to practice tonight at midnight.  Love it.  

Same workout as yesterday

Beautiful day at the lake.  Had the place to myself for most of the time.   About 85º, water temperature 88º. 

Same exact workout as yesterday.

Water running 6 x 60 (R/L) strides w/ 60 sec rest

Max HR 144, Avg HR 118

This workout seems to really get the hip flexors and is more fatiguing than the HR would indicate.  After a rest I swam across the lake and back.  Each rep without stopping.

Lake swim

2 x 160 yds  ~ 90 strokes

Max HR 129, Avg HR 118

Started the day with 21 pullups, ab wheel, and 40 pushups.

Now time to practice.   

At the lake, water running / swim

Love this time of year.  Had the lake to myself and did a decent workout.

Deep water running

6 x 60 (R/L) strides w/ 60 sec rest

Max HR - 160

Avg HR - 125

Lake swim

2 x 160 yds 

Was able to finally make it across the lake freestyle without stopping.   About 90x (R/L) strokes. 

Started the day with 23 pullups and some ab wheel... and a couple hrs of guitar practice.

Knee feels good and I think limiting leg activity to water and maybe occasional gentle seated bike might be what I need.  I don't know what to make of the comments on the last post.  A lot of ridiculous hyperbole, snide BS.    Bottom line, my knee is painless for daily activities, even when carrying significant weight up stairs.  The identified possible medial condyle defect ("emerging subfracture") is tiny, about 1/4" square.  I don't think it's unrecoverable for normal daily activities and may be recoverable with a significant healing period even for occasional running.   Dubious I'll be training for the 400m at the same level as before the injury, but that's ok.  Turf sprints once a week is really all I need + bike.  I don't think that is an unreasonable goal.   May try an under loader brace for biking, I'll ask the Dr.

Really light 141.3 lbs after workout.  12% bodyfat.  

Sympathy to my masters colleagues who had their first day of competition at USATF Masters Nationals canceled in OH due to air quality.  Fortunately, they have a 300m indoor track on site.  The air quality forecast for Friday is also not good.  That sucks, but they'll have to bring it indoors.  Not the first time.  It happened in '17 in LA when lightning forced us indoor at LSU on a 200m flat track for 200m semis. 

Bike sprint, pullups, fast

 I've been taking time off the bike until today, I couldn't stand it anymore I did a bike sprint but not full, effort.  I also have been doing the usual few exercises and I'm regularly able to do 21-23 pullups every morning.  Been walking a mile+ every morning including walking backward up hills.  

I'll see what the new ortho Dr. says about recovery next Tuesday.  

I'm fasting and purging for tomorrow's colonoscopy.  Yesterday ate a 'low residual' diet which was new to me.  Stuff I never eat, like simple carbs... specifically white rice and bananas.  That's the stuff I probably should have been eating before races instead of high fiber bread and cereals.  I should be able to drop close to 140 lbs by the time this is over.  I had to drink a 2 L of polyethylene glycol solution around 6 pm, then another 2 L at 1:00 am.   I'll be up most of the night.  Fun.

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 10:16

Avg speed - 13.3 mph

Max HR - 165

HR over 156 - 4:10

Avg HR - 150 (inc 1 min recovery at end)

I stayed seated most of the ride back, HR certainly wasn't up to what it normally is during this workout.  

Hard to tell if these types of rides are degrading to my knee.  The feels good afterward.  Sometime I get a slight soreness later in the night or next day but usually not.  Probably shouldn't do anything for a month with my legs, but I definitely would feel vulnerable to CV disease without pushing my HR, hard to do without legs.  Maybe be forced to swim only.  Water run at the most.  I'll see what the Dr. says but I'm sure less is more at this point.

Judging by the comments, some people don't apparently understand that 'jogging' - running with heel or midfoot strike is more damaging to my knee than high knee running, stairs, hills, or running with forefoot strike on the ball of the foot in sprint form.  FWIW, even when I raced 800s, my heel never touched the ground and I wore the same spikes as I would for a 100m race.  Anything faster than a 72 sec 400m is a sprint for someone over 60, and that would be about my slowest 400m split in any of the 800m races I ever ran, my slowest being 2:22.  Transitioning from high knee running gradually to full stride is the way I've been getting prepped for sprinting post injury.  

Anyway, hopefully my colon is ok.  Find out tomorrow.  

resistance - pullup PR, forward - MRI impressions

Doing my usual pullups and core work, hanging about 143-144 lbs, did 25 consecutive pullups today, a lifetime PR.  

The key findings in my MRI was that the posterior root repair as stated "remains intact."   Curiously, no mention of stitching on the medial complex tear although a mention of a "Prior repair of vertical tear in the posterior horn which remains intact."   This is relatively good news because a re-tear of the root would be unrepairable.  

Basically, all of these stresses were likely due to overly ambitious and premature training after the repair in an effort to get back to competition last winter/ early spring indoor season.   

All AI programs I've consulted on this say that I need a significant break from running 6-12 weeks and a slow cautious return.  That means even limiting my cycling and any leg-centered stuff, probably including rowing.  Swimming and water running seem the safest in the short term.   I will probably take a 10 day break from all cycling until I meet with the ortho a week from Tues. 

It seems that my natural knee health may be only barely salvageable, and this may very well be my last chance to get healed.  Certainly any further trauma will only shorten the time toward a TKR, however, my pain has truly been minimal, probably due to strengthening.  I have zero pain walking up and down stairs even when carrying significant weight.  Although, I do sometimes feel soreness or stiffness after a long hike.  There are also treatment options like subchondroplasty and injections which could be utilized as last option.  

I have been pushing very hard on the bike, HR into at least the 170s at least 3x a week.   I worry that a sudden cessation of hard cardio work will have deleterious effects on my CV wellness.   Same day I meet with my Dr., I'm getting a barrage of tests I purchased from this new test broker:  Goodlabs.  Incredibly inexpensive.  Should be a good CV risk assessment.    Also, have a colonoscopy on Wed.  

Fellow track mate Andrea asked me if I thought I might be ready to compete at worlds in March, I said I don't know.  It becomes a game of attrition at this point.  One guy I raced with in '21 just had a TKR and he's trying to run on it.  Very slow progress.  Another fellow world medalist in my age group had a heart ablation due to afib that caused his HR to spike to 250.  That would be scary.   He recently returned to race for the first time.  If I am to compete in March, I would need to start my first conservative running by Oct.  I have time.  

Looking back, if I had just done one short turf workout every 2-3 weeks all summer, that would have been probably OK.  But 2 track workouts with just 2 - 3x 90% effort sprints 5 days apart, I wasn't ready for that.  Should have stayed on turf and kept intensity to 80%. 

Again, I have time.   Now, knowing what to do with it.   Half jokingly (and half not) thought, maybe I should go non weight bearing, brace and crutches for a month?  Nah, probably overkill.  Then again, it couldn't hurt? Or could it... with the atrophy?  Motion and flexibility are good.  Should stimulate healing I would think.  I think they still try and stimulate healing with micro fracture technique... not that I'm going to do that.  But the body does respond to stimulus and to tasks.