I was up in Tahoe this week (stayed a few days at Northstar). It dumped snow yesterday up there and all along 80. A lot of it melted off in the Northstar area, but still a bunch up in the higher elevations - you could see it in the distance. I'd say HITG is done for the year.

 

Yeah, if the weather stays like this...snow off and on once or twice a week, then it's done. I'm glad I got one last run in even though I wasn't up to par.

Rode the Sweetwater trail today. It's a pretty cool single track for the total distance. It dumps out to the parking lot just before the Salmon Falls trail head. Think it was 6 miles round trip (out and back). You could combine this with part or all of Salmon Falls and really put a hurtin' on yourself. Even though it was only 6 miles I'm still not up to par yet. Guess having a head cold just isn't good for mountain biking.

How's the rehab going Matt?

 

Auburn area should be good now after the rain. We got a decent amount up in the foothills. I haven't been able to ride it yet, but I'm betting it's good right now.

I've been wondering too Matt. How is the recovery going?

 

I'm doing pretty good. On 9/28 I got out of my cast and put in one of those big gray boots with the velcro straps. The doctor assigned me some PT appointments, the first of which was Monday 10/1. At this point, the boot is to support me while I get strength and flexibility back in my ankle. Once I get the flexibility and strength, probably in another 2-3 weeks, I'm good to start going without the boot full time, or as much as I can stand. If I could physically walk now, I could, so I am allowed to have the boot off whenever I want, which means while I'm home, to sleep, to shower. It's nice to have my leg out again, though when they first took it out of the cast and sent me to xrays with nothing on my leg, I was freaked. All I could remember was the last time my leg was unsupported and how the leg moved in places it shouldn't. Also, it feels sooooo good to sleep under a comforter and to share that comforter with my wife again. For 10 weeks we slept under seperate blankets and I always had my foot out of the blanket because it hurt to have the weight of the blanket on my leg.

When they pulled the cast off, the first thing I noticed was that my right leg was about the same diameter as a soda can. My ankle was also extremely stiff. In fact, I forgot how to move the darn thing and had to really work at it just to remember. Now that I've been doing the PT exercises for a few days, which include stretching my calf, and using some bands to move the ankle up, down, left and right, I'm getting a lot more flexibility than I had. It's still not the same as my other foot, but it's getting better pretty quickly. I'm even starting to get some muscle back, specifically the one that runs along the top of your tibia (I think it's called the anterior tibial muscle), which is helping with the movement of my foot. It's still really weak though, and I can barely lift my leg if I'm sitting in a chair and raise my heel. I've got a lot of stuff going on with work right now, but I'll probably start riding on a trainer again in a week or so. I need to start dropping some of the weight that's piled on from 12 weeks of sitting on my butt.

Right now it still looks like I'll be able to ride next summer. I'll know more at my next x-ray check up, which is at the end of November. It looks like there has been some bone growth - if you compare the xrays (on my site) from 8/30 and 9/28, you can see the fracture going down to the ankle on the right side of the xray isn't there anymore (or doesn't go all the way down), so that's cool, but we'll hopefully see some real improvement in two months.

So that's where I'm at. Getting better. Slowly. But still getting better . I really want to start riding again, so at least I can get going on the trainer soon. I need to get my bike down to Mike's for a gimp fit and some new pedals (flats) so I can start riding it.

Here's what my leg looked like when they pulled the cast:



New xray:

 

Nice cankles.

 

I'm glad the recovery is coming along well. It will take time, but you will be back and punishing me on the rides.

 

Jerk Actually, my leg is supposed to swell and be swollen for about 5-7 months more.

 

Good stuff Matt. Glad to see you diving right into TP. With that positive outlook I have no doubt you'll be back in action by next summer

 

Are these all NorCal rides? If so I'm down to hit one up. I know some good trail rides in and around the Sacramento area.

 

Yep, pretty much all NorCal rides mang. We'll keep you posted on the next ride, but someone is pretty much riding every weekend (one out of the two days, and on occasion, both).

 

Yeah I'm doing as much as I can. Gotta get the ankle going. I want to be able to drive again. So bad. So bad.

 

lance, mike; we still on for Wed movie night?

 

I'm a go!

 

I got the tickets mang!!!!!!

 

I rode a bike tonight for the first time in 13 weeks.

It was a recumbant stationary. I went .8 miles in 12 minutes. Burned 11 calories.

****in a. I was taking it easy since it was my first time, but I couldn't have gone a whole lot harder. My ankle does feel a lot better though. Hopefully continuing to ride indoors will help my ankle get better faster.