A teachable moment...

[rookers]

Thank you all for the encouragement and kind words, it helps a lot. I find the wind trainer very tedious, and I have weeks to go on it, so any little bit helps.

30 minutes in the morning and 30 in the evening yesterday, each followed by 30 minutes of icing. I did some short intervals to keep it from being too tedious, but I have to be really careful about loading angles b/c of the meniscus tear so they are not tough intervals, just enough to make me sweat and breathe pretty hard. The knee was a bit achey last night so I cut it to twenty minutes for this morning's ride. I am walking without the brace now, it feels pretty steady.

I watched some technical diving videos this morning before training, eyes on the prize.

 

[rookers]

More spinning on the bike, and my first physical therapy session yesterday. Mostly some massage on the knee, followed by some painful electro-stimulation. The therapist was really pleased with my range of motion

 

[rookers]

Wake up, fill bike bottle, 30 minute spin (some 'gentle' intervals), ice for 30minutes, shower, dress, work, home, spin, ice, sleep. Twelve weeks post surgery I can get back in the water. I content myself with fussing over gear, imagining dives I want to do and work.

More PT, some new exercises, still pretty tedious.

I have reengaged with my longtime friend, Steve Ilg. He is a tremendous athlete and teacher for those who can abide his unique and difficult approach. He can be found at: http://www.wholisticfitness.com/

 

[TSandM]

Just one small voice of warning, from somebody who's been there and done that: Part of how you believe you got hurt in the first place was because you didn't listen to what your body was telling you. You have to listen to it during rehab, too. The principle of "no pain, no gain" holds only partially true in rehabilitating joints. I ruined the labrum of my right shoulder pushing way too hard to get full range of motion back after a collarbone plating. I was so proud of how I could tolerate the pain and really go after that motion . . . And the cartilage paid the price, and that's a permanent disability.

So keep working, but BE CAREFUL!

 

[rookers]

TSandM: I thought you were 'miss ambidextrous valve drill' of the NW!
I am listening pretty closely to my knee, as far as I am able. Its the loudest part of my body at the moment, and I don't want to make it mad.
Physical therapy got more interesting on Friday, with some additional, more difficult exercises. They will really crank it up at 6 weeks, they say.
Off for my morning ride. My good lady wife has obtained a 20 disk audio book for me. I am on disk 5. At the current pace, I will need at least one more book before I can ride outside.

 

[rookers]

The turning of the crank, the periodic drops of sweat that fall to the tile floor beneath my bike, the humming and chuffing of the polarcare icing machine... all these mark the time for my rehab.

On a brighter note, I picked up my brand new TLS350 signature series drysuit at Flatirons on Saturday. Too bad I can but look at it.

 

[rookers]

Yesterday marked 4 weeks post surgery. I celebrated by peddling 1x30min and later, 1x20min.
The pattern of sweat below the bicycle is beginning to resemble a Jackson Pollock painting from his 'Drip Period'. The contrast is faint against the dark tile floor as I hydrate so thoroughly there is little mineral content.

 

[TSandM]

Ambidextrous valve drill? That's not exactly how my Rec Triox instructor saw it . . .

Sounds like you're making steady progress. Just be careful!

 

[rookers]

Two by Thirty yesterday. A really good spin in the morning, a little less so in the evening. This morning was not so good, hard to focus, and had a bit of fluid on the left side of the knee. Physical Therapy is a welcome break twice a week as it replaces my evening ride.

 

[rookers]

I crossed 500 miles today, by peddling a bit longer the last few days. I am guessing 120000 turns of the crank since rehab. They have ride a little in rehab on an ancient fluid trainer, but I am not counting that. They have cut back my rehab appointments, saying "You don't really need us".
I had a massage on Friday with Dawn "The Tank Girl", a talented deep tissue specialist who has worked on me off and on over the years. She really worked my hamstrings and illiotibial bands in both legs.
My good friend and coach, Steve Ilg, is working on a training program for me. We have had to talk a lot as he is a pure terrestrial athlete and trainer and is not super familiar with the kinesthetics of diving. I sent the 5th-d/GUE training videos to give him some ideas. His emphases on breath control and body awareness should translate well.