The Dude Abides

Ready for a Twenty (S&L Photography)

Sunday was a scheduled 20 miler. It would be a marathon day in that I would be driving to Buford, GA, afterward so I could be there bright and early for my Monday appointment at ProCare. My confidence was better for this run, but knowing my leg could revolt at any time tempered my enthusiasm.

I began with 4 miles on the treadmill. After that I ran 7 miles with Jennifer, we had a good run and it was very nice to have some company for my longer effort. I rested for a bit after this, then headed out for the final 9. This went well, but as expected the later miles were tougher. From 17 on I was wishing I was finished and on my way to Georgia, the last mile was not exactly pleasant in Mount Pleasant.

After my shower I finished packing my bags which was mostly my prostheses and prosthetic supplies. My sweet wife prepared a treat bag for me, healthy snacks that I was so appreciative of during my trip and now here in Buford. Leaving around 6:30 pm, the traffic was far lighter and I-85, often a madhouse, was a leisurely cruise.

That evening when I doffed my prosthesis I was shocked to find I had bled a little from a small abrasion on the distal end of the tibia. Seemed I got in town just in time.

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My CP Rachel worked with me most of today on my new running prosthesis. I have one area of intense discomfort that often goes nuclear and makes it either difficult or impossible to run. It often becomes apparent early in a run but if it happens later it can stop me in my tracks. If we can address and prevent this from happening I will be able to return to training without compromise. There is significant swelling around the distal end of my fibula and I hope to stop this from happening in the future.

Tomorrow I will be trying a new test running prosthesis. I am hoping we will be able to give some relief where I need it and proceed with the definite leg. I'd like to do a longer run on the new prosthesis before leaving ProCare, so we can address any minor issues right away.

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I may be doing a running and walking gait study at Georgia Tech later in the week. This is the same place where Getting2Tri has camp every year, so I am somewhat familiar with the campus. I am in reasonable though not top shape, still, it will be interesting to go through these tests and see what my results are.

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After this week I will have 4 weeks of training remaining, then the taper. The Boston Marathon is just 48 days away. I go through periods of disbelief that I will be running it, and extremely emotional moments when I think of being there and actually running it. I often think of everyone who has made this possible; today I was thinking it is not a small army, rather a very large one who has helped get me to that starting line in Hopkinton.

But I must thank once again Dr. Blake Ohlson, who believed in me and my dream and has always been available to help me run down this most incredulous path. I never grow tired of telling the story of when he told me: "Dude, I'm afraid your running days are over," to performing the very operation that brought me back to my running life.

The dude abides.