Reality Check...

Small town comfort in a cup...

I love Vail so much that I've once again extended my stay another week. It all fell into place so easy that I couldn't pass it up i.e.: we got our condo for $50 a night and my physical therapists were able to squeeze me in. To be honest, I'm dreading going back to Denver. A big FAT dose of reality is going to slap me right in the face. The stress of finding a job, dealing with the buy out of our previous business, managing my rehab without Howard Head Sports med peeps, watching my athletic body turn to mush and being surrounded by the running world is going to make for mad adjustments..Here in Vail I can focus purely on my rehab and the only worries I have are do I want decaf or fully loaded Yeti's Coffee for my mid afternoon breaks and what am I going to have for dinner…It's like I'm in my past professional athlete life minus the running and paychecks..

More news….Dr. Philippon reviewed my right hip MRI on Monday. I kind of already knew that my right hip was just as damaged as my left so the diagnosis of a labral tear and hip impingement wasn't shocking. I remember feeling an odd sensation in my joint when I debuted in the 10,000m on the track in 2002. Dr. P believes that the increase in intensity and volume during this time is what triggered my hip problems. He says if I was a couch potato I would never have been symptomatic. The perks of being athletic! They scheduled surgery for June 30, two days after Mike hopefully wins the Western States 100 mile race in Cali…As my friend Brooke Wells says, she's bionic before 30 as she's had both hips done at age 29. For me it's bionic before 40!

For now I will enjoy my last week here and make the most of being in my rehab bubble. I get to lose the crutches in two weeks so a life of normalcy isn't far away.  The physios tell me I'm progressing quickly and I may get to "jog" a bit before I go under the knife this summer!!!! I continue to visualize running free and without the constant pelvic pain I've had for so long. I used to tell my past physios that my main complaint with this injury was that my "crotch"was always on fire, figuratively not literally people.. Whenever I'd try to run fast my adductors would light up like the 4th of July and I felt like they were going to explode. Compensation at it's finest!!!

Freihofers 5k 2002 Finished 4th in 15:50 PAIN FREE Days..

One last note as I finish out this week in Vail. Big shout out to Mr. Aish for being such a rockstar of a husband throughout this adventure.. Not only is he taking care of his crippled wife, he's juggling training for a summer of 100 mile races, supporting us financially as I'm "jobless" and is taking care of the current "crapola" in our life.. He's priceless..
It's been a turbulent 2014 for Mike and I. I'd just like to send a big ol' thank you to all of our friends and family. You've been there for us through  thick and thin and listened to my melt downs as I battle being somewhat of a head case...