April 29-May 5, 2019

I’ve decided to pick up the weekly progress reports again. Not because they're particularly interesting, or because they're going to drive traffic to this blog, but because the log is helpful to track my progress, and I figure if I’m going to do it, might as well post it.

Also, for what it’s worth, I have not found online a single example of a runner’s recovery process from a Maisonneuve fracture (or for that matter, really anything about running recovery from compound fractures of the lower leg w/ ankle displacement). On the off chance that some other poor runner is out there who's suffered a similarfate, perhaps they will find this on the interwebs and it could be useful.

Injury date: Feb. 16
1st Surgery date: Feb. 27

Feb 16-->March 20 Almost no exercise of any kind. Tried simple calisthenics and strained a muscle in my injured leg, so decided that doing nothing was the healthiest choice.

March 21-->April 10 3 days a week of swimming w/ pool buoy (limited mostly because I couldn’t yet drive and getting cabs in the small town where I live was not reliable)

April 11-->April 28 4-5 days a week of pool running, building from 20 minutes to 40-45 minutes per session (limited only by boredom and pool availability/work schedule)

First steps out of boot post-surgery happened on April 18th

April 29
Am: 40 minutes pool running, steady
Pm: 20 minutes treadmill walking, starting very slowly, building to max pace 2.0 mph, .45 miles total

Monster walks, heel raises, dynamic isolated ankle routine, squats, bosu ball x 2, leg shifters

April 30 (9 weeks from the date of 1st surgery)
Am: 40 minutes pool running, 10-minute w-up, 3 minutes on, 1:30 off
Pm: 20 minutes treadmill walking, starting very slowly, building to max pace 2.1 mph, .53 miles total

Monster walks, heel raises, dynamic isolated ankle routine, squats, bosu ball x 2, leg shifters

May 1
Am: PT, including some treadmill walking (.15)
Pm: 20 minutes treadmill walking, starting very slowly, building to max pace 2.2  mph, .58 miles total

Monster walks, heel raises, dynamic isolated ankle routine, squats, bosu ball x 2, leg shifters, bosu ball lunges, cone pickups, and balance work

May 2 
Am: 40 minutes pool running, steady
Pm: 10 minutes treadmill walking, max pace, 2.3, plus dog walk .58 total

Monster walks, heel raises, dynamic isolated ankle routine, squats, bosu ball x 2, leg shifters, bosu ball lunges, cone pickups, and balance work

May 3
Am: 40 minutes pool running, 10 minute warmup, then 1 minute on 30 seconds of
Pm: 12 minutes treadmill walking, max pace, 2.4, .4 total

May 4
Am: 46 minutes pool running, steady, adding a wrinkle of actually running on the pool floor in the shallow end; felt sensitive, but good
Pm: 15 minutes, treadmill; half mile, max pace 2.5; .75 total on day

Monster walks, heel raises, dynamic isolated ankle routine, squats, bosu ball x 2, leg shifters, bosu ball lunges, cone pickups, and balance work

This will be my last day in the Salida pool for a month, because the pool is closing for repairs next week and then the week after is my surgery

May 5
Two dog walks; half mile treadmill walk, max pace 2.6; 1 mile total
Also did about 45 minutes of yardwork, pulling weeds and removing tumbleweeds and the like

A couple of interesting data points: First, I weighed myself for the first time since the injury and I weighed 158 pounds, which is more or less what I was when I hurt myself. In the past, I’ve put on serious weight when I couldn’t run. I’ve managed to avoid that fate this time around. Also, I measured my resting heart rate this week for the first time in a while and it was as low as 39 beats per minute (I have an unusually low resting heart rate). The lowest I’ve ever measured it was at 37, and 39 is the lowest I’ve measured it in the last few years, so I’m hopeful that’s a sign that the swimming and pool running has kept my aerobic fitness from falling too far. 

With all that, I’m reasonably confident that if I can work the ligaments, muscles, and tendons back to proper functioning order, that the aerobic engine will fall into line. On the whole, recovery looked a bit behind schedule last week. Now, I’m optimistic I might be back on track for a June 1-ish return to running. I suppose that'll depend mostly on how hard the second surgery hits me. But my progress this week was very good.

More than anything, it's been really nice the last two weeks being able to do simple things like yardwork and grocery shopping. This injury has been great for readjusting my perspective and making me appreciate being able to do the basics.