I Shaved My Beard, So What
Today is 8 weeks to the day. 8 weeks to the day when the great pivot happened.
A quick recap of the last 8 weeks… Lots of bed ridden time. Some journaling. Getting out for a couple of photography snaps when I can. Work along with all of its drama. Physical therapy, up’s and down’s that come with, more on that in a moment. A couple brief coffee hangs with buddies. Medium amounts of getting out for random errands. 6 week post op appointment. Missing Chuckanut, the race I was supposed to be in last weekend… and on the list goes. Well, the list is missing running, especially my long runs. I shaved my beard! Kept the stache… Welcome back to my Saturday Long Run Substack lmao.
I have these little journals that I have been taking daily notes in, and I found myself becoming a little self-critical and perhaps a bit discouraged with the state of my life, to the point where I felt like even the act of journaling was becoming a cycle in wallowing in my own self-pity… the exact opposite of that practices intent. You see, I have been really trying to take this opportunity of injury to really take time to look internally and assess all that is going on. I have areas in my life that I recognize that are far from complete or whole. So, with all of that said, I have been really trying to take this moment as a moment that will better my life for years to come. But it has not been easy.
I have been a bit inconsistent with these Saturday Long Run posts as well, simply because I have been a bit discouraged. Originally I had thought I could use this as a way to offset my desire for time out on the trail, or maybe at the very least distract myself from missing the trail. But that only lasted for so long. I would soon begin to gaze out the window and lust for time out on the trail, lost in my mind, daydreaming of all of the amazing adventures my feet would take me on. Most of the family has maintained their typical daily rhythms but mine has been so drastically altered… And the one day I held sacred, Saturdays, now are just like any other, sitting or laying in bed. So, today’s SLRs (Saturday Long Run Sub) is an effort to reclaim some of the discipline I was trying to achieve.
Ok, now we have some of that out of the way, let’s get this run going.
I want to start with some gratitude. I have been trying to be better about reframing my thinking, especially in my journaling when I feel like I am sinking into the pattern of despair and/or discouragement, I will stop writing, breathe, and then list out a set of things, people, learnings etc that I am thankful for. So 3.23.24, I am thankful for the following; my wife, my kids, this sweet little community that we have found in North Idaho, the ability to do some core strength, writing, photography, coffee (very thankful for coffee), proper nutrition, the ability to have critical thought, playing Mario with Bear and sometimes the other kids, music… lots and lots and lots of music. I don’t want to lose perspective during a challenging period. And trust me, I have lost perspective a time or three.
Today’s sub might be a longer one because I feel like there is so much to catch up on lol.
A few weeks after my injury, maybe a month, a buddy of mine reached out because he is working on a side project - Leggggs (gx4), and he is doing a content series titled, “I Will Never Run Again” and I thought it would be fun to share my journey with him and others. I gotta say, it was pretty cathartic to share the experience and my learnings to that point.
God, even just looking at the cover of this story… I remember that day like it was yesterday, even tho I was pretty heavily drugged! I had JUST gotten home from 48hrs at the hospital, post surgery, never experienced anything like this and was simply like “what the actual fuck”. I am sure it is pretty clear on my face, this is NOT what I was wanting. Sorry, that is just a very real reaction to seeing that photo again ahaha.
With the time I have been given to slowdown, I have been trying to make some progress on GETOUTGETRAD, my own brand. I am not entrepreneurial, so this has been a looooooong process to just get lifted off the ground. But that said, I have a few goals for the year. I want to launch a site, a few products (just got new stickers made and working on a t shirt design and hat), and an event. Yes, an event! In person… here’s the pitch… Last year we had my wife’s family in town for Thanksgiving, and being a runner, I figured “lets all do the local Turkey Trot”. WHAT A BUST! Such a disorganized and poorly executed event, I was legit embarrassed I had my family sign up and pay for such a joke. SO I figured why not hold my own Turkey Trot!?! The plot twist tho, let’s make it a Trail Turkey Trot!
English Point Recreational Area is a perfect spot that has a trail that loops the main section of the nature area and is almost exactly a 5k (3.1 miles). So the plan will be to hold a Turkey Trot that is a 5k and 10k in distance, local vendors as sponsors, music and a total vibe. I have completed the initial process to begin gaining permits, so fingers crossed!!! This could be a TON OF FUN!
Here is a photo of the 2 stickers that I just made. Want one? Hit me up. $4 a pop! Limited quantities!
Underoath just came on, the older cuts, and ooooof I just got distracted! Dontchu just love the power of music?!?!
A recent challenge that has arisen is at PT yesterday, Friday the 22nd, it was observed that I basically has lost function of my tricep. This was perceived when I was doing some upper body strength prior to working on the leg. The PT was fairly freaked out, wanted to know if I was or had a stroke… eh… what?!?! Apparently, loss of a tricep, or a similar muscle function is related to the nerves not talking to the brain and vice versa… Needless to say, he freaked me out, less my wife, and he was a bit concerned and wanted me to go to the ER. Instead of turning this into another emergency medical response we connected with a local chiropractor and he gave me a light adjustment and suggested we talk to my surgeon, and see if this is related to the fact I have had my crutches basically shoved up in my armpits for almost 8 weeks straight, literally right up in them suckers… Anyway, I called the medical hotline and apparently the doctor on call was my surgeon! He called me back this am, just before I started this Sub, and he was like, “we need to just deload the cluster of nerves that live in that region” and see if we can get function back to the muscles. No neuro surgeon would or could really do anything different he said unless I had sustained an injury. SO, this is definitely something to pay attention to, but not rush into a series of medical procedures, which I was worried was going to be suggested. Also, fun fact… did you know that the standard crutches you see around are only issued here in the US of A?! And the rest of the world issues crutches that are basically forearm based crutches… and interestingly enough did you know that improper use of crutches can lead to radial nerve palsy? Improper use of crutches is noted as the second leading cause of this nerve damage. How the hell does the US not see this as a major red flag? Now I am in the hunt for a knee scooter to be able to maintain mobility but deload the nerve complex in my armpit area.
Ok, I need to backtrack for one second and give a quick update to the leg… if you have made it this far, thanks!
The x-ray at 6 weeks came back super positive. Majority of the break has come back together. I am cleared for about 25lbs of pressure. If you want to know what that is, simply pull out our scale, put your foot on the scale until you see 25lbs. In the comments below, tell me what your initial thought of what that feels like is!
Gosh, this really catches us up to today. Lot’s happening! And still a long ways to go! I will be sure to be keeping this more up-to-date with shorter posts here in the coming weeks.
Please keep an eye out for more GETOUTGETRAD announcements, and if you find yourself at a place where you want to help contribute to building the brand, holler!
If there is anything you are curious about, like about these posts or want more or less of, please let me know!
Appreciate you all, whoever you are that reads these!
Peace,
Andy
