Back in the Black

File photo of me.

Last time you heard from me, I was recovering from knee surgery.  So let’s talk about the adventure since then.

It took about a month for me to start running again.  My first run in physical therapy was across the famous blue turf at the Boise State Football Stadium.  It was a warm spring day and for a few seconds I pictured myself running in the winning touchdown for the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Rose Bowl.

There was a decent amount of pain around the incisions, but as the swelling was still going down, my physical therapist said the pain would decrease and probably disappear.

In the meantime, I tried to keep my cardiovascular system in shape by doing sprints on the exercise bike at work.  That also helped with range of motion and mood.  The post-operation blues were a lot easier to handle when I could exert myself.

My first run out on the trails was rough, though.  I picked a route with easy terrain and a gradual climb for the first mile, figuring that would give me time to warm up and get my running legs back.  I was wrong.  It was much more painful than I figured it would be, and I struggled to get a mile in.  Then I walked back to my truck.  My dog was with me, and looked at me in bewilderment.

Hiking proved to be an easier transition.  And while I was slow, I found I could carry weight without much discomfort.  This was great for me, as it meant I could get back to my job.

And almost five weeks to the day after surgery, my doctor released me back to full duty at the end of June.  I felt ready, especially since my squad was leaving the next day for a fire assignment in Utah.  I did not want to be left behind again.

That fire, the Brianhead Fire in southern Utah, was the high point of my career.  Literally.  My first day we were sent up the town of Brianhead to work at over 10,000 feet.  I’d never fought fire that high.  My previous high point had been at around 9600 feet in the Frank Church Wilderness in Idaho.

It had been months since I’d been anywhere higher than Boise, 2753 feet, so it was quite a challenge for me.  But what a beautiful place!  The alpine scenery and the view of the basin and range country to the west was impressive.  Being an employee of the Bureau of Land Management, we don’t often get to work in the woods.  I think we were all glad to be in a beautiful place, helping out the Dixie National Forest with the fire.

In the months since, I feel that I’ve completely recovered from the surgery.  The pain has gone away on the runs, and I feel no weakness in the knee.  I am grateful for the medical staff who have helped me through this, as well as my wife, who had to put up with my moodiness during those early frustrating days of recovery.

My friends have asked me if I’ll do another Spartan Race.  Even though this was all caused by an injury in a race, I do want to do more of them.  Better preparation on my part would have prevented the knee injury in the first place.

And speaking of physical preparation, I’ve been back at it for over two months now, since fire season ended.  I feel I’m stronger than I was at this time last year, and have some challenges in mind towards which I’d like to work.

Though I’ve pushed myself hard over the years, I feel that with smart training, I can set the bar higher.  I believe that my fittest years are still ahead of me.