Update

Yesterday I had my update with Dr. Bray and he gave me the full report of what exactly happened during the surgery (including the size of the knife to cut the incision!). I have about a 3 inch incision on my left leg just below my knee on the left side.
He also gave me the full report of my recovery and when I can begin training again. I do have to keep in mind that everyone recovers at different rates, so I have to also listen to my body and be aware of how quickly I can push myself.
I have already noticed an improvement in my nerve function just one day post surgery! I have not been able to move my big toe up on my left foot for quite some time...and now I can do that!! This gives me confidence that my nerve is functioning now much closer to normal.
For the next two weeks, I will be focusing on keeping swelling down so I will try to limit walking, or anything with repetitive motion in my leg. Although I can walk, the Doctor encouraged me to use crutches in the airport---which should be an experience!! After two weeks I can begin swimming and cycling and after four weeks I can begin running. I really don't have too much swelling at all, although I have pretty much been elevating my leg and icing for the past two days. Today I am flying back to Colorado Springs and will only be back for one day and then I am off traveling for the next 10 days. I will be doing several speaking engagements and visiting family. This Saturday I have a talk in Indianapolis, Indiana at the YMCA Endurance Symposium. I will be speaking about my Olympic experience and getting the opportunity to meet many triathletes and answer any questions they may have about training, life as an elite, etc.
I am anxious to get home and check the mailbox which I am sure is overflowing. We left home on Feb. 11th a few days prior to my brother's wedding.
I will continue to keep up with posts on my recovery process.
Best-Sarah

Recovery

It has been a whirlwind these past couple of weeks, but really this journey began last December and has finally come to an end yesterday. Now, however, I am starting a new chapter for the season and beginning a recovery process into a better 2009 and beyond.
Last November when I began training again for the 2009 season, I felt quite a bit of frustration. Many of the symptoms I have been dealing with since an ankle injury at the Lisbon World Cup in May of 2007, had ceased to go away. All last year, I was dealing with a bit of pain, but I believed my ligaments in my ankle were loose from the fall and were getting better with time. I felt I needed to continue strengthening my ligaments. Although that thought mentally got me through the season last year, I was correct in that something was not quite right with my left leg, but the issue was not the ligaments in my ankle, but a peronial nerve impingement near my knee. What I mean by this is, just below my knee on the left side of my leg, my nerve was entrapped by some tissue (possibly scar tissue from my ankle injury). An MRI of my knee also showed a cist near the same area. While exercising, especially at a high intensity, the area swells and the nerve was getting cut off (much like a garden hose that gets pinched off). The symptoms I was feeling while racing and training while running were a result of my nerve not being able to fully send the correct message to my muscles; therefore, not being able to work correctly. I was not able to perform at 100% and I definitely want to be competing at 100% and training at 100%, so I went through several months of testing, patience and discovering what was really going on with my leg since this is not a normal injury.
Fortunately, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Dr. Roberty Bray, a neurological surgeon, who runs the D.I.S.C. facility in Marina Del Ray, CA. Feel free to check out the facility at: http://www.discmdgroup.com/index.asp. He was in Colorado a couple of weeks ago as a volunteer doctor at the training center. He invited me out to California to have all tests and procedures completed under the care of him and his team of doctors. His goal was to get the tests and procedures done as soon as possible so that I could get going with my season, but to also know 100% what exactly was going on with my leg. I had a nerve conduction test completed and found that post-exercise I have a 57% loss of nerve function with my peoronial nerve near my fibular head. This causes my foot to have weak dorsiflexion (ability to pull my foot up) so this causes problems with the push off on my run and bringing my foot forward (I have foot drop). I most likely damaged my nerve when I sprained my ankle and the scar tissue was trapping the nerve. It was felt the cist needed to be removed as well, which could have also contributed to the irritation on the nerve. On Monday, Feb. 23rd, I went under a minor surgical procedure (although I have never even had stitches before…so this was very new to me!!) to release the entrapped nerve (Dr. Bray performed) and remove the cist (Dr. Millstein). The surgery was completed in less than 90 min and I was able to stay awake….although I was “relaxed” with some help from some drugs. My leg was also numbed (and continued to stay numb for 24 hours) by a femoral nerve block (similar to an epidural, but in my leg). This feels very, very strange not being able to feel your leg!!!!
Today I am not in too much pain, but of course walking is a slow process at the moment. After a week off, I should be able to get back into the pool and after a couple weeks I can get back on my bike and three weeks I will be cleared to start running! Although this means I will miss the first part of my season, my goal is to be ready to race by June. I know I will take it day by day and will first focus on smart recovery.
I am so relieved to finally figure out what was hampering my leg…it has been almost two years and I am fortunate to have figured it out because once the nerve gets irritated, it only gets worse over time. I know that I could not have continued to race and train at this level because I could have potentially caused my leg permanent nerve damage.
I have an appointment with the Dr. Bray this afternoon and I will get my full report of recovery protocol.
I am looking forward to this next phase of my career and excited to begin moving forward.

Wind Tunnel Testing

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the A2 Wind Tunnel testing lab in Morriseville, North Carolina. The lab was a great opportunity to learn about aerodynamics and to find the best position for me on the bike, with the least amount of drag. Blue, my bike sponsor, is giving all athletes one free hour in the wind tunnel with the purchase of a Triad. Check out the awesome new ride at http://www.rideblue.com/. I rode the Triad in the Olympics last year and I am looking forward to racing the Triad in non-drafting races for the 2009 season. For information on the A2 wind tunnel visit www.A2WT.com. There is also a very informative article about how the wind tunnel testing is conducted at: http://www.roadbikeaction.com/fly.aspx?layout=content&taxid=67&cid=1018


At the lab, there are two tunnels, one smaller tunnel (where we tested our bikes) and one larger tunnel that is used exclusively for NASCAR. We got the opportunity to check out the other tunnel and see what goes on behind the scenes in aerodynamic testing for race cars. The tunnel is booked solid with different teams for the next two years (and the tunnel is open 24 hours/day). Busy business!

I am looking forward to my bike being shipped back to me so that I can go and check out my new set-up on the road. Especially since Colorado is experiencing spring in January. The past few days have been absolutely gorgeous...and temperatures are supposed to hang around in the 60s for most of the week. I think I am getting spoiled so far this winter....but taking advantage of some outdoor riding while I can.

My parents are also driving out to visit this week as well---so it will be a great week to do a bit of sightseeing. They are finishing out the trip was a couple days of skiing, but I am sure the mountains are still cold and have plenty of snow.

Holiday Adventures of 2008-2009

I am now back in Colorado after three weeks of traveling to Minnesota and Missouri for the holidays and traveling to North Carolina last week for wind tunnel testing on the bike.
I had a great time spending time with family and friends and the holiday travel went pretty smooth...for the most part.
I did have one flight cancellation from Minnesota to Missouri on Christmas Eve. My original flight plan was on United (which unfortunately had a layover in Chicago....I thought this could be a mistake prior). I was scheduled to leave around 5:00AM for the airport, went to bed around 11:30pm, only to be awoke one hour later with my cell phone ringing. At first I just ignored the phone, but then realized that I was getting repeated calls with messages. Nate grabbed the phone and informed me it was a 1-800 number...I immediately sensed it was about my flight....and listened to the message to learn it was cancelled! So, we spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out what we were going to do....calling the airlines, rent a car (they were booked for a one-way). At 2:30AM, Nate came up with a bright idea of renting a U-Hall! So, at 9:00AM the next morning, we were headed to STL in a 14 ft. box truck....empty, unless you count two bags in the back!!
The trip went well, we made the trip in 9 hours and made the end of the Christmas party at my Aunt's home that evening. The only downside to the U-Hall was that we were getting 7.6MPG...but at least gas is cheap at the moment. This was a much better situation than spending Christmas in the airport. From now on, we are going to plan on driving around Christmas!! We also had a very easy drop-off site because my parents have a U-Hall service in conjunction with storage....so we only had to drive home!
Minnesota was beautiful with all the white snow, but it was soooo cold! I had to do all my training inside, but I got to train at Lifetime Fitness and the facilities are beautiful there. The pool is 25meters and separate from the leisure pool (where kids can play, and you don't have to worry about not getting in a swim because water aerobics is taking place). Also, you never have to worry about waiting for a treadmill because there are literally 500 cardio equipment machines. I was cold almost all the time, so I did really enjoy my hot showers there...and nightly hot cups of tea. One day it was -10 degrees...and it literally hurt to walk outside. I could feel my lungs and nostrils burning because the water molecules were actually freezing!! Despite the cold, I had a great time in MN!
Missouri seemed like a tropical climate compared to MN, but there were ups and downs in temps there as well. I did enjoy running outside on the trails in MO, but most of my rides were on the trainer...with a few rides outside when temps were in the 50s and near 60!
It is hard to believe that 2009 is here....it does not seem that long ago when we
were celebrating the Y2k!! Time really does fly by and you have to enjoy life, appreciate what you have and live life to the fullest.
I am ready to embark on another year, get into quality training and push myself----not only for another year, but another quad.

Brrrr.....Winter is Here!

I am back in Colorado getting into the normal swing of things for a couple of weeks before I head off again to celebrate the holidays in Minnesota and Missouri.

I had a great Thanksgiving holiday getting to participate in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in downtown St. Louis. Fortunately we had great weather that morning, with lows only in the 40s and sunshine! The parade lasted several hours and my family got to enjoy watching the parade in the VIP section at the Old Courthouse. After the parade we celebrated Thanksgiving dinner at my aunts house and got the opportunity to visit with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
I also spoke with more schools the final week in November and also traveled to Tulsa to speak with TAT (Tulsa Area Triathletes) club. While in Tulsa, I stayed with Jessica Meyer (Jones) and got to hang out with her family and spend time with her twins (20 months....cute!)

Now back in Colorado for a few days I have already experienced temperatures in the 60s, a high of 20 and snow, and this weekend forecast is expected to be back into the 50s! I am hoping to get outside for a ride this weekend, but I know I better become friends with my trainer....as it is only December and it will be awhile until signs of spring!

The past few days I have started swimming in the 50 meter pool again. The OTC pool closes every quad following the Olympics for several months for re-surfacing, and cleaning.
I had not swum long course since July and I can feel it!!! My arms tire so much more quickly than swimming in a short course pool. My saving grace is that the swims have all been pretty light this week as we are just getting back into the early part of the season.

I am looking forward to the rest of the month with holiday parties, visiting family and enjoying the spirit of Christmas! Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!!

Fall Folliage

The past couple weeks have been very nice with taking some time off from training and getting to spend some time in Missouri and Minnesota.
I was able to spend Halloween in St. Louis and go trick-or-treating with my 19 month old niece! She dressed as a St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader and picked up the thrill of Halloween very quickly---We also got to go to the zoo, spend time at the park and enjoy the beautiful weather St. Louis was having at the beginning of November. It has been quite awhile since I have been to the Midwest in the fall and I forgot how beautiful all of the trees are with their changing colors. Reds, orange, gold, brown...so many shades everywhere you look! I also got to catch up with some old friends and take a college friend of mine out for her birthday in U-City.

The warm weather was quickly cut short when I traveled to Minnesota on Nov. 6th for my cousin's wedding and visit my in-laws. The 70 degree days were replaced with rain, snow and cold temps! Of course it is almost Thanksgiving, so these conditions are much more normal...

The past week I have been getting back into some lighter training and will not pick up the intensity until December. It is a much needed change of pace for the body and the mind after a long season and needed to prepare the body for another long season.

This month I will also be spending quite a bit of time speaking at elementary schools. In Minnesota, I spoke at Crooked Lake Elementary (my mother-in-law is principal there) about goal setting, Beijing and the sport of triathlon. I will be speaking at 5 more schools before the Thanksgiving holiday, including my elementary school, Wren Hollow! I really enjoy speaking to the kids about my passion for sport and fitness and hope that I can touch them in some way.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy the spirit of the Holiday season
Best-Sarah

Back at Home

After a day of traveling back from Huatulco, Mexico, I am back home in Colorado Springs.
The race did not play out as I would have liked and I am extremely disappointed with the outcome, especially since this was my final race of the year.
Unfortunately, I experienced a mechanical on the bike and was unable to finish the race. This has only happened to me one other time in my career, my first world cup back in 2005.
This was hard to swallow, considering there were only eight women that finished the race...so if I could have just been able to finish the ride I could have broke even for the trip and earned world cup points.
More upsetting, is that I was not able to go out there and execute the past few weeks of hard training and also cross that finish line. I do wish I had another race scheduled for the remainder of the year to let out my frustrations, but I am going to continue with my regularly scheduled off-season plans. I am headed to St. Louis tomorrow to visit the family and enjoy my break from training!!
I always look at the positives from the race and try learn from my mistakes. The race began with mistakes from the get go----not only just mechanical on the bike!
The race began at 8:00AM, and the temperatures were already very warm!! We had a short run into the water with a beach start, and I got into a good position very early into the swim with a lead after the first 100 meters. Prior to the race start, I misjudged the layout of the swim course and did not make an appropriate turn about 400 meters into the race. I swam about 50 meters out of the way, before I realized my mistake and looked back and saw the entire swim pack 50-100 meters ahead of me. I worked the next 800 meters catching back up to the front group before exiting the water for T1. A positive in this aspect is that I stayed calm, and did what I needed to do in catching back up to the front. However, once out on the bike course I dwelled on my mistake and should have been more focused on the race at the moment.
About half-way through the bike course, I was shifting in the middle of a small hill and my chain stuck. I got off my bike, fixed it, and then hopped back on (2 min behind the lead pack of four I was riding with). I was very disheartened, but after a lap or so I got back into it. Unfortunately, my chain/shifting stopped working again and I was not able to continue.
I learned two very important skills----no matter what happens, DO NOT dwell on what happened in the past. I did a great job reacting in the water, but I was not present on the bike.
Could my mechanical been avoided? Who knows? Maybe if I was more in the present on the bike, my shifting would not have been so terrible? I do know that I need to be more smooth in my shifting and more aware of putting my bike in the correct gear before climbing, turning, etc. This course was very, very challenging, with one very steep hill. This course required mental and physical focus and I was physically there, but fell short on my bike skills, bike mechanical issues, and mental mistakes. I am going forward with what I can take away from this race and be stronger for next year.
I do have to say congratulations to all the men and women who had great days out there who raced on not only a challenging course, but racing in temperatures around a 100 degree heat index!
I have not quite figured out my race season for 2009, mainly because the ITU World Cup schedule has not yet been posted. I am looking forward to time with my family and a break to let my body recharge both physically and mentally. The past few days this race has been on my mind and my mistakes have been eating at me, although I know a mechanical is not completely in my control.
Have a safe and happy Halloween this Friday!
Sarah