"We'll Get There When We Get There!" Mr Incr3dible's journal (comments definitely welcome)

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Had my follow-up with the surgeon this afternoon. He took a look at the incision and said everything looked good. So I had a guy check out my backside, compliment me, and I was happy about it....

The other highlights are:

• He wants to see me again in about 4 weeks and let things heal up more before starting PT.
• Start walking! He said small steps, but about a half mile, so I can start some neighborhood walking, which I did when I got home.
• He said he had observed up close what I already knew, which is that I have tight hamstrings, which is going to make PT unpleasant. His other comment was that I was prone to some sort of injury with hamstrings that tight. Yeah. Tell me about it.
• Return to running in earnest will depend on PT, but it looks like spring is still an accurate guesstimated timeline.

I told him I was going to sign up for MW 2026 and train for that. He did the calendar math in his head and nodded approval. When is signup for MW 2026?!

 

[Naomeri]

When is signup for MW 2026?!

Early April

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I mentioned that the doctor said that I should start with some light walking.
Checking my Garmin for the week, I've done a minimum of 5,800 steps and a max in the low 8,000s. So I may be over-doing it without meaning to overdo it. My backside confirms that as I sit here on an ice-pack first thing on Friday morning....

But it is nice to be a bit more mobile and burning some calories. I had to go into work yesterday and took the scooter for the trip from the parking deck to the desk. Love zooming down the long, smooth floors. OTOH, I'm also feeling it in my left leg from pushing the scooter and from using that leg to go up and down stairs.

Still, progress. On the one hand dreading PT since I know it will mean a lot of stretching my already short hamstrings, and OTOH looking forward to getting back out on the road and greenway. Cooler temps have arrived in north Georgia and I hate not being out there putting in miles.
In other matters: prayers for everyone in the path of the hurricanes and for recovery. And enjoying the scenery @The Expert is posting up in her neck of the woods. Just beautiful.

 

[The Expert]

Yay for progress!
(I'll have more photos to share soon!)

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

OK. Had to go into the office today, then teach DD2 about grilling for supper, so no time for much of any working on the airplane before dark. Sooooo, after dinner was an opportunity to start some walking and getting in steps other than around the house or office. Turns out that to the cul de sac at the other end of the street and back is about half a mile. I didn't record a pace, just set a slow, measured pace and was just happy to make it down there and back without feeling like I would be feeling it later.
So as I sit here typing I'm at 9,600 steps for the day. Progress.
And for anyone curious about the airplane work, I painted the wingtips, rudder, and vertical tail and have been buffing and polishing the paint. The rudder and vertical have been wrapped in sheets and pillow cases for transport to the hangar for final assembly.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Painted wing tips and rudder, for anyone interested. And based on posts elsewhere, looks like I should try to find a spring 10-miler for PoT for Jan 2026. Yikes, trying to weigh that (a want) against not pushing recovery too much (a need).

 

[jmasgat]

I had no clue (since I will admit to not always carefully following journals) that you were building some sort of plane. Wow!

Also, I like your new targets in your signature.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I had no clue (since I will admit to not always carefully following journals) that you were building some sort of plane. Wow!

Also, I like your new targets in your signature.

Thank you! Yes, getting the airplane completed occupies most of my non-running thoughts.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I come back from Ireland with my injury, and naturally it has been near-perfect training weather ever since then. <sigh>.
But, on the road to rehab, I've been told to start walking, small stride, about a half mile a day, and have been doing so. I felt so good yesterday that I did 2x for a total of ~1.14 mile.
I've been trying to be conscious of my stride, because it is still very left-leg dominated, as opposed to a nice even gait. Is that because I'm still favoring my right leg, or simply because I've been walking this way for 2+ months? Not sure, but I think I'm at the point where I need to make sure my stride is even on both sides and will focus on that during my evening walks.
I meet with the surgeon again next week and expect him to tell me to start PT, which is a mixed bag of looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.
Looking forward to running again and wanting (but not needing) a qualifier for MW 2026, I found a 10-miler in the spring in Columbus, Ga along the river. Fairly flat and less than 3 hours away. Last time I was there was to kayak their new stretch of whitewater through town. They've done a lot to spiff up the waterfront area, so should be a nice race.
As for the airplane, I've been trying to get components and sub-assemblies either painted or polished so I can get them out of the garage and to the hangar for assembly. But wielding a paint gun, and especially leaning on the polisher, has me feeling it in my shoulders. If you're wondering, it'll be a combination of polished metal and painted. Sounds odd, but it works on other planes where I've seen it, so hopefully it works on mine...

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

A polished flap. Shiny

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Road to recovery update:
Went back to the surgeon for a checkup. He poked around at the repair area and deemed it all healing well. He said that I'm well ahead of the normal recovery curve (Yes! Above average!).
I asked about some stuff I'm feeling when I move and he noted that what I had just showed him, pulling my foot up closer to my backside, was waaay ahead of any motion that I should be doing already. I told him that I was walking, as prescribed, appx 1/2 mile per day (didn't mention that I've been doing it 2x....) at about a 20 min/mile pace per the watch. He made a face and said that was still too fast.
Gads. At which point he said something about me being definitely Type A, and to not push it lest I pull the repair. So I will continue to be chafing at the perceived slowness of progress, but I will be compliant. One interesting thing I've noticed while walking is that I'm having to be very conscious of my gait, making sure that I'm striding evenly with both legs instead of being left-leg dominant. Not having to relearn to walk, but I am having to relearn walking naturally. Didn't expect that.
I was given my PT marching papers and will be calling them in the morning to start PT (pain tolerance). So will be I able to do a 10 miler in the spring? Maybe, but prolly not fast enough for a qualifier time.

I've started listening to Rise & Run podcasts as a way to continue keeping my head in the game, so to speak. For the Chicago marathon race report, I was pleasantly surprised to hear someone say they were from the small mountain that I grew up on. And an intro call from someone at a local park. Nice.
I also heard them talking at length about Galloway's Run Walk Run and running some rather fast times with the method. Naturally, I've started reading up and studying this more, and it looks like my own run-1-mile/walk-the-water-stops half-@ssed method is still way to long of an interval. So I think I'll be trying out shorter run/walk intervals as I return to running and see how it goes.

 

[jmasgat]

In the immortal words of Bobo the Bear from Muppets in Space......."Baby steps, remember, baby steps"

 

[nancipants]

I also heard them talking at length about Galloway's Run Walk Run and running some rather fast times with the method. Naturally, I've started reading up and studying this more, and it looks like my own run-1-mile/walk-the-water-stops half-@ssed method is still way to long of an interval. So I think I'll be trying out shorter run/walk intervals as I return to running and see how it goes.

Can confirm. When I raced the 10k last year, I started with 1 minute run intervals, and was so gassed by the time I got to mile 5, I ended up switching to 30/30 intervals. Mile 6 was my fastest of the race.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

First PT session was today. Christmas will be the 3 month mark when the repair will be fully healed enough to really start the more intense work. Until then, relatively light strengthening exercises. He did range of motion measurements and ran me through the exercises; I also put in my half mile of walking this afternoon. The overall assessment (by the therapist) is that I’m ahead of schedule in terms of recovery progress. Yay!

The therapist is also a runner and was telling me about some of his destination runs, like Myrtle Beach and Savannah, while I was able to share about the MCM, which he enabled last year. Apparently his wife has done the Princess, so he’s somewhat familiar with Disney running.
Another session later this week and two more next week. Progress.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I had my 4th PT session yesterday morning. We've moved to adding leg weights for the leg lifts. For the laying-on-my-back lifts, no issue. For the side lifts: wow! It's like my hip flexors are barely there in spite of years of running and bicycling. Note to everyone: spend some time on hip flexors as part of your strengthening routines. The therapists also had me balancing on the balance boards, super useful if I do ever get onto Survivor. Then things like side steps with the giant rubber band around my ankles. Not only was I working up a sweat, my heart rate was up to 133, so more of a workout than one would think. The therapist continues to say that he's happy with my progress. I see the surgeon again in the middle of December, so I'll know more at that time about when to expect to resume light jogging/running. In the meantime, I keep doing my half mile per day.
Thanks for reading and happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Over the Thanksgiving break, I did something: I accidentally ran. A co-worker asked "how do you do that?", and the answer is that one of the kids was leaving and I ran to catch them before they left. No far, less than 50 feet, but I later realized it, and realized that things have healed up enough to do that without thinking about it. That said, I still have 3 weeks (not that I'm counting) until I am considered fully healed, per their typical guidelines. I can't wait to see what the surgeon says in a couple of weeks.
Had another PT session this morning and again worked up a sweat and had the HR up into the 120's.
Went for a very chilly walk this afternoon and was feeling good enough that I extended my half mile to a full mile. I've done 2 x half-mile a number of times of late, but with several hours between the walks.
But today was 1 whole mile! Literally a milestone. Hopefully, that wasn't overdoing it, but I did it, so don't tell anyone. Progress.
Good luck to everyone else as they wrap up their MW training.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

More PT under my belt, and I've been walking .5 mile once or twice a day.
I'm chafing at my lack of running and training, but OTOH I know that this is temporary and that I'll be back to running soon enough. I just have to keep reminding myself of that.
Which leads me to needing to wax philosophical for a minute.
I had a crippling, debilitating injury that is now 89% healed less than 4 months after the injury. Without surgery, I'd have been permanently hobbled; I'd be able to move around, but not very fast. My wife is currently hobbled by two bad knees that are now bone-on-bone. She gets her first knee replaced in two weeks, and hopefully the second knee in the spring. I'm about to be back to normal before too long and she will (I pray) be back to normal walking-around mobility by this time next year.
This is flat out modern miracles of science and medicine. For my grandparents and generations prior, our injuries/joints would have limited, if not ended, our ability to farm, do physical labor, maintain a factory job, etc. And for either of us, instead of being in our 50's and having our lives severely limited, this will be a (relatively) minor speedbump and we'll (hopefully) go on to at least 2 more decades of being active and mobile, and without severe pain in her case.
Just sobering to think about the impact of our conditions less than 100 years ago, and thankful for modern medicine.
Thank you for reading.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

A couple of coworkers were pulling up their YTD totals for running and/or cycling.
I pulled up mine, and it sure tells the story in a glance.
That said, I was asked at PT how I’m doing and the answer is: “ I am on the correct side of the dirt, I can walk, and soon I will be able to run again. It’s already a good day.”

 

[jmasgat]

I stopped the monthly tally of reporting miles. What's the point really--if its 5, 50, 100? It gives a momentary "feel"--good if it's a number you want to see, not so good if it's not. It's not like you're being graded on it.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I stopped the monthly tally of reporting miles. What's the point really--if its 5, 50, 100? It gives a momentary "feel"--good if it's a number you want to see, not so good if it's not. It's not like you're being graded on it.

I'm an engineer, so I enjoy numbers and metrics. OTOH, I haven't spent much time keeping track of exactly how many miles I run in a given span of time. I keep an eye on my daily steps and calories burned to see how much I'm moving around, but otherwise not much. In this case, I had two co-workers who were comparing their Strava numbers, so I pulled my Garmin stats up out of curiosity and had to laugh at the numbers going off a cliff.
FWIW, those same two co-workers and I have been discussing doing a team relay on a sprint triathlon. One is an avid cycler, and the other will do the swim, so it'll work out for the three of us. Goals for 2025 or 2026.