The Lure of a Long Lost Birkyness

In February it will be five years since I skied the American Birkebeiner. Hard to believe I am saying this. I still remember clearly the sights and sounds of that day -- and that year. When I left the cabin on that Sunday after I was deeply sore, tired, and happy. Knowing that after 12 months of running, biking, swimming, hiking, and skiing, I had now reached a fitness level that would allow me to live at Birkyness. And I did. For awhile. Until I didn't.

About a week after the race I was back at it. Taking Ezra on fairly long rambles --on rainy days through the neighborhoods of southwest Madison and --on sunny days through the trails of Elver
Park. On a couple of warmer days I put air in the tires and again got used to spinning the wheels. I was feeling good and once again feeling that maybe the Birkebeiner might be worth a second shot.

Then on a nice warm Saturday I bought some new shoes. I remember clearly the salesperson wanting to put me into a larger shoe. I resisted. I had the ones I had trained in with me, just wanted to match sizes, and get back outside. But for some reason I let her talk me into a larger shoe. She felt that I had gotten lucky with this size and that a larger shoe would prevent future problems. So I went with it.

And after spending some time in these larger shoes I got a blister on my big toe, then another on my left pinky toe, and then I started to feel a tightness in my achilles, and then on long runs I would begin to feel a pressing tenderness under my ankle bone and along my foot. Then I tried to adjust my gait a bit -- to flatten out my pronation that went along with the natural placement of my foot.

Slowly my ankle and my foot gained pain. Slowly I got to the point where I could do nothing without pain. Ran slowly -- pain. Walked slowly on uneven trail -- pain. Walked slowly on flat sidewalk -- pain. Biking -- pain. Skiing -- pain. Then finally earlier this fall, after three and half years of unsuccessful physical therapy, I took a step that was followed by a snap and pop.

The result of the MRI was a ruptured tendon and a stress fracture.

Time for surgery. Time for rehab. Time for health.

And today, ten days after a major surgery on my right foot, I am starting to dream again about what a healthy foot might do for my fitness level, and how I might get back to being a bit of an athlete. How I might just back to Birkyness.