A long overdue update

I have opened this window to type an update so many times over the summer. Crashing my bike and ending up on the injured list for the second year in a row definitely threw me for a loop (figuratively speaking – there was no looping in my crash, just a direct impact with the ground).

To recap my injuries, in addition to some abrasions that left some cute scars, I managed to fracture my elbow and permanently dislocate my collarbone at the sternum (I didn’t even know that was possible). I had surgery to remove gravel from my arm and prevent a bone infection. I still have some bone bruises and my elbow hurts about 75% of the time.

I’m not going to lie, recovery has been slow and mentally challenging. Rehabbing my hip labral tear was mentally much easier because there were things I could do. I could push myself and really work for that recovery. This has certainly been slow going. It took a while, but while I’m not back to my full weight lifting routine (and won’t be for quite a number of months), I’m back to swim/bike/run and recently swam my first mile since April.

But that’s not to say that the summer hasn’t been fabulous. I’ve had a lot of great adventures and I wouldn’t trade any of it.

As you may remember, I was aiming for 70.3 Ohio this summer. For the second time in a row, I had to drop out of a 70.3 due to injury. But for the second time in a row, I still went to the race to cheer and hang out with friends. And that was worth every second.

I got to hang out with a bunch of friends and cheer many of them through what proved to be a very tough race, both physically and emotionally. Instead of wishing I were out there, I was just glad I could still be part of the day.

I’m not going to lie, there were definitely moments where I thought “Perhaps I should register for another 70.3 next year.” But at this point, I think I’m committed to racing local next year, mostly Olympics. I want to make sure that I’m properly rehabbing my arm and my shoulder and not pushing just to make a distance.

I will, however, likely still go to some of the big races to cheer on friends and strangers. It’s so much fun to be part of a big race environment, whether or not I’m racing. I’m lucky to know so many awesome people.

So next up, I am finally getting a chance to race this year. I’ll be racing the Patriots Olympic the weekend after Labor Day. It’s not going to be pretty, and it’s probably going to hurt, but I need to get back out there. I don’t want to go a full year without racing if I can help it. And of course, once tri season is over, I’ll be out doing running races once again. And looking forward to the 2020 season (and beyond).