10 months Post ACL Reconstruction: Wildflower Long Course Triathlon Finisher

Last year I withdrew from the Wildflower Long Course Triathlon because of a torn ACL and MCL in my R knee.  Psychologically, I was so depressed.  I feared that I may never approach the same level of fitness again.  My dreams of running in the Boston Marathon and the Ironman Triathlon seemed to have gone up in smoke.
 
In July 2009, I finally had surgery on my Right ACL using my own hamstring tendon as a graft to replace the torn ACL.  The first few months were again painful physically and psychologically.  Over the summer, I watched runners outside my window and I felt so envious.  Before the injury I took running for granted.  Running was something natural and effortless.  Now after surgery, walking was difficult and my Right leg muscles were atrophied.  I literally had to slap my quads to activate them and force them to contract. 

After the go-ahead to start low impact exercises, I proceeded with stationary bike, then the pool and the elliptical.  I then progressed to walking and finally slow jogging on the treadmill.  Missing the Vineman Triathlon in August was tough, but I continued with rehab and by mid-October, I had finished the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco.  In November, I jogged the RnR San Antonio Marathon.  I met a TnT triathlete from the San Francisco Ironteam: Erin and we ran together for a while in San Antonio.  If you read my earlier blog posts you will see that I continued with RnR Las Vegas Half Marathon and then the RnR Arizona 50K ( 31 miles).

While I was getting my running fix, I also rejoined the Ironteam Greater L.A. to accomplish what I had started out to do a year earlier: compete at Wildflower and later the Ironman.  With the support of former Iron-teammates, mentors, and Coaches Paul and Rad, I slowly regained my triathlon fitness.  I made improvements in the swim and also the bike.  The run was the last thing to come back.  I could walk / jog, but real fast running was difficult.  My hamstrings would start to fatigue and get sore first, then later my Right knee would start to ache. 

Going into Wildflower 2010, I had a gimpy Right knee that I wasn't sure was going to hold up and I had a sore left shoulder, probably from swimming.  But I was just so glad to be finally at Lake San Antonio.  I knew I was going to do this.  My goal was just to finish, but in the back of my mind I estimated a finish time of 7 hrs and 30 min.

I had a great drive up with Arkady, who gave me some advice and words of encouragement.  The TnT inspirational dinner was inspiring.  I met Erin again from the SF Ironteam and she remembered me from our run in San Antonio.  What a small world!  The night before the race, I pumped my tires and the front tire blew out.  I quickly changed it and Coach Paul pumped it back up for me and told me to go to bed. 

Finally Race Morning arrived: I set up my transition area, took care of business at the Port-a-Potty, checked out the swim course as the elites went off, revisited the Potty, then finally got in my wetsuit.  I thought I sprayed my anti-chaf lubricant on all the vital spots, but somehow I missed my Right underarm.  This proved to be a painful mistake since I wear the sleeveless wetsuit and the rubber burn in my Right armpit bothered me all through the rest of the day ( and even now as I type this up.)  I approached the swim launch area and wished many of my teammates well.  As I waited for my wave to finally go off, Coach Paul asked me how I was doing.  I told him I was nervous and had butterflies in my stomach.  Coach told me, "You're just going swimming in a lake, it's not like they're gonna shoot you or anything."  That calmed me down.  The swim went really well and I kept telling myself I'm just having a nice swim in a cool refreshing lake.  I tried not to let the other swimmers around me, slapping me in the feet and legs bother me.  I took it one buoy at a time, reached the turnaround, and started swimming for home.  It was then that I had my first major obstacle of the day, a swimmer ahead kicked me in the right eye/ goggle.  That stunned me a little.  I tried to readjust the goggle and water got in.  Now I could only see clearly through my left eye.  When I tried to adjust the goggle, I think it messed up my rhythm and I swallowed some water and started coughing.  I could feel the panic level starting to rise.  I told myself to relax, ignore the goggle issue and just finish the swim.  I had a more difficult time sighting, but eventually I finished.  Time was about 47 minutes and this was about what I expected.

I took a little longer at the transition about 8 minutes.  I remember putting on my cycling gloves and realizing I forgot sunblock, so I took off the gloves, applied the sunblock and then putting on the gloves again.  I also remember struggling to put on my knee high socks and debating whether to skip the socks on the ride.  But I thought taking an extra minute to put on the socks will pay dividends down the line during the ride and the run to delay leg fatigue.

I went out on the ride and initially a lot of people passed me.  I remember what Coach Paul said about the race starting at mile 42 and it was all about getting to that point before really starting the race.  So I rode conservatively and let the race come to me.  My second and third obstacles occurred early in the ride, one of my water bottles popped out and one of my 3 energy bars popped out of my bento box.  It turned out OK as I was able to replace a water bottle at an aid station.  And the 2 energy bars were enough for the ride.

I saw many Ironteammates during the ride, some passed me and I passed others, but I was always encouraged by them and the chants of "Go Team".  Gradually I increased my bike intensity.  I hit Nasty Grade, but didn't realize I was on Nasty until I was already halfway up.  I kept telling myself to keep a nice easy and consistent rhythm.  I didn't want to go out too hard and not have enough left for Nasty.  Well before I knew it I was up Nasty and had plenty of energy, so I made the turn and charged up the next incline.  Finally, I let loose on the downhills and the flats in the remainder of the bike course.  I finished in about 3 hrs and 35 min. ( about 25 min better than I expected)

I reapplied sunblock and got in my running gear with my racebelt and off I went: 4 min transition.  But I forgot my nutrition for the run.  Now I got worried.  I was already short 1 energy bar on the bike ride, and I needed to get to an Aid station with Gel and I wasn't sure when that would be.  I prayed that I could avoid the Bonk.  I also saw Sara Tung starting to cramp and struggle with running.  My legs didn't feel much better during those first few miles with all those hills.  I kept thinking this is cruel, whoever designed this run course was real cruel.  It was starting to get hot, and I tried to run in the shade when possible.  I passed a few more teammates during the run including Chris Trent and Gordie.  I saw Gordie limping and he informed me that he twisted an ankle.  I tried to encourage him and then I continued. 

During the run, I ran much of it with a TnT participant from N.Y., I never caught her name, but we passed each other several times throughout the run.  I finally got to mile 6 for some much needed gel.  By this time, I was drinking 2 cups of water and pouring 1 cup down my hat or my shirt at each water station.  I remember seeing many teammates in the pit.  I saw Carlos, Bobby Endo, on the way back Sara, Efren, Rachel Chai, and others.  Finally I ran down Lynch hill faster than I have since my injury and subsequent surgery.  I manage to pass Bobby Endo at this point and he said I was running great.  I ran through the chute like a madman.  I saw that the runner in the chute ahead of me was in my age group, so naturally my competitive juices came out and I knew I had to finish ahead of him.  I finished the run in 2 hours 26 min.  Total time for 70.3 miles was 7 hours and 2 minutes.

I was so happy to see my Ironteammates at the finish cheering for me.  That was the best feeling in the world.  The hugs, handshakes, slaps on the back.... these memories I will always cherish.  Then being on the receiving line to welcome back other teammates as they finished was just as rewarding.  It was only afterwards that I realized that some of the teammates at the finish line greeting us, did not get to finish their race.  I am so proud of them for giving their all and then being there for the rest of us as we finished our races.  Way to go Ironteam.  This is what the Ironteam family is all about.