Recovery: Part 1

I was having a hard time admitting it to myself much less admitting it here but here's the facts: the tendons in my left foot need recovery. More than I can get in a few days sitting in Damascus. So I made the decision to come home to California to aggressively rehabilitate so that I can get back on the trail as soon as humanly possible and take a shot at Katahdin.

I flew home yesterday on a relatively painless two flights though all the inactivity paired with a bit of dehydration caused my foot to seize up pretty badly making the departure into San Francisco excruciating. In the airport people looked at me like I had a third arm growing out of my forehead. Yes, friends, I'm wearing a bandana and don't smell exactly like roses and yes, I have to struggle with my bag significantly less than all of you since I've been hauling it around every day for the past 6 weeks (and now it has no food or water...what a dream!) but nothing to see here. At least I had the courtesy to find a bathroom instead of the nearest potted plant when we got off the plane.

My brother was there to pick me up and he took me back home where I was reunited with my puppy which was of course an instant mood boost. I'm surprised she made it out alive and wasn't smothered by love. Lucky girl.

At 4:00pm I went to Kaiser to meet my mom and have a doctor take a closer look at my foot and give me the news. The first doctor I saw was decidedly distracted and pessimistic. When I informed her that I had two weeks and would I be ready? She basically told me I was insane but that she would call a physical therapist.

The physical therapist was my kind of woman. A previous PCT hiker she knew exactly what was going on - knew where to press on my foot to find the pain and had a much sunnier outlook. The plan? Ice the foot every other hour for 15 minutes, stretching routines throughout the day and stationary biking/swimming to keep up my cardio until I can go back. Oh, and get some lighter shoes. She says two weeks? No problem. I like this woman.

I plan on following her every piece of advice as accurately as possible. I have alarms set every 2 hours for icing and when I'm not icing I plan to be getting in as much cardio as possible so that I can keep up when I get back. Down but not out. I plan on being the Adrian Peterson of the AT and coming back faster and stronger than ever and rushing for 2,000 yards (or in my case, miles) in one season.

This morning my foot feels decidedly better after only two icing sessions last night (and a bedtime of about 8:15pm...geriatric much?). I am hopeful. I am anxious. Get me back out there.