After many years of running half and full marathons I decided this spring that I wanted to accomplish an Ultra. I set my eyes on the Fall 50 in Door County, Wisconsin and got to training. I sacrificed my summer to train my heart out for this race, following a training plan to the T and doing everything "right" when it came to rest days, stretching, strength training, hydration and nutrition.
3 weeks ago, while on a training run I was stopped dead in my tracks by
the worst pain I have ever felt, in my left knee. The short of it is I need surgery and will not be able to walk for 3
months post surgery followed by an additional 6-9 months of rehab, no high impact activities and NO RUNNING for 12 months!
Long story...I have an old PCL tear and medial femoral condyle
cartilage injury from a 1997 figure skating accident. As PCL's tears are not
usually fixed, they did nothing back in 1997. In 2007 I had surgery in an attempt
to fix the medial femoral condyle injury and to cut out part of my
meniscus that was torn. The surgery was unsuccessful and I have been
getting by ever since (painful, but bearable) with lots of strength
training to help with stability and being careful when I run to always
calculate my step.
The doctor is unable to explain why 3 weeks ago on a short training run, feeling great a mile and a half in, that one step was fine and the next was so incredibly painful (it felt like each step I took I was being stabbed in the
center/medial of my knee with a knife). So although there appears to be no acute injury ( I had x-rays, an MRI and a CT Scan) my old injuries have finally got the best of me. The surgeon is going to construct a new PCL (using a portion
of my hamstring) and resurface the femoral condyle with a donor
cartilage implant. The cartilage implant is the reason for 3 months of non-weight bearing
and 12 months of NO running. Its needs that time to heal.
Of course I am devastated (I want so desperately to run the Fall 50 Ultra). I have spent the last 3 weeks trying to
regroup and figure out what my "plan" is going to be for the next year
in order to stay fit and keep my sanity. Running is my passion, my sanity, my motivation and without
it I feel lost. I also have a need to be in control, so having a plan makes me feel more in control of my situation.
The success rate for this surgery is 66% and there are no guarantees. I am banking on being able to run again and run pain free (that is the goal at least). However, I have been told by my surgeon that if the surgery is successful, the longevity of the implant depends on my activity level. If I return to long distance running, I may get 5 years. If I modify my activity (quit running), I could get 15 years out of my knee before needing knee replacement surgery.
Of course I am not planning of giving up running (already gave up figure skating after my initial injury in 1997)...but I am open to trying new sports during my year away from running...and you never know, I might end up with a second passion!
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