9 years since I went to the hardware store

May 30, 2000-

There were 2 weeks left in my junior year of college. I was wrapping up a great track season. I was in the best shape of my life & I had run PR's at my 2 key track distances 5000 meters (14:35), and 1500 meters (3:50). I was able to do things on the track I can hardly believe now.

This Tuesday morning was pretty typical. Woke up, ran 3 miles, ate breakfast, went to class, then got ready to head out for another 7 mile run. I rode my bike to the track to chat with my coach before he headed out of town. I was excited about what I had accomplished that season, but knew I had faster times in me. Still, it had been a long season. I failed to qualify for the NCAA meet, and I was ready for my 2 week break before gearing up for cross country. But my coach talked me into extending my season 3 more weeks to run in a competitive open meet being held at Stanford (which was primarily a "last chance" opportunity for runners to qualify for the upcoming Olympic Trials). I was tired - but what the heck - one more chance to blast a fast time. I headed out for my run...

What happened 30 minutes later was hardly believable. I had run competively for 9 years and had never been forced to miss 2 days of running in a row. I headed out to run "oak creek", which I had probably run 50 times before. I was on a flat, well maintained dirt trail when the inside of my left foot landed on a tiny rock that was beside a tiny divot. My entire weight landed on the outside of my left foot and I felt a pop. I just figured I had rolled my ankle, and that I could walk it off like I always did. Nope! I couldn't put any weight on it, so I hopped about a quarter mile on one leg, borrowed a phone, and got a ride to our training room. I didn't believe the trainer who told me that my foot was broken, but the xray didn't lie. My 5th metatarsal was cracked.

The doctors gave me two options. One was to stay on crutches for 10 weeks and hope that it healed. The other was to have surgery, wait 10 weeks, and know that it would heal & not break again. Thanks to the resources of the Stanford athletic department I was able to schedule surgery with a world class orthapedic doctor at the Stanford medical center. He was the also the SF Forty Niner's team surgeon. His normal waiting list was 6 months - I had the operation 2 weeks later.

My foot healed but I never enjoyed the fitness that I had in the spring of 2000.

Fast forward to 2009. I ran frequently after college, but I didn't do the harder workouts, and I didn't race. I just went out for runs & I enjoyed it again. But over the past year, I found a fun group of guys to run with, and found I enjoyed racing again. I'm not running the times I used to but certainly in the best shape I've been in since before I graduated, and close to the best shape since my injury. The last few weeks I was having some aches and pains, but a little pain in the outside of my left foot concerned me. I didn't think it was serious, but since it was exaclty where I broke my foot 9 years ago, I decided to get some x-rays. The good news is I just had some minor tendonitus which cleared up, and my foot has healed perfectly from the surgery 9 years ago.

Looks just like what you see at the hardware store!