Ah, spring time. Long days, warmer temps, closed lifts, Mount Washington calling my name… and injuries. Always injuries. Prior to my broken elbow four seasons ago, I had never had an injury that effected my season. Since then it seems like an annual occurrence. This insidious streak is particularly prevalent in the spring. My monthly stats back this up: I have more ski days in July (3) than in June (2).
This year’s injury dates back to the epic dump during the last week of February. Magic Mountain got the goods but the snow was particularly dense and heavy. My tips dove and I hyperextended my knee when my bindings didn’t release as my body tried to go over the handlebars.
My knee seemed fine at the time, just a little sore, and I kept skiing. I kept skiing right through March and April, despite increasing tension and pain, especially when descending stairs or weighting my left knee heavily. These days included a few open to close bump days during which I surprisingly had little pain while skiing.
After all the lifts had closed and I had summited Mount Washington, I finally decided two months later that the injury should be checked out despite having the ability to ski. X-rays revealed no broken bones but the injury was somewhat of a puzzle. The Orthopod believed it was an inflamed fat pad in the knee, prescribed anti-inflammatory, and sent me to Physical Therapy.
Four weeks of PT later, I am on the mend and feeling much better. Quadricep strength training, daily ice, and lots of Ibuprofen have my knee on the mend. A review of online literature has produced a self diagnosis of Patellar tendinopathy or jumpers knee. Despite feeling better, my left Patellar Tendon is still somewhat sore after excessive stress, so I am keeping myself on the skiing DL and focusing on cycling instead for non-impact strength training.
One of these years, I swear I will have an epic spring season from April right through July with half a seasons worth of days without injury, sickness, or other bodily set back.
6 thoughts on “Yet Another Spring on the DL”
Hey Steve, welcome to the gimp club! I had ACL reconstruction in April and am slowly getting back to normal. It sounds like you have the right attitude for full recovery: do the physio but don’t push it. It will come!
Thankfully, none of the ligaments sustained severe damage. ACL, MCL, and meniscus all intact and functioning well. This has been one of the worst injuries I have had to deal with because I still CAN do anything I would normally do, there is nothing preventing me from doing so. See my last TR of the season which happened right after my first PT session, LOL:
http://www.thesnowway.com/2010/04/28/the-powder-days-started-here-the-powder-days-finish-here-over-two-feet-of-fresh-at-cannon
I laid off after that one but two feet in April… couldn’t resist. 🙂
“My knee seemed fine at the time, just a little sore, and I kept skiing. I kept skiing right through March and April, despite increasing tension and pain, especially when descending stairs or weighting my left knee heavily. These days included a few open to close bump days during which I surprisingly had little pain while skiing.”
I honestly think that for those of us who truly love to ski, who LIVE to ski … adrendaline, endorphines, whatever … keep us from feeling pain when maybe we “should” feel it. That’s got pluses and minuses.
I really can’t run more than a 1/4 mile without knee pain the next day. But I’ve teleskied bell-to-bell for several days in row. And I can backpack with a big load. It makes no sense.
Glad it’s coming along. I’m sure you’ll be rocking at Sunday River, or wherever, in that early October dump next fall.
Steve,
Sorry to hear about the injury. I don’t think you’ll be missing much for July turns this year. It’ll be pretty thin. I’ll raise a toast to your recovery tomorrow. I’m taking my son with me to hit the snowfields and whatever else we can find off the Auto Road. Here’s to a quick recovery!
@Harv – I hope I can eventually ran more than a 1/4 mile without pain! I dearly miss running. Though I have replaced running with road biking and am starting to take that seriously. It is still not the same, though. And I need to run if I want to try my first Duo! Definitely will be all set for skiing come October, no worries there.
@Gregg – I have seen the photos and agree that July is not happening this year in the Ravine. But I am missing season ending June turns and slacking Auto Road style. If you are going, you better go ASAP! Photos from Memorial Day weekend were stunning short in vertical compared to many other years.
Veni, Vidi, Vici. Monday was a great day. I hoisted a Sam to your recovery. The weather was perfect and we were above the smoke. The snow was getting pretty soft as it didn’t freeze at night but it was still fantastic. If you look at RR’s video of the slalom on Memorial Day, my son Sam and I are first up in the video. The title says Greg and Mat but that’s a typo.