110,000 miles Around the world almost five times Today, on an uneventful, but incredibly HOT run in Chandler, AZ (101 degrees at the run’s beginning), I passed 110,000 miles. I’m not bragging, of course, but that’s almost five times around the Earth at the equator. The journey that began 50 years, 10 months, and 16 days ago has hit another milestone. While I am proud of this milestone, I would like to… Read More »110,000 Milestone and Magnolia Part 2
Bolder Boulder 2017 June 1 was the six month surgery-versary for my knee. Better than that, it marks about six weeks of consistent running. Nothing incredible, mind you, just a steady flow of extremely slow miles run in fear of the next step.Yeah, it’s true. The last six weeks have been run in a constant fear that the next step would be the one that caused SERIOUS knee damage. That,… Read More »Feeling Groovy. Six Months Down, YEARS to go!
Yeah, that’s right. I ran 22 miles last week. This long period (almost six months) of languishing in the depths of non-runningness has been brutal. But with the help of the ever incredible Dr. Carly May, I seem to be back on the path to being a runner again. I’ve been dry needled, adjusted, ART’d, stretched, jackhammered, and more. I’m doing knee exercises, hip exercises, working my quads, and who knows… Read More »One Step at a Time!
Not my knee, but I was tempted today to take a picture I had my second visit with the amazing Dr. Carly today. I’d call my feeling, as I left, “guarded optimism.” After months of not running, the word I see there is optimism.During my first visit ten days ago, she (like me) was a bit taken back by the lack of progress my knee had seen. So, she gave… Read More »Progress!
My last real run was back in September, the 24th I believe. It was a very sore, almost crippling 5 miles on the Highline Canal. Since that day, almost a half a year ago, I have run about 30 miles. I have gained 20 pounds. I have blamed my doctor, poor physical therapy, old age, bad luck, and just about anything or anyone I can blame. I’m done. It’s all… Read More »It’s Billy Yang’s Fault: Pity Party Over (FINALLY)
It’s been six weeks since my knee surgery and I am, what you might call a Guarded Optimist. Watch the video below for details…. Link to Video
In keeping with my New Years recap habit, I am posting here today without much to recap. I did get in 1689 miles this year, which is certainly not my worst year, but not very satisfying as I was on track for 2500. Injuries kept me out of the San Francisco Marathon, the Squamish 50K, and the New York City Marathon. Lots of $$$ down the tube.I found it though.… Read More »2017. Gotta be Better Than This!
So Wednesday, Dr. Michelle Wolcott and I examined the MRI of my knee. The hope was for something easy like a meniscus tear. Go in snip, snip, back on the roads in three weeks. No such luck! Bad news. There is about a 2cm section of the cartilage in my left knee that is gone. Yeah, like gone, disappeared, vanished. Surgical options: microfracture surgery (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microfracture_surgery.) Six weeks on crutches, five… Read More »Good News, Bad News, Bad News and Perspective
Today I had a follow-up visit to Dr. Michelle Wolcott. She is my orthopedic surgeon. Orthopedic surgeon, you ask? Yep. Things have gone from better to worse, to better to worse since we last posted.Growing out of my butt issue, came a knee issue. Extreme tightness and pain behind my knee which got so bad on two occasions that I would get 2 – 3 miles out on a run… Read More »One Step Forward, Three Steps Back
The final post? Where are the others?Confession: the other posts of How I Spent My Summer Vacation have yet to be posted. They include excitement ranging from the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon to the USATF Junior Olympic Track meet in Sacramento. All good stuff, and way overdue, but last things first.Last Friday, I went in for a lower lumbar MRI, without contrast (which I have no… Read More »How I Spent My Summer Vacation: the Final Post