Brittany’s Blog

In April, I took a trip home to Ohio to visit family. I spent over a week there. Since I couldn’t ski in my favorite month of skiing, I figured I’d avoid misery and spend some time at home.

I have been meaning to post this TR for awhile. But, since it was still very much winter in Crested Butte it just didn’t seem appropriate. Now that summer has arrived, the time is right for summer TR’s- which this really is, despite it’s April date.

I’ve always wanted to go to Ohio’s Amish country. I’d never had the opportunity before. But, as a child, my grandparents lived in the heart of Indiana’s Amish country. So I grew up with a complete fascination of the Amish. To this day, I envy their simpler lifestyle. And I constantly remind myself that, “Simple is good.” We headed from the Cleveland suburbs down toward the Amish hub of Berlin.

Along the way, we stopped at some interesting sights…

The quaint town of Aurora Falls.

Fort Laurens - The only Revolutionary War fort in Ohio. Really, there’s not much left of the fort. But the site is commemorated.

Fort Laurens is located on the edge of the Erie Canal.

From there, there’s a scenic byway that follows along the Erie Canal. So, we followed it. Built in the early 1800’s, a flood produced complications and it was quickly replaced by the mega-business of trains.

From there, the road took us to the town of Zoar. Zoar was a town founded in 1817 by a religious group of German Separatists. The town is rich in cultural heritage and architecture.

Then we found ourselves in Berlin, with Amish buggies on every street corner!

These are Amish Convertibles.

Sometimes, they’d just rather walk.

They farm differently, yet with incredible perseverance. I admire their “organic” lifestyle.

Their farms are picturesque.

But, the life of the Amish is not all work and no play. They take time to enjoy family, and food, and and occasional game of baseball.

We visited the Amish and Mennonite museum in Berlin, which was interesting. They featured an Amish school house- remarkably not very old.

They also had an old buggy- from the old days of westward wagon trains.

The actual town of Berlin can be a bit of a tourist trap. Still, it is a nice place to visit.

The town of Sugar Bush, near Berlin but quieter, is known for it’s Swiss roots.

With such rich European heritage and being a perfect region for the dairy cattle, this area cannot help but be known for it’s cheese.

We stopped at this Guggisburg cheese site where we had the opportunity to taste lots of fabulous cheese- all for sale for a reasonable price.

We also stopped at a local winery - Breitenbach.

They make a wine out of this (dandelions). Though interesting to try, it was not favorable to my pallet.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip to the land of the Amish. Their culture and their life continue to fascinate me. And I will always admire their honesty, simplicity, and connection to nature.

I never thought I’d say it. I’m not really a summer person. I live for winter. But, here I am, welcoming summer! It’s been the months of misery, wishing I could ski but couldn’t. Months of physical therapy and hating every moment it snowed because I couldn’t enjoy it and I had walk outside like a gaper with my Yak Traks. I was approved to ride my bike outside a month after ACL surgery. And for the first time in my life, I just wanted the snow to end.

But the snow wouldn’t end. Even two weeks ago, it was snowing. Finally, summer arrived in Crested Butte on the 21st of June- right on schedule. It was our first hot day. It was 70 degrees Since then, I’ve been soaking up the sun, enjoying the warmth, and taking advantage of being able to do things outside.

Even though I can’t ride single track, I’m still happy to be on my bike. Usually, I’m reluctant to give up the skis for the bike. But this spring, I barely spent the time outside that I am used to. So, I am happy to be able to do something outside, and riding my bike is the thing I do.

Summer is a social time here in Crested Butte and I like that. Whether it’s mountain biking, hiking, drinks on the patio in front of the Brick Oven, free Alpenglow music concerts, plays, BBQ’s, parties, weddings, or something else, it seems like friends are always there. Summer is lovely in the Butte.

So, here’s to summer! And the summer TR’s to come!

I haven’t been writing in a while. Sometimes life just gets busy. Sometimes you just have nothing new to talk about. Both of these things have prevented me from blogging lately.

At the beginning of June I saw Dr. Beim for another follow-up appointment for my knee. There wasn’t much new to report except that she approved me to run outside and to do some hiking. The only catch with the hiking was that I’m not allowed to hike downhill. That’s nearly impossible around here, except by hiking at the ski area, then taking the lift downhill. I haven’t done that just yet, as I’m having fun on my bike. And running- well, I pretty much gave that up about 5 years ago. Otherwise, the doctor didn’t have anything new to say. She still said no single track riding until 6 months post-op.

My knee (muscles) is getting stronger and stronger. At three months my physical therapist bumped up the routine to incorporate an elastic “sport cord” to provide resistance. I do step-ups (front and sideways), lunges, and step sideways through cones with this cord. Otherwise, my physical therapist is also focusing my recovery on core stability. He says I have a strong core, but I don’t use it enough. In retrospect, this is probably related to me actually tearing my ACL in the first place.

I am working on getting a custom fit brace. Most docs around here don’t require it. It’s becoming less common than it used to be. But, I remember my custom brace from my previous ACL and I liked it a lot. I actually wore it skiing for 4 years, since it was so comfortable and increased my confidence. Once I get my brace, I can do more things a bit earlier than I would without it- maybe even ride some single track. But, getting a brace takes a while. I started initiating the process at the beginning of June. Since then, we’ve looked at my insurance policy and made sure a brace is covered- thankfully it is. Then there’s the step of making sure the actual brace I want is covered by my insurance and that is where I’m at now. I should have that figured out next week. Then, I’ll go down to the physical therapy place in Gunnison (as required by my insurance company) and get fitted for a brace. After that, the brace should arrive in about 1-2 weeks. I hope to have it by the end of July.

I’ve been riding my bike a lot. My dad came to visit last week and we rode for 6 days in a row- many of them long days. The rides were fun, despite the lack of single track, and I’ll be posting TR’s soon!

I had a follow-up appointment with my orthopedist, Doctor Beim, on Friday. She said that my knee is looking solid and she approved me to run and hike on flat/smooth trails. Well, I gave up running 5 years ago, basically, because my body just couldn’t hack the impact anymore. But, it’s nice to know I have the option. We really don’t have any flat/smooth trails in Crested Butte, and Dr. Beim knows that. So, she suggested hiking up the roads or some of the smoother trails at the ski area and taking the lift down. She said hiking downhill is a bad idea.

At any rate, I guess things are progressing as they should. My quad is still very weak. It will take some time to get that back. I have a feeling this is contributing to some of the poor balance I seem to have on that leg as well. Many of the exercises I am doing for balance I am struggling with. The worst part is that I’m not seeing a lot of improvement in my balance as a whole. But, I know it will eventually improve. I can stand on that leg with decent balance. But it’s some of the other things I can’t do correctly. For instance, my physical therapist has me stepping up onto a platform with a squishy “balance pad” at the top of the step. For some reason this balance pad makes things 100 times more difficult. I can do it easily with my uninjured leg. But I struggle with my injured leg. The other week I struggled so much with it that I fell off the stair!

Alas, these are the trials and tribulations of post-surgery recovery. I’ll move past this plateau eventually! Sometimes it’s frustrating though. I just need to focus my energy on recovering. And that’s the best that I can do!

I have been getting in some good rides on my bike. I’d be riding even more if the weather was a bit better. We have been plagued with a very rainy/cloudy spring. It’s hard to motivate to ride when the roads are wet all the time or there are constantly black clouds in the sky threatening to let loose- probably most likely when I’m well into my ride. I am hoping for some sunny days soon, but they have yet to be in our forecast and really haven’t been in our forecast for nearly a month.

My knee continues to get better.  Stiffness keeps getting less and less.  The pain, which has been minimal to begin with, is pretty much going away.  My quad keeps getting stronger, but it still has a way to go.  I’ve been out riding my bike a lot the last two weeks.  Being able to enjoy outdoor activities has really lifted my spirits.   I am ridng my road bike on paved roads and my mountainb bike on dirt roads. I am going to physical therapy once a week, but I do physical therapy excersices at my gym two other times a week.  My physical therapist gave me the okay to do yoga a while back.  But I haven’t gotten around to it.  I’ll probably do so later this week. 

All in all, things are continuing to progress.  I’m working hard with my mind set on being as strong as possible for next ski season!

Well, my knee is feeling better and better. I can now walk and be up on my feet for long periods of time without irritating it. My PT seems to have reached a plateau, meaning that not much new is being added. My ROM is pretty much the same as my other knee. I don’t do heal slides anymore because they don’t do anything for my flexion anymore. I now just stretch my quad (by pulling my ankle behind my butt), which also stretches my knee a bit. I walk normally now, even pretty fast. But, I can’t really run. I sometimes get pain on the lateral side of my knee right by my knee cap. My PT says that should go away as I get stronger. Otherwise, my pain is very minimal- just some stiffness here and there after long periods in the car, etc. My PT now is focusing on just getting my quad muscles stronger. My hammy is pretty much just as strong or stronger as my other leg. But my quad is not. I still walk upstairs and downstairs with a bit of a limp because of this. But otherwise, most people wouldn’t even know that I had surgery 7 weeks ago.

I’m still fighting the mental battle though. I really want to be out there skiing still. And the fact that I cannot ride my mountain bike on single track until September makes me feel like I’ll be missing out on the best part of summer. Even though the doc has approved me to ride my bike outside on level roads, I have not been able to do so because of work, poor weather, and traveling. I plan on riding outside on Tuesday or Wednesday, though. Being outside should help my mental state. I’ve also joined a gym (Elk Avenue Fitness) which should help with my PT and my mental state. As I get further along in my PT I find there is less I can really be doing at home. The exercises with the pilates bands seems to be getting easier and easier to the point where my muscles feel like they are barely working. So, being able to lift weights at the gym is the next logical stage to improving my strength.

Book Review: Swimming to Antarctica

Author: Lynne Cox

Year: 2004

During my last blog entry, I mentioned that my injury has allowed me some time to find sources of inspiration. Another source of inspiration is long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox. I recently read her autobiography, Swimming to Antarctica, and found it full of insight.

Not everyone sets huge athletic goals for themselves at age nine. But, Lynne Cox did. In her autobiography, she describes how a stormy day while swimming at her pool in New Hampshire, she set her sights on swimming across the English Channel. She worked toward that goal during her adolescence, moving to California in the meantime. Swimming 26 miles across the Catalina Channel at age 12 further provided further motivation for her English Channel swim. At age 15, Cox swam across the English Channel, breaking both the women’s and men’s world record times.

So, what do you do when you achieve your life goal at age 15? You strive for more challenges. And that’s exactly what Lynne Cox did. After her first swim at the English Channel, her record was quickly broken. So, she went back and broke the record once again. She also set a record on the Catalina Channel. Eventually, Cox began focusing on international swims with her ultimate desire being to swim across the Bering Strait into Russia, during the Cold War. The political maneuvering behind doing such a swim took years, so she began training in colder waters. Cox swam across the Cook Strait in New Zealand, joined by dolphins, being broadcast through the whole country, and with all of the Kiwis pulling for her as the weather continued to worsen. She then pushed her cold-water boundaries in the Strait of Magellan, swimming in 44 degree water, followed by swims in the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and Lake Myvant in Iceland (where the water was 43 degrees). All the while, she encaptured the hearts and souls of people in each country visiting, finding support in places she never expected. Cox never forgot her ultimate goal of swimming the Bering Strait and viewed all of her various swims as training for this swim. To prepare for swimming in the 38 degree water of the Bering Strait she ventured to Glacier Bay, Alaska where she swam 28 minutes with pan ice in 38 degree water.

The book seems to climax during Lynne’s swim of the Bering Strait. Cox spent years writing letters, making phone calls, and creating connections which would eventually allow her to gain the permission she needed for the swim. This swim would never have happened if it weren’t for her persistence and endless hope. Before she had even gained permission from the Russian authorities, she and her support team made there way to Nome, Alaska to prepare for the swim. Cox had a window of time she allotted for the swim and near the end of that time she still hadn’t heard from the Russians. But, then the long-awaited phone call was finally received and the swim was on. Lynne swam from Little Diomede and Big Diomede, from Alaska to Russia, in cold water, during the Cold War. Cox’s swim signified new relations between the two enemies, and allowed for a cultural exchange between the habitants of two countries that only knew rumors about one another.

Cox’s successful swims made her realize her true potential. Her swims began to develop into “three dimensional” tasks. Cox’s goal was not only to swim in unique places, but she also wanted to “establish bridges between borders”. In trying to accomplish this goal, Cox swam in Lake Baikal in Siberia, across the Beagle Channel between Chile and Argentina, across the Spree River from East Berlin to West Berlin (before the fall of the Berlin Wall), and across Lake Titicaca from Bolivia to Peru.
But, these swims were easy for Cox. She desired for something more challenging- something people thought was absolutely impossible. Cox wanted to swim in Antarctica. In 1992, Cox became the first person to swim the “Arctic mile”, swimming in 32 degree water from a ship called the Orlova to the shore of Antarctica at Neko Harbor. The swim was an enormous victory for Cox, although she sustained permanent nerve and muscle damage from prolonged exposure to the cold water.

I am not a swimmer, really. And the thought of swimming in water that cold makes me want to cry. Yet, I found this book absolutely enjoyable. As an athlete myself- a female athlete at that-, I could relate to many of the trials she encountered in her story. Cox battles issues of funding and sponsorship, often emptying her checking account to achieve her goals. She writes about the failure to achieve a goal, a matter that many athletes have to contend with from time to time, and demonstrates how overcoming failures is a matter of mind-set. Cox talks about why she swims and it’s a simple answer – she swims because she’s good at it. To accomplish her goals, she spends years planning and training with the end result being exposure to treacherous conditions, whether it is nearly freezing water temperatures, floating chunks of ice, sharks, or raw sewage on the Nile. Like any ambitious athlete, Cox devotes her time, her mind, her money and her life to accomplishing the goals that surround her sport. Because of this, Cox’s book is one that any athlete will appreciate.

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Lynne Cox now tours around the country speaking about her experiences and on other topics such as motivation and goal setting. You can hear an excerpt of one of Lynne’s talks here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_4rcs_iqN8