Do you remember that time you had the perfect plan and it all went to ...

"Race when you are healthy and able because you never know when that may change." - Lo-Jack

After the final race of the year and a few weeks of R&R, I started to plan out the 2014 race season. Already having two "A" races on the schedule - Ironman Coeur d'Alene and Ironman Florida - it was simply a matter of filling in a few tuneup races, filling in the training blocks, and tracing out the important workouts. For once in my life I had it all sketched out on paper BEFORE the season started. Once January hit it would be a simple matter of filling in the weekly details.

Come January 1 all was good. I started my base period, focusing on strength on the bike and speed in the pool. Coming off a calf strain, running was mostly base miles. Simple, straightforward training.

Then it happened ...

On morning after a run I felt some tightening in my right knee while stretching. This pain was not an unknown to me. Presenting like a tendinitis issue I have dealt with in the past, I went with my standard protocol for this problem. A few week later, things were no better, and I was not running.

Something was different.

For what is probably the first time ever I made the decision to call a doctor. A few days later I was in the office of a sports medicine doctor at OAA Orthopedic Associates getting an x-ray and MRI. A few days after that my fears were confirmed - a meniscus tear. Fortunately, the tear was minor, probably with me for some time, and not necessarily bad enough for surgery. Long story short, after working through the problem, thinking we were in the clear, then dealing with the problem again, the decision was made to get a surgeon involved. Yesterday (April 3) I sat down with a surgeon and will be having surgery in a few weeks.

How things have changed ...

A few weeks ago The Queen informed me that Ironman Coeur d'Alene wasn't going to be happening - I wasn't able to train as needed and nothing good could come from attempting 140.6 miles in an unprepared state of fitness. More than likely I wouldn't be ramping up the run fast enough to give me a chance at a successful marathon off the bike. We talked about it (I had already looked into a number of options), and both agreed it wasn't going to happen. Even if I could have evaded surgery, The Queen was correct.

I have been keeping in shape on the bike and in the pool. I do miss running, but have hit new PR times in the pool and am starting to feel good on the bike. Between now and surgery I will continue to build fitness knowing I will be out of commission for a period of time. I've been told that getting back into the pool and on the bike will happen relatively fast, with running dependent on how much repair needs to be done. Big picture, Ironman Florida and my Fall racing season are still on tap.

Mentally I'm OK with this and will be writing more about it. I did my first of 30 marathons back in 1999 and my first of four Ironman distance events in 2006. All this time I have been relatively injury free, dealing with minor muscle strains and the occasional lower back pain. Don't get me wrong, it's not all "happy happy joy joy" around here, but I do understand the miles I have in my legs. I would much rather be thinking about 20 mile runs, 100 mile rides, and a crazy long transition workouts than surgery, rehab and planning out a comeback.

And that's how your perfect plan goes from awesome to crap.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon