Peaks, Valleys, and Incisions

From Pain to Patience – Running Into Recovery

Good news, I'm still alive!

In the best tradition of storytelling, I'm going to pick up exactly where I left off in my last Das Z Letter.

Mountain Moments to Remember

After an incredible week in the mountains leading up to my knee off-season, I enjoyed an even more remarkable weekend. On Friday evening, I made my way from Leutasch, Austria, to the Scharnitzjoch ridge, arriving just in time for sunset.

The breathtaking beauty of the landscape was so profound that I found myself shedding a tear and wanting to sit on a rock for eternity. That moment was deeply moving and continues to resonate with me.

On Saturday I did a big loop from Garmisch-Partenkirchen over Kreuzeck to the Osterfelderkopf. Like the Scharnitzjoch, it is part of the Zugspitz Ultratrail (ZUT) route, a race I feel very close to. Lisa accompanied me and we thoroughly enjoyed many hours in the most beautiful mountain landscape.

Celebrating One Last Race

However, the crowning glory of the knee off-season celebrations was my last run on Sunday, for which I even pinned a bib on my shirt. Something that hadn't happened since May.

The race, the Eibsee Herbstlauf, was a profiled 12 km course from Grainau to Eibsee at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. Profiled is a modest word for the 400 metres of elevation (all uphill) that the race had, but they were very well spread over the beautiful forested course.

The race affected me a lot. On paper, it satisfied both my hunger for fast road races and my love of free running in the mountains. Double tap!

At the same time, I felt like a guest at this race. Almost like an outsider, an observer. Not of the race, but of myself. My heartbeat, breathing and muscles were working at full speed, but my thoughts and emotions were soft and fluid. A wonderful combination that gave me a gentle hint of what my next running life might be like.

Pain Included in Price

In the last 9 days before the surgery I ran a total of 124 km and climbed 7654 meters. I thoroughly enjoyed every hour and kilometer of my knee off-season party week. I can't remember a single moment when I found running boring or tiring. A feeling I usually have from time to time, even on my best running days.

But I have to be honest:

I was hurting. If I hadn't consciously factored in that pain, I would have been super insecure and cautious during those nine days, just as I had been in the weeks before when I occasionally ran my usual route in Munich's Olympic Park. I willingly took the pain into account.

The chances of me doing much damage in the last week before the operation were relatively small. At the same time, it took a lot of effort for me to just run over the pain. Something I don't normally do. For good reasons.

Ready or Not

In the end, the knee seemed to hold up and I was able to recharge my spiritual battery before things got serious on Monday.

I've only had one other surgery in my life. It was a hernia repair about 25 years ago. Although the operation on my knee was no big deal and pretty much a standard procedure, I was still quite nervous. Luckily I was in good hands and before I knew it I was in a recovery room being served biscuits and tea.

Medical Talk

According to the surgeon, the operation went well. He removed about 15% of my meniscus and smoothed the edges. But while he was at it... He also removed a small piece of torn cartilage between my thigh bone (femur) and kneecap (patella) and a small fold of synovial membrane (plica). Exactly where I had felt the irritation over the past few months.

I was discharged the same day with crutches, a leg brace and a tube in my knee with a bottle attached, which my orthopaedist snatched (!) the next day. Bang. Boom. Ouch.

Knee Off-Season Has Started

Since then, I have spent most of my time in bed, keeping my leg elevated, cooling my knee and letting it heal. I have almost no pain and the knee doesn't look particularly swollen either, as far as I can tell from outside the bandage. I won't need crutches from tomorrow, the stitches will come out next Friday and then I'll start physiotherapy and rehab.

It doesn't feel like it, but it's all happening very quickly.

Framing Injuries

I am writing all this in such detail and at such length on purpose. I want to show with all honesty that a serious injury that requires surgery is a really disruptive and incisive (ha!) thing.

On the other hand, I want to show that it is the most normal of events. An incident from which you usually emerge at least unscathed, usually even better than before.

When you go through something like this, you only see your own (running) life, your own knee, your own limitations, your own possible risks. But if you zoom out, there are very few injuries that cannot be treated and healed at all. What I'm saying (especially to myself) is:

“Stay calm, be patient, and trust that everything will be alright.”

Because it will be.

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Everything Not Running

Lisa and I are thinking about moving out of Munich. Actually, we have been thinking about it for a while, but the idea has become more concrete in the last few weeks.

The driving force behind this project is Lisa's deep desire to live close to the mountains. Ever since I've known her (and probably even longer) she has been magically drawn to them. It is fascinating to see how she blossoms and is in her element as soon as she enters a forest or a mountain path.

I share Lisa's feelings, but perhaps not as urgently. But there are two other reasons for me to move. Firstly, nothing is keeping me in Munich (anymore). I like the city and it was nice to start my own life here. But the times when I went to concerts, parties or the city centre three to five times a week are long gone. Of course I enjoy the advantages of a big city, but now I'm sure I could get by with a choice of 5 different types of oat milk instead of 17.

The other reason is that I see a chance to improve our living situation by moving. Now don't get me wrong, our flat in Munich is absolutely fantastic, we feel very comfortable here. But an extra room, a few more square metres, a bigger kitchen (I love to cook) and a bit more storage space for this and that would be really cool.

However, there is still a long list of unanswered questions.

• Where exactly are we going to move to?

• Will we even find a place we can and want to afford?

• How annoying will the commute be?

• Can we force Harry and Toto to move again?

• What new neighbors will we meet?

• Is there a tartan track nearby?

• Will I be opening a Willpower store there?

• . . .

I have agreed with Lisa that we will discuss the move in more detail once my knee is healed. I find it difficult to concentrate on two things that need my full attention at the same time. We're excited, but not in any hurry.

I am already looking forward to seeing how this project will evolve.

On Repeat