August 23, 2013: ER Revisited

(me...holding a cowbell for the race)
Yesterday was a milestone of sorts and I didn't even know it. Garrett and I were enjoying Day 2 of the Pro Cycling Challenge. Friday's stage was in Vail.

Rather than biking up a mountain to a favored spectator spot, we choose to hang in Vail Village at the time trial start. The day was picture perfect and the atmosphere, fun. We took a casual bike ride to our destination and spent the day as cycling groupies.

We perused the many vendor tents and found some cool new gear. Lunch consisted of gyros from a tent and Sunshine Wheat beer sold from a bike with a cooler full of brew. We pulled a spot on a wall with our refreshments and rider list in hand. A perfect spot for watching the 100+ riders take off. A good day. A Garrett and Sandy kind of day.

As we took in all the fun facts of the pro cyclists flying by us, a realization set in.

Me: "Garrett, I don't think I've been in the mountains since I blew my ACL."

<pause and reflection>

GB: "I think you're right."

Me: "Yeah, I'm pretty sure my last trip home from the mountains was from the Vail ER with my blown knee in a brace."

<more reflection>

Me: "I think it was exactly 6 months ago. Wasn't February 23rd the date of my accident? That was the date. I sure had to write it down a lot in the pre-surgery paperwork."

<I-Phone verification>

Yep, I have been off the mountain for six months and unscripted, we ended up on the same mountain on my anniversary date. This is the date my surgeon told me I would be back to 100%. And he was right. Without thinking about this milestone, I climbed a mountain on my bike yesterday and then navigated around Vail without a hint of an ACL problem.

For fun, Garrett snapped a shot of me by the Vail ER. I even went inside and used their very clean facilities. I figured that I am now a paid customer and they wouldn't mind. They didn't. As I walked out, I couldn't help but smile. What a difference six months makes :)

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