It is official- The SKI Season has begun..with my home mountain.. Breckenridge.. opening up this past Friday the ski season is on it’s way. Last year was probably the best winter I have ever experienced with getting pounded with over 45 feet of snow!!! 45 feet are you serious!!! Hopefully we will have something just close to that measure this winter.
Rehab LIFE!!!
Going well- Hitting the gym at least once a day doing a lot of body weight exercises. Lots and lots of balance exercises that involve my own body weight have been basically the routine the past few weeks. Kinesio Tape!!! Yup still rocking it and still loving it.

OK- so it has been a great few weeks as the weather is changing and winter is rapidly approaching us. Time to break out the winter Jackets and get all my equipment lined up. Want to give a few shout outs to a few companies that have recently helped me out. Burt’s Bees….Thanks for the lip balm and other product that Burts recently provided. Also, Kinesio tape.. Freaking love that stuff. Seriously if you have not tried this stuff, you have to check it out!!! It works.

Ski Life– Getting closer to actually getting on skis. Still hitting Rehab hard with weights and running coming next week. It has been 12 weeks since ACL surgery and feeling good. Looking forward to actually running next week once the doc give me the GO.
Abasin and Loveland have opened and the skiing in Summit County has started. Kind of hard watching your friends dig out the skis and go catch a few runs while I’m off to the gym for some rehab. Soon though!!!
Thanks again to my newest supporters… Burt’s Bees and Kinesio Taping

Woaaa!! Huge fan of Kinesio Tape everybody. I highly recommend it for anybody that might have a nagging injury or just needs relieve from pain or swelling. Kinesio Taping gives support and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. It is also used for Preventive Maintenance, Edema, and to treat pain.
I have been getting taped by my therapist over at Howard Head Sports Medicine. There is for sure a “method” to applying this tape so don’t just go throwing this tape on your injury. Check out a youtube video for some methods for applying this tape.
Week 9!! Going well. Rehab rehab and more rehab. Range of motion is almost back to normal. Still have to be patient with attacking it in the weight lifting department. Although the swelling is minimal and my knee feels great, the graph is still very weak!! Cant wait for the doc to give me the ok to start pushing it.

Been taking it easy this past week. Really focusing on my Range Of Motion. I can see why the doc has ordered me to take it easy on the PT these next few weeks…. I pushed it the other day and was extremely sore right where the new graph is. Yup, back it off a bit.
Thanks to my newest supporter, Burts Bees!!! Got a bunch of product the other day from the boys over at Burts. Dig the lip balm for sure.

This was a good day.
Thanks Josh Cooley for showing me one of your hiding spots. (and for the sweet shot)

OK- it has been 7 weeks of straight rehab. The last two weeks have been quite encouraging to be honest. I have been visiting a massage therapist, (Rachel, over at Simply Massage in Breck) and wow… big improvements in my Range of motion. I jumped practically 30 degrees in no time. It is incredible how massaging the muscles and tissues around my knee opens up passages for the swelling to dissipate. No swelling means more mobility for the knee. With the swelling minimal and my ROM improving, I have been inspired to step it up in my rehab. More weights, more reps, more miles on the bike….. NOPE!!!!! Well, I had a visit/checkup with the doc today and he informed me that I am at a crucial time right now. Apparently my new acl graph is at it’s weakest point and now is NOT the time to push it. But rather slow it down. He explained that this is a very popular time for ACL patients to reinjure themselves because they are 8 weeks out, feeling good, no swelling, walking normally and ready to do something stupid cuz they dont feel the symptoms they have been feeling the past 8 weeks. Dr. Hackett, I will trust ya on this one. Would hate for that new graph of mine to be stretched out doing something foolish.
This will be an interesting week as I got the nix on pushing it in rehab…..time to work on the core. Got the ok to some core workouts as long as my lower body is stationary. Time to become unchubby.

Week 5 is over and done with. I am learing very quickly that this rehab process is full of ups and downs. I have awesome days where I see great improvement and then other days when I see no progress at all.
This past week, we really focused on my range of motion. Due to all the constant swelling I am struggling to progress with range of motion (ROM). Kind of bummer, but I am still stuck at 120-130 degrees. But there is hope….I will be heading to a friend of mine who is a massage therapist where she will be working on my knee/leg 4 times a week. I went to her a few days ago and wheewwweeee she freed up some passages up on my upper leg for the swelling to disappear too. Haaaaah.. Apparently opening up the quads/hamstring/hips passages really help the swelling move away from the knee.
Kinesio Taping!! Wooaaa. Yes, I am fan. Kristen over at Howard Head threw on some Kinesio Tape, basically holding my knee cap up a bit. Ahhhh… Its Awesome. Would definetely recommend it.
Got in the pool in Week 5!! Probably my first time ever breaking a sweat in a pool. Yea, they, and they being Barb (my other therapist) worked me!!

So it has been four weeks since I was wheeled out of surgery in Vail at the Steadmans Clinic. The past week was a rough week for the knee. I had a wedding in Boston which meant that I had to fly. Ahhh, airplanes and surgical repaired knees are not a good match. I am sooo greatful for my awesome therapist Kristen, who demanded me to make sure I was to call the airline prior to my flight and get myself a wheel chair and a seat on the plane with extra leg room. The wheel chair, yaaa, kind of lame I know being wheeled through the airport… but extremely helpful.
Besides the flights, just getting off my normal 3 times a day of rehab was hard to keep up on my progress.

After 5 days away at this wedding it was time to get back to rehab at home. I actually did not degress in my rehab but not much improvement was charted either. Time to hit it hard in week 5!!!