Week 20

Hey everyone,

I've got some unfortunate news to share this week. During our Monday practice session, we were doing some routine baseline drills - nothing out of the ordinary. As I was sliding into position for a drive down the line, I suddenly felt like someone had kicked the back of my leg. I turned around expecting to see a stray ball I might have stepped on, but there was nothing there.

That's when I knew exactly what had happened. I looked at Dru and Cam and said, "My achilles just went. Not full, but partial for sure."

The diagnosis confirmed it - I've partially torn my left achilles tendon. This is particularly frustrating because three years ago I fully ruptured my right achilles, and two years before that, I had a partial tear on that same side. It seems like my achilles tendons and I have a complicated relationship.

But as I always tell my kids, when something like this happens, you typically have two choices: 1) Take the "woe is me" road and sulk 2) Attack rehab and come back better

I'll always choose the second option.

I'm already planning to see my previous physical therapist next week to get an early start on rehabilitation. I also have a follow-up scheduled for November 10th with the doctor who repaired my full rupture three years ago.

Here's my tentative recovery roadmap:

• By November 15th: Be back to walking 1-2 miles
• By November 20th: Return to dinking and playing subtle kitchen games
• By Thanksgiving: Start moving around the kitchen with more aggression
• By December 1st (my 41st birthday): Work on resets from the kitchen

These are my goals for the first month, but I'll reassess after meeting with my doctor and PT.

Stay tuned for updates on my recovery journey. This is a setback, but it's not going to stop me from pursuing that 5.0+ level - just might take a slightly different path for a while.