Dec 28 2020 - Rib Fracture Recovery (start of week 4)

It's already been three weeks since the fracture and the pain has been dropping considerably week after week... but I still have moments here and there where I feel that sharp pinching in the bone... x_x it's just a little less jarring now.

One of the most helpful forms of self-care for recovery has been to gently massage (effleurage and petrissage) the torso... specifically the pain-inflicted areas over the ribcage as well as those opposite (laterally).... starting with the superficial muscles like the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major ... then working down into pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, and the intercostal muscles. Once I get to the intercostals, I may also interact with the periosteum (check out this video for a brief intro to rib massage) but with very light pressure because one wrong move will bring on intense pain at the site of the break.

It's important to find the right depths and to start out light; working deeper as the tissues permit. At times I may feel a bone(s) slide gently back into place but almost always feel at least one or two muscles release... which were holding on quite tightly. Relieving tension in the muscles supporting the ribcage has been my main approach to mitigating back pain as my ribs keep subtly shifting throughout the day... since I can't apply any forces to my chest to pressure them back in place... these subluxations (a more technical description of the shifting taking place) are quite a handful.

Physical therapy exercises have been hinting that increasing my back strength is a key component to a solid recovery. Thankfully the exercises aren't as painful after the first few days... really looking forward to getting back into ab-workouts in a couple weeks. For now though it's just breathing and occasional squats/lunges to get through the day....

Dec 21 2020 - Rib Fracture Recovery

It's been two weeks since the break and one week from riding with it... and I feel about as good as I did just before getting back out on the mountain last Monday... hopefully I didn't get set back further than a week for it. The first week with a broken rib is quite a handful... I say that having just experienced the 'first week' back to back. During the first several days, simply talking for more than a few seconds required me to stop and catch my breath... I chose when to talk and what to say a lot more carefully. I feel a bit more talkative now and can have a decent conversation before I need to stop and reset myself with breathing exercises...

...over the past two weeks its become part of my training... as it was all I could do for some time. I started with simple inhale and hold exercises and have been working in more movement... carefully avoiding any motions that cause pain. On occasion I get a surprise pinch, telling me what is and isn't safe to explore... ugh... I take heed out of necessity.

Sneezing is the worst... absolute worst... and I have learned how to sneeze without my chest seizing up, making it much more tolerable of an experience.... but am also noticing that I sneeze at least once per day. #_#

Back to breathing exercises... my focus continually returns here throughout the day... breathe in a full breath of air and hold it in...force it out... repeat. This is how I fell asleep for the first 3 or 4 days... practicing deep breaths while lying on my back in bed for 15-30 minutes. I would start with a light massage of the surrounding tissues [pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, intercostals] and on occasion feel a rib move back into place as the muscles relax... allowing me to breathe more freely.

I'm not supposed to be doing any strenuous activity for at least a few weeks so I try and "exercise" with this in mind. Slow and deliberate movements without too much repetition...exploring a safe space... but I can still get a couple squats in and even a pushup here and there. ^-^ slowly recovering...

Dec 14 2020 - Riding With A Broken Rib

I'll start off stating the obvious... it's a bad idea to snowboard with a broken rib.... but still, I went out to Park City Resort today to see just how bad my condition is... After a week of not really doing anything I was feeling good enough this morning to at least get out there and try to ride... cautiously and conscientiously of course; today needed to be a mistake-free-Monday. I didn't start the day with any expectations but was hoping to get a better look at the jump in the park that ended my trip. Actually, I also wanted to test out some new gear that I was holding out on for better snow conditions: the Burton Step-On X bindings (a stiffer edition) and the Gnu Money (2019/2020) snowboard.

Driving is still quite discomforting since my car doesn't dampen the road vibrations very well. Most lots were full when I arrived [after 9 am] but I still managed to find a spot. I parked and opened the door but before I could even get to the trunk I was already feeling a sharp pinch in my rib. Lacing up was pretty rough and I had to tighten both boots with my right hand... the rowing motion is going to be off the menu for a while. Simply holding the snowboard was taxing regardless of which side it was held and I found it most comfortable to use both arms to distribute the load move evenly.

It felt good to be back out at the mountain and I started off with a little bit of skating as I made my way straight to the terrain park. The unloading of the 3 Kings lift is currently the steepest on the mountain and sets the tone for the difficulty of the park features ahead. I managed not to fall despite the abrupt drop off... although it did send some shooting pain up through my torso. I didn't hit any features and just videoed as I strolled through. The jump [0:28-0:42] didn't seem all that bad except that for the fact I overshot the entire landing and crash-landed close to where it flattens out. x_x

After exiting the park, I head up the Crescent Express and made my way over to Silverlode Express... then took a couple laps on that side of the mountain. The lines today were decent (5-15 minutes) and people seemed keen to packing in closely on the lift... with most occurrences involving an impatient single squeezing in at the last second and making everyone else on the 6-seater uncomfortable... ideally, there is a 1 person gap between unassociated parties (per covid-19 guidelines).

Each lap was pretty much the same: mellow turns in high traffic (Beginner) areas and then carving throughout the steeper (Intermediate) terrain. The board felt really soft and forgiving; and the bindings are noticeably more responsive on the heel side... good times ^-^

After a handful of laps I began to feel soreness settling into my rib and started heading back. By the time I got home my rib pain was constant and acute. I've been icing ever since.. It is clear that my trip here is over and that riding any more with this injury will only [at best] prolong the recovery... so I'm packing up and getting ready to head out in the next few days.

Dec 06 2020 - Expensive Mistakes

The last expensive mistake I made was a few years ago when I realized (mid-flight to LA) that I forgot my passport at home x_x ... thankfully, I had a day buffer to go back and get it before heading to London... but today's mistake carried much more weight...

I got out early on the slopes today at Park City; working on turns and spins... it was going pretty well. After a little over an hour, the crowd had found its way over to Silverlode, a lift that had only recently opened this weekend. I decided to head over to the terrain park (3 Kings Lift), where it's typically less crowded, and challenge myself on the rails and boxes. On the ride up, I noticed a Medium sized jump where several skiers were gathered and figured I would check it out.

I did a 50/50 on a narrow and short box, avoided a rail or two, and then joined the cue for the jump. One after another, skiers were sending it big! 720s, 900s, calling their trick before dropping in. The approach was steep and the kicker angled to match, easily providing a 10+ foot clearance over the deck... the takeoff speed seemed close to 30 mph and none of the snowboarders around seemed interested at all. A man and his son slowly rode up to the deck to check out the feature and then rode away. When it was my turn, I pointed my board straight and got up to speed, imagining what it would be like to go off this massive (to me, the park noob) kicker. Along the way I must have forgotten to shave off speed entirely because before I knew it, I was airborne and at a devastatingly awkward angle.

The kicker is designed to send the rider into the air at an angle that assists in landing safely; but from my trajectory, I only briefly saw the steep slope of the landing as I flew over the deck... and then... it was just my board in view along with a fading memory of the slope... I was landing this one blind. I slightly over rotated on the way down and made first contact with the nose of my board, causing it to over-flex. Since all I could see was the board at the moment of impact, the visual of it flexing was terribly vivid. The board gave out under me and shot me into the hard snow. I braced my fall with my arm and slammed hard into the ground; sliding for several feet before getting up and riding away. I rode straight to the parking lot, walked to my car, and drove back to the condo... my day was over.

Driving immediately after a crash was not the right decision and looking back on it, I probably had a mild concussion even though I don't remember hitting my head on the ground. My shoulder was throbbing with pain and I kept mobilizing it to reassure myself that nothing was torn or dislocated. Once back in the condo, I laid down on my back for a couple rounds of icing... my shoulder started to feel a little better and I rolled over onto my chest to take a few breaths of relief. Then I heard a loud, crackling snap and felt something in my chest move. All the pain in my shoulder seemed to fade away in an instant and a sharp pain localized at or near my 4th rib. Have I broken a rib?

I spent the rest of the day icing my ribs, where most of the residual pain resided... apparently I overlooked this trauma earlier but the pain is now widely spread across several ribs with no sign of relief. Because the imagery of the board flexing was still so vivid, I decided to inspect it for damage... the topsheet had separated on impact and the tear went inward through half of the board's width... it's time to retire this board -_-

Today I got bodied. While scouting a jump, I forgot about the landing. My failure to slow down enough to ride through safely cost me dearly. I lost a board and damaged at least one rib (either contusion or fracture) but possibly a few. It's hard to tell whether its the bone or muscle hurting and is most likely a bit of both... but most concerning of all, is that this may only be a foreshadowing of the dangers that lie ahead of me. I keep reliving the moment I was airborne; playing out various scenarios in my mind... and most of them don't end well. I crashed in one of the safest places to fall from such a height (~15 feet) at high speed and have been fortunate enough to have not experienced a crash of this magnitude deep in expert terrain (where the slopes are even steeper and the landing possibly over rocks and debris). Each time it replays in my head, I am convinced I need the skills to land it safely... in spite of my mistakes, I need to train to recover mid-flight.

Looking back at heart-rate monitor data, I was encouraged that I kept my composure throughout, even if that's only a part of the challenge... I feel I did the best I could have in this unfortunate (and easily avoidable) situation and came out in fairly good shape, all things considered. A slower and safer scouting run next time, for sure... sticking to the plan for the day's training... visualizing the exit and not just the entry... all crucial for continued progress...  I'll need to get back out on Medium jumps later in the season with a much better game plan.... I have been working towards taking on similar sized jumps/drops at slower speeds but on even steeper slopes, where the consequences are much higher - today was a reminder that expensive mistakes are also part of the journey... after all, this is an extreme sport.

heart rate spiked at the box before the jump and the speed spike is the kicker 

Dec 05 2020 - Early Season in Utah

 I moved camp to Park City, Utah this week for the next leg of this adventure spending most days at Canyon Resort because parking is easier there. The conditions here are truly early season; where most (if not all) of the snow is man-made... going into the trees is out of the picture. The hills are quite bare and brown, and the majority of snow rests either in the shade of the trees or on the slopes where the machines create it. The runs are persistently busy and the steep areas are too narrow to play around safely. There are warning signs posted to indicate the consequences of leaving the designated trails (28 day suspension and possible legal action) as if the exposed rocks weren't reason enough.

With limited terrain tailored for Beginner and Intermediate riders, I decided to work on techniques that I am quite novice in... spins, butters, and 180s. Falling on this terrain is quite demoralizing... the impact with the ice-like surface has taken a toll on both my hips and wrists (despite wearing wrist guards)... what a frustrating week!!

After several days of trial and error, I began to realize today that I should change my tactics and tackle new skills one at a time. Consistency and repetition have been crucial aids in my progression as a rider over the years... having spent day after day in the mogul-iest of runs just to nail down the mechanics of turning at specific angles. I took this approach to 180s today and fell significantly fewer times than days prior, leaving the mountain feeling somewhat accomplished (since I won't have to ice as much tonight).

Over the next couple weeks, I expect to progress my 180s to the point where I am no longer falling regularly while overthinking how to stick the landing or getting stuck on takeoff with my upper and lower body fighting against one another... and hopefully, somewhere in there, it snows on this mountain.