Coach P Update: Negative for Ironman Florida 2013

Coach Patrick · October 29, 2013 8:14AM

Team -

I wanted to chime in with a quick personal update before Ironman Florida as many of you have asked. I am _not_ racing; it's partly because of my shoulder and partly because of my race day expectations.

When I went in for my surgery, the doc toll me I would be clear in 12 weeks. That day was yesterday, and he has in fact given me the green light. While I thought it might take me just 6 weeks to be active again, it has taken the better part of 12 weeks.

It's not just because of the fracture, as it turns out. The real kicker was tearing the ligaments known as the coracoid process (?) -- these bad boys essentially hold your shoulder blade up. So the reason why I can't move my arm is really due to the fact that my shoulder blade is really stuck. They manually tied it up, but the resulting trauma and my body's desire to protect my shoulder has led to this thing not really moving the way I want.

On the infection side, there was an infection but not of an insidious shoulder bacteria…it was some gut bacteria. He's never seen it in the shoulder before in 25 years of surgery, but it was most likely due to something local to my house (awesome). I am about to finish that course of antibiotics and I should hopefully have no reason for them to ever go back into my shoulder again.

So as it stands now, I am cleared to start swimming. My arm starts shaking when I do shoulder presses with a towel, so clearly i won't make it past a 25 in the pool before needing to stop…but I am on it. The good news is that I have been running and riding (even aerobats!) for a few weeks now, so the fitness is coming around.

But the biggest reason I am not racing is…I wouldn't be racing. I have very high expectations for myself, and I know that toeing the line at IM Florida would be about completing the event, not competing in it. I am not in good shape, my body comp is relatively poor and I haven't touched the water since around the time of Rev3 Quassy.

Don't feel bad for me…I am very fortunate to be where I am and to be as healthy as I am. I have built quite a habit of making comebacks and I look forward to being back at full strength sometime in 2014. Right now I have the Boston Marathon on the docket, with an eye towards Ironman Tremblant.

Again, thanks for the help and I look forward to mixing it up with you guys soon enough!

~ Coach P

John Withrow · October 29, 2013 9:10AM

Leading from the front as always...

Thanks for the update coach. I can't wait to race with you in IMMT. I feel sorry for the competition when you eventually get back to full force.

Brenda Ross · October 29, 2013 9:42AM

Thanks for the update. Like you said, you are Patrick The Comeback Kid McCrann, so you will be back. I agree with John. I pitty the fools at IMMT when you are in fine form.