The year of the rebuild

For better or worse, I’ll remember 2024 as the year of the rebuild.

Following an exhilarating distance PR of 57 miles at a 12 hour looped course race in fall 2023, I set my alarm for 3am ET on New Year’s Day to register for the 2024 Javelina Jundred 100K. Preparation for this race would be my 2024. I finally found a distance that called to me, that felt challenging but possible and filled me with excitement.

But life, as it often does, had other plans. Following the 12 hour race and some well-earned rest, I was unable to return to normal running.

There was a deep, dull ache in my left ankle that became excruciating after even a mile. I could walk without issue, but running was impossibly painful. In February, I learned that I have a cyst in my left ankle joint and It’s rubbed down the cartilage in a particular spot. It’s likely due to an injury that happened years ago and didn’t heal properly. Probably a minor one, as I have no idea what it could’ve been.

OLT in my left ankle. My new ride or die, I guess?

More formally known as an osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT), I could find exactly zero resources online that detailed anyone with this condition continuing to run. I was heartbroken and afraid to lose this beautiful part of my life. As of this year, I have officially been running for more years of my life than not running, which is bizarre to think about. This sport has given me so many gifts and the thought of all of it slipping away filled me with so much grief. The first quarter of 2024 was spent wrestling with the unknowns of what future me would be able to do, and it was so hard.

“This is not a death sentence to your running.”

Thanks to an amazing medical team, a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection, PT, and some odds in my favor I was able to resume training. My doctor cautioned me that it would need to look different; I’d have to do less running and get more training volume in other ways (for me, that means cycling).

Intake paperwork from my doctor. I’m 100% sure I put something like “IT Security” as my occupation, but I appreciate that they recognize my true calling.

I’m pretty much guaranteed to have osteoarthritis eventually. This condition won’t get better, but it will very likely eventually get worse. My doctor told me that the only thing that would really have an impact is switching from ultras to racing 5Ks. We had a good laugh about that. I imagine hell is just being forced to race a 5K every couple of days.

Even with doctor and PT clearance, when I started over with running in late March, I was unsure whether I’d be able to run a 5K, let alone a 50K ever again. Could I run 20 miles per week without pain? 30? Could I run two days in a row? I had no idea and spent the entirety of 2024 experimenting.

I ultimately decided racing Javelina wouldn’t be a good idea, but multiple 5Ks, halfs, a 6 hour, and an 8 hour race later, I can’t describe how lucky I feel. I’ve run just over 1,000 miles this year and my ankle has remained almost entirely asymptomatic. As long as I don’t do anything stupid (read: run 4 days in a row with no rest day or run on rocky, rooty trails), it’s largely like this whole thing never even happened.

I have some plans for 2025, but my primary goal is to be running when I’m 100 years old. That may mean picking a new, shorter distance to fall in love with sooner rather than later, and I’m okay with that. I’m so thankful to still be out there.

I don’t know how many more miles my body has in it, but believe me when I say I will enjoy every single one of them. 🌵❤️‍🔥