2 April 2008
Cast Away!
Posted by Mike Dopke under: Mike Dopke (Coach) .
Welcome to April and another opportunity to run with the cool kids! This Saturday we will be meeting at the Downtown YMCA at 8:00 a.m. for a long run (you don’t need to be a member). This is a RunGazelle/Fifth Third run and is open to the public. Please come down and join us. It looks like it’s finally starting to warm up so we should have a great turnout.
I am very pleased to announce that my cast was finally removed this morning. I guess muscles shrink and skin peels when you wear a cast for a while. If I stick out my finger in just the right way, my arm now resembles E.T. reaching out to heal Elliot. “OOOowch”. I was quite annoyed when I saw the “brace” that they wanted me to wear constantly for the next four weeks. The stupid thing was bigger than my cast! That lasted till I got to the car and chucked it into the backseat. It looked like I was wearing a big blue muppet on my arm. I briefly named him Fred.
I also had my first physical therapy session today. They took a look at my new blue muppet and asked “why”? It must have been collecting dust on their shelf I said, and his name is Fred. I think you’re right she said, and Fred’s way too big. She promptly fitted me for a much smaller brace that I only have to wear when I run. It’s black and looks very super hero like, and is only 1/4 the size of the muppet. Adios Fred!
They have this cool machine that is full of ground corn. You stick your arm in it and it feels like you are in a hot tub. It felt pretty neat and is meant to warm and loosen your arm before therapy. I could have just run it under warm water, but that’s why we pay so much for insurance right?
Luckily wearing a cast hasn’t really affected my running much. Aside from the two weeks (almost) that I had to take off from running immediately after breaking my wrist, I have have trained well all winter. I posted a pretty good time at the jig (18:33) after shamefully giving up on my Lenten promise to not eat red meat. Who knew runners needed iron? Darn hemoglobin. I did manage to stay of the chips though.
2 Comments so far...
Deb Pieri Says:
2 April 2008 at 7:06 pm.
Congrats on getting the cast off Mike! Glad you don’t have to deal with Fred! I can just see you getting in your car and chucking it. . . with a few choice words I’m sure! You’ll build up your strength in that arm before you know it!
Shelly Says:
2 April 2008 at 8:44 pm.
Hey, can I have Fred to add to my closet o’orthopedic gear? Let’s see…I have three neck braces…a storm trooper boot…a wrist splint…a thumb splint…and now a really ugly sock splint for PF…golly, I don’t have an oversized muppet yet… 
Glad to hear you are cast-free again! And we never doubted a little ol’ cast would slow down a superhero! 