Grade 3 AC separation
On November 14, 2011 I was hit by a car while cycling to work. My performance in the collision resembled that of a Hollywood stuntman in his prime - airborne, crashed onto the hood, airborne again, slammed into a parked car, and finally came to rest on the road. The result was a grade 3 AC separation in my shoulder.
I was wearing a helmet which now bears a 2-inch crack, but at least that crack was in the helmet and not in my skull.
The next day the swelling was quite impressive and I had very limited movement, and movement was very painful. I’m told my left shoulder will have a permanent bump.
I’ve spent the last 4 months training for a half-marathon on December 4th in Las Vegas. The timing of this accident couldn’t have been worse but I decided to view this as a challenge to be overcome rather than an excuse to pull out.
So … I have three weeks to get as much rehabilitation done to allow me to get to the starting line.
My training schedule for the last 4 months has consisted of 2 runs per week (1 x hills, 1 x distance) and 2 weights sessions per week. Before the accident my strength was:
- Bench press: 155lb
- Deadlift: 205lb
- Squat: 205lb
My long distance pace was around 4:50 per kilometre, and my best time over 21.1km was 1:42. I hope to be able to beat that on race day.
Now, onto the rehab.
For the first week I did nothing but apply ice for 15 minutes, twice a day. I had to get the swelling under control before I could do anything.
1 week after the accident I saw a multi-disciplined sports injury specialist who treated me with Active Release Therapy, Chiropractic, and acupuncture. I had treatments on Monday and Wednesday (today). On Friday I’ll meet with a physiotherapist who will tape my shoulder at the end of the session so that I can attempt my first run in almost 2 weeks.
Tonight at home I did some isometric exercises followed by a few basic movements with an unloaded barbell.
I’m pretty happy with my recovery to date. I can now raise my arm above my head and out to the side, but reaching across my body to touch the opposite shoulder is still very painful. I cannot do a push-up or any bench press movement, but I can do shoulder presses, Yates rows, squats and deadlifts all with an empty barbell. Dips are out of the question.
I am determined to get back to my pre-accident form as quickly as possible but I’m not prepared to risk a permanent injury to get there. That goes for race day, too. I have every intention of running the half-marathon but if my shoulder becomes too painful I’m not too proud to pull out and log a DNF.
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