2010

The year 2010 is coming to an end, just a few hours left, 2010 was a good year for me.

I started this blog, supposed to be about skiing, races and training, but up to now it’s more of a rehab blog. Yes, picking the low of 2010 isn’t hard it was breaking my ankle, with the highlights on the other hand I have a lot more choice.

You can’t pick the cards you get, it’s how you play them what matters.

January

I started out 2010 in Sestriere Italy, skiing with my family. I had just started skiing again in October and this vacation was a test for me to see if I was able to ski a whole day standing, since my leg is pretty weak. If it didn’t work out, I would switch to mono-skiing, but it did work out. It was an amazing ski trip, my first ski trip in years and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I only had to cut the first day short; all the other days I skied the whole day without problems with my leg. So decision made I am going in to the standing category.

A week later I had a training weekend with the cycling team at Papendal (national Olympic training centre) there was a lot of snow so no cycling that weekend. We trained core and strength but other than that we pretty much had a lot of fun with each other; it was just the kick off weekend of the season.

And I started my first slalom training, I joined the ski club Snowsports Academy Racing again to have some extra training besides the training with the talent group of the Dutch ski federation.

February

In February was the team presentation of the paralympic team for Vancouver. I (and the rest of the talent group) was invited to come to this presentation and to ski together with the national selection para-skiing. It was the first time I met the team and the coach.

at a party with friends

March

In march I had a training camp with the cycling team at Mallorca, Spain.

These ended up to be my last weeks handcycling…..

A lot of cycling, swimming, core stability training on the beach and in the evening we had a good time with the whole group.

We had great weather with a lot of sun and nice temperatures, I even swam in the ocean on the last day.

During the second week my shoulder started to bother me more and more, it hurted and I lost the strength in my arm. I was able to tough it out up to the very last day of the camp, that day we practiced time trials and I was near passing the person in front of me but my shoulder just gave up.

My hand slid of the crank and the power was gone for a while.

April

Back at home I went to see the orthopedic surgeon he ordered an MRI, the joint was irritated and there was a torn in the rotator cuff but that was older, and started to heal. (my shoulder had bothered me before) The problem was that anatomically speaking my shoulder doesn’t fit perfectly, there is too much space and because of that a tendon gets stuck in the joint when I make a certain movement.

He could do surgery but since my shoulder only bothers me while I’m handcycling it isn’t worth the risk. Off course the doc advised me to quit and since I love skiing more and I really didn’t want surgery for something that doesn’t give any problems other then while handcycling, I knew what to do. In the mean time I made it to the pre selection for a worldcup paracycling, so it gave some doubts, but I ended up doing what’s best and quit handcycling.

Top End force K handbike is now for sale, for more information see http://www.tweedehands.nl/fietsen/fietsen/overige-fietsen/handbike-topend-force-k-75502980.html

Skiing was going very well and I had made some good progress over the last few months. In april I was forerunner at a club skirace (regular club ski race) in Snowworld. After this race I decided I was ready to enter the club skirace circuit to get some experience for the races next season.

with friends from the ski club

May

In May I was back ski racing in the club circuit, these races are late in the season because the indoor ski-domes don’t have enough space during the winter.

Both races I ended up on the podium, two times a second place.

June

In the beginning of June was the last race and I got another second place.

One week later, June 12^th, was a training with the talent group and the national team.

I did good in the training, showed the progress I made in my skiing with the extra ski training and physical training I had done.

I got invited together with Thomas to train with the national team over the summer and a training camp in the pre season as part of the development program.

My brother graduated from high school in June.

with friends at a birthday dinner

July

In the beginning of July I had a club training with the ski club, the last training before the summer where everybody dresses up as something or someone.

I had classes and tests for med school up to the end of July, by that point I really needed a break. I went to my mom’s place to spend the summer in Arnhem, because Papendal is in Arnhem and I had a weekly physical training with the ski team at Papendal.

August

In August it was time to get back on the ski’s we had 2 day training camps with the national team in Landgraaf, every other week. I was looking forward for these training days.

I skied good, made some improvements and I enjoyed these days a lot.

During the third little camp I crashed and injured my ankle see the post crashing, didn’t know what the problem was at the time. So I trained the next day like there was no problem with my ankle. And I started this blog in August, at first I wanted to start a website but I didn’t feel I was ready for a website yet so I decided to go for a blog. And I like the blogging, it’s like a diary for me and it’s great to be able to look back.

September

September 1st was the day after my big crash and all though my ankle was bothering me I was able to ski. When I tried to ski a week later I wasn’t able to ski. I went to see the physiotherapist, she didn’t trust it so she called a doctor and they arranged for a MRI a week later. September 13 was my first day back in school after the summer and September 14 I had the MRI and heard I had badly fractured my ankle. 

I had an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in the AMC at September 16 and he told me that I needed surgery and I was planned for September 20.

I stayed in the hospital for four days and after that the healing process started (see post surgery and the hospital about that). So I missed the first course which was called posture and movement, this wasn’t too bad. Since I had already taken a similar course and passed the test when I was studying human movement science I didn’t had to take the course and got the points anyway. My brother moved to Leiden in September to study History at the university of Leiden, now the 3 of us live in Leiden.

October

October was pretty much a healing month. I went to physiotherapy and did some exercises at home but other than that I took a lot of rest en had my foot up high almost all the time. I went back to school at the start of the new course, trauma, exactly 14 days after surgery. 

With all the time resting I had a lot of study time so I scored very good at my test, best of my class with a 9. In October was the training camp with the ski team I was invited for,  missing that was a bummer, but there will be other camps in the new year.

November

November 1^st my cast was removed and I got a boot called a walker to immobilize my ankle. The stupid thing didn’t work, I went back to the hospital one of my screws had moved and could break out, because that fracture wasn’t stable, so I got another cast. 

I thought it was a setback because I had started doing some exercises with my ankle, but in the end it was for the best off course.  I got classified in November, got class LW4, I can ski international now I’m on the eligible list. The IPCAS race in snowworld Landgraaf was in November and I was really disappointed that I couldn’t race. But I went and watched the races the second day and that was a lot of fun, the organization was good, the women and men standing category was won by Dutch racers both days.

December

With December came the first snow, it was beautiful but most people where complaining, trains were not working and all the highways were full of traffic jams, this country can’t deal with snow… My cast was removed in December for real this time.

And December is a party month, with a lot of birthdays in my family (and mine), Christmas, Sinterklaas and off course tonight new years eve.

My rehab started and I'm doing good, I’m really happy with my progress besides the ankle rehab I’m learning the technique to walk better than before. And I got my new orthosis which allows me to walk better as well.

Back on my feet and ready for 2011!

So all in all 2010 was a good year for me. Breaking my ankle was a big bummer but like with everything it has a benefit. Now I’m forced to do rehab again and I can make up for my earlier rehab in which I didn't learn how to walk quite well, and in the end it will leave me stronger again.

I’m looking forward to 2011, hopefully start to ski again soon, I don’t know what 2011 will bring but hey I’m up for the surprises of the future!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!