Just got back from my local doc and had both an ultrasound and an MRI. They saw the same thing the urgent care doc in Tennessee saw – swelling and some light tearing in the left with the bonus of some swelling in the right as well. The prescription is the same as well: three to four weeks of rest/rehab. If I’m generous and start that yesterday the earliest I could start back up will be April 29th, which would give me 20 weeks to finish before my leave from work is over.
I’ve got some time to decide (4 weeks actually) what’s next. I’m fairly certain I’ll head back to Gatlinburg and finish up the ~35 miles I have left of the smokies if all is well at the end of this month so I can still do it on my current permit (it expires May 3). I will also be doing 100 miles or so somewhere with a friend who committed a while ago to do a section with me from May 3-10.
When I head back, I am going to be even more mindful of doing fewer miles AND allowing for a lot more chance / randomness / slack / enjoyment in my plans. If fewer miles / more slack can get me finished while enjoying myself 😝 in 20 weeks I may give it another go. If that’s just not possible I’ll take what I can get and take more later. The trail will always be there. It taught me a lot in the weeks in was on it already this year. I’m sure it has much more to teach me still.
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