Well, a lot of things have happened since I injured my ankle. Total recovery from that injury is not one of them, unfortunately. Wrapping up my PhD was, and it’s a great feeling to be done.
Overall the process (dissertation, defense) was stressful, but quite enjoyable at times. It was fun to dig back into some older projects and find some inspiration to do some more ‘research’ oriented work. The defense was difficult to prepare for (as public speaking usually is for most people). It can be hard to say everything you want to say and remain enthusiastic (and therefore hopefully interesting). I tried a little trick this time — for my first slide (after the intro) I put two favorite photos from this diary. Both with riders (Lee and Chad), both on trails (the topic of my dissertation, and talk, was Digital Trails). So the first thing I got to talk about was how much I’ve fallen in love with trails and mountain biking since moving to Arizona to study computer science. The trails of AZ were most definitely the inspiration for choosing to do research on computer algorithms for trails (not a popular choice, nor a good one for my ‘career’).
I think my trick worked. I was excited going into the talk and that carried throughout all the topics. I surprised myself with how smoothly it went, and people seemed interested, asking a lot of questions and giving some good feedback afterward. I think my committee was pleased. I was.
It was odd to ride back home, through the campus of the UofA, thinking about not being a student anymore, thinking about being done and all the years it took to get here. True, I have been fairly removed from the campus, classes and even research meetings lately, but I have still always thought of myself as a student and a learner, interested in doing new and cool things. I guess I still am, but this chapter of it seems done.
Meanwhile, I have been doing everything I can to recover from the ankle injury, with an eye on the AZT 300. It was impossible to focus on it during the couple days leading up to the defense, but before and after I have been hitting the rehab very diligently. If there is any chance that my ankle can handle 300 miles of the Arizona Trail, I am ready to make the most of it.
So for the 6th April in a row (four 300’s and one thru-trip), I’ll be heading out on the AZT from ~Mexico, heart set on adventure and self-discovery.
As has happened on previous 300’s, there is a good chance I will simply ride home and call it at the halfway mark. If I could stay on my bike the whole time, I might have a good chance of finishing. But my ankle still doesn’t take kindly to unclipping, unexpected dismounts or steep hike-a-bike. All of those are part and parcel on the AZT. I actually hypothesize that I sprained/strained the ankle twice. Once in the normal way and another (later during the race) in a way that injured the ligaments towards the back of my ankle, and those are proving slower to heal than the typical ligament that is ruptured in a rolled ankle.
So the probability of success in the 300 is not high. But I like losing battles and slim odds. There is still a chance of success, and that’s good enough. I have a number of bailout options (most involve pedaling roads or begging for rides from friends) and I’m not afraid to use them.
I’ve ridden a bike every day since the injury (active healing!), but finally went mountain biking, for real, on Monday. It was fantastic. A 3-4 hour ride at Tucson Mountain Park, with rocks, steep climbs and even a bit of hike-a-bike. When you pine away for something, it makes it that much sweeter when get it.
Some of the wildflowers are dying off, but the cactus and other succulents are taking over. It’s still prime time to be out in the desert!
My legs felt awesome and I had to keep myself in check, from riding too hard. The probability of finishing the 300 rose after that ride, though only by a small increment.
I also rode in Tucson’s first cyclovia, and it was very inspirational. The idea is to close a bunch of streets to cars and let bikes and people on foot simply enjoy… being outside and living. I was really surprised how many people on bikes came out to cruise around the loop and check out all the activities along the way.
We used the route to get to and from the bike swap (nothing sold our bought for us, though we did help a non-cyclist friend find a new bike). In the above pic we stopped at one of the parks to decorate our bikes with flowers and fur — in celebration of spring!
It was almost possible, for a brief moments, to imagine living in a city not dominated by automobiles. I saw so many people smiling that it was infectious. I really hope this idea catches on and if not recurring every month, at least every year! The organizers of this event did an incredible job. We are lucky to have a number of good people working towards a healthier and safer Tucson.
It seems there will be a good crew joining me for the 300. Around 25 people between the 300 and full 750. Five have stayed on for the full race (several have bailed, besides myself) and the rest will be done in Superior. I’ve been working this week to get the tracker all squared away and SPOT units assigned. This should be a fun one to watch, and you can do so on trackleaders.com:
Race start is this Friday, 4/23 at 9am. Full AZT-ers will start a few hours early but they may not show up until they get their SPOT from me at the start of the 300, which is a few miles from the border.
We will be anxiously watching your progress….
Congratulations Dr. Morris,
Now go carve up that trail!
Well congratulations Dr.
It is a big jump to leave school, especially after putting in the work for an advanced degree.
Congratulations Dr. Morris 🙂
What a great achievement.
I hope your ankle holds up and continues healing.
Ed