No ACL, no surgery, no problem - My new normal as a Coper

[marzNC]

I thought the skiA sweetspot looked interesting so ordered one, just waiting for its arrival. Will think about brace after I have used it. The cost is rather high and spending money on lessons with good instructor does seem like a better investment. I have also been informed (by French physios) that lots of ski instructors are minus ACLs but they all do very well despite this!

I ski in Europe mainly in the Three Valleys area, Val Thorens, Meribel and Courcheval.......however this year will be going lower for gentler slopes!

I have done the KOOS test and am improving all the time, atm am at about 80 so still some way to go but the healing appears to be getting quicker as time has gone by so fingers crossed I will make 95 score soon!

Once I got to about 90 on KOOS, I wasn't really worrying about it any more. That was 4-5 months after injury and just before ski season started. By the end of the first ski season minus ACL, I was at about 95. At that point, I was not doing anything remotely like Twisting/Pivoting so I would select Moderate. Didn't work much on agility type exercises until after that first ski season was over.

How many formal physical therapy sessions have you had? I still do some of the exercises I learned, especially for hamstrings. For some, I do a harder version than was possible that first six months.

One of the stories that sticks in my mind about skiing without an ACL was a reference to a woman who is on ski patrol . . . missing both ACLs. The comment was that her leg strength was far above average. Obviously takes ongoing effort to stay in shape but I think it's worth the time. There are many advanced/expert skiers without an ACL. They don't say much about it and there is no way anyone can tell by watching them ski or move around on a day-to-day basis.

I hope to ski in Europe one of these days. But at the same time, not knowing what it's like may be a good thing. I'm spoiled enough going to Alta Lodge annually.

 

[marzNC]

Summer travels are finally over. Plans for two trips out west are pretty well set. Seems like it's time to start ski conditioning in an organized fashion. This summer I managed to do more actual exercising than last year. Partially because I wanted to work on cardio more. Partially because I found new ways to exercise even when on the road.

I started up sessions with my personal trainer a few weeks ago. Starting this week, we'll meet twice a week for four weeks. One session is mostly TRX and the other is whatever she puts together. I've reach the point with TRX exercises that I actually use it at home for short sessions because I can put together a set of useful exercises without consulting a list.

Along with cardio, I'm working on flexibility and balance. Hamstrings still get special attention in the strength department. I found that my calves were very tight during the summer.

 

[marzNC]

The last summer adventure was a hike with friends to Avalanche Lake in the NY Adirondacks. The trail is rocky. It poured the night before so staying on top of the rocks was the better way to keep moving. My calves were very tight for a day or two afterwards. The round trip was about 10 miles.

Look closely to see other people on the trail behind me

This section goes uphill more than it appears in picture

Planks are easier than rocks


View of Avalanche Lake at the end of the trail. At least as far as we had time to do in a day.

 

[marzNC]

Those readers who have followed this thread for a while know I mark View Count milestones every so often. The count went over 18,000 recently even though the thread is not that active. The associated thread about my first months of rehab after popping off my right ACL (not skiing) in June 2012 is over 12,000. Sorry that so many people are having ACL issues, but hope the threads are helpful.

I’m really looking forward to ski season. Have two trips out west planned out. Hoping to get close to 30 days in the Rockies. Planning to check out more ski areas in the northeast that I’ve heard about reading online ski forums. It’s time to think about new boots and new skis. I’m down to two: Blizzard Black Pearl and Volkl AC1. The AC1 were bought used for my daughter, but she’s opted to learn telemark while at North Country School (near Whiteface). They are my rock skis and carvers for east coast skiing. I’ve got ideas for a ski safari in NH/ME the first week of December after spending Thanksgiving in Lake Placid with my daughter.

I decided to work with my personal trainer twice a week for about a month to really jumpstart fall ski conditioning. Really helped to not only get back to where I was a year ago, but push to the next level. I did more over the summer so managed to maintain better than the previous year. The 7-min workout was perfect when I was traveling once I got the app. Managed to do it once or twice a week even if I didn’t do anything else in terms of deliberate ski conditioning. My trainer introduced it to me before we took a break during the summer. I really like working with someone who is always learning new stuff.

 

[VickiK]

A personal trainer is always a wonderful help to getting fit. Sounds like you have a good one, who introduces you to new stuff. So is the 7-min workout free if you access it through a browser, but $1.99 if you get the app? Using my usual browser, I accessed the link you posted, and clicked the big Start button. It kicked off without requiring me to enter any personal or financial information.

 

[marzNC]

A personal trainer is always a wonderful help to getting fit. Sounds like you have a good one, who introduces you to new stuff. So is the 7-min workout free if you access it through a browser, but $1.99 if you get the app? Using my usual browser, I accessed the link you posted, and clicked the big Start button. It kicked off without requiring me to enter any personal or financial information.

Yes, seems to be free when using the website. It was nice to test it out on my own after doing it with my trainer. Since I don't have anything with 3G/4G access, I went ahead and bought the iOS app so I could use it anytime, anywhere. I like having the audio prompts so I know what comes next without having to look at the screen.

 

[marzNC]

My 2014-15 ski season is already is full swing. Started with Whiteface and then a ski safari into NH, finishing with a Diva meet up at Sunday River. For details and pics, check out the trip report. It was that much easier to get up to full speed on skis this season. Even on hardpack in the northeast, I was not holding back at all. Probably more due to technique improvement during last season (60 days on snow) than anything else.

My focus for fitness shifted more to cardio in the fall. Still doing the hamstring and other strength exercises that are most relevant to ski conditioning and avoiding knee injury. Doing a bit more agility exercises like high knee running in place or bunny hops. But probably not as much as I might be doing with two ACLs.

First trip out west will be to SLC in late January.

 

[marzNC]

Not much new to say about my knee except that I'm doing a lot of skiing. Already have 25 days, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic with a week in the northeast in early Dec. First day for SLC trip was at Solitude (Jan. 24). Skied all day. Having more fun on soft bumps than ever before. Mostly because of lessons with Level 3 instructors in the last few seasons, although more practice makes a big difference too.

Wanted to make a note about a 20-year coper who is very active. Did not find out the ACL was gone until 10 years after injury. Got a medical opinion right after injury but there was no mention of the possibility of ACL injury. By the time he was properly diagnosed, the ortho saw little point in having ACLr surgery then since the knee was stable. He was a ski patroller for a long time. Only stopped because usually traveling too much during the re-certification period. Says that " I bike all summer, ski all winter, hike, rock climb, play hockey etc as the opportunity arises. I'm retired and Mt Bachelor is open November to late May."

https://www.epicski.com/t/24755/farewell-acl#post_1821953
This is now a 10 year old thread. I've now gone 20 years with no ACL.

I just turned 60, am still skiing just fine, and for my 60th birthday I did a 22 day trek in Nepal, crossing a 17,000 foot pass with a steep 6500 foot descent. The knee gave me no trouble.

Personal experiences will vary, but my knee has done better with no ACL than many which were repaired. I consider myself extremely lucky in this regard, but if your knee is fairly solid and you keep your legs strong, the option of no operation is certainly a viable alternative.

 

[marzNC]

The lessons over the last few years are really making a difference. I'm skiing much steeper terrain than before after three semi-private lessons with two very experienced (Level 3+, 30+ years experience) instructors. One lesson was at Snowbasin with two friends who are not as advanced, two were at Alta with one friend who is a better skier but has old habits to change. It really helps to have longer trails and more complex terrain to work on technique. Very hard to get enough mileage only skiing in the Mid-Atlantic where a full run on black slope can be over in 5 min or less.

Have had a few falls, but no issues.

Helps a lot to be able to use a hot pool after a full ski day. When that's not available, sometimes I wear knee socks or leg warmers in the evening to keep my lower legs warm.

 

[marzNC]

Since I was staying at Alta Lodge last week, tried out the pre-breakfast yoga class. I recognize many of the exercises from Pilates and other fitness sources. For me, an hour of yoga before a day of skiing is too much effort. But it probably would be good if I did a little warm up before the first run. Sometimes I swing my legs on the first few chair lift rides to warm up the knees.

This is a 10-min stretch sequence that I like.

 

[marzNC]

For those who know Alta and Snowbird, here are some of the trails I skied for the first time last week. What made it truly fun was that I was making linked turns, without stopping or getting out of control, as opposed to just survival skiing. Could not have done that without the on-going high level lessons initiated by recovering from the ACL injury.

ALTA
Catherine's - powder bowl all the way out near the boundary (where you can see Brighton)
Baldy Shoulder
Christmas Tree - lower half from the Saddle Traverse
Stone Crusher - lower half from the Saddle Traverse

SNOWBIRD
Lower Cirque
Last Chance to Hoops

Looking down bottom half of Stone Crusher. Using demo DPS Nina 99.

 

[VickiK]

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/...ggles-with-injuries-and-the-fight-within.html

Good article about Resi Steigler, a racer on the US ski team. No ACL yet competing in slalom yesterday at Beaver Creek.

 

[marzNC]

My third season without an ACL in my right knee was stellar in spite of less than average snowfall where I skied out west. Finished the season with a better than expected conditions at Alta in April. The unexpected bonus was getting to experience 25+ inches of fresh powder for the first time on April 15. A day when renting powder skis was a no-brainer. Definitely a great way to end a season of 72 ski days, with 50 days out west or in the northeast. Nice to have a ski buddy who is also retired for trips out west. Spent more time skiing bump runs or variable terrain off-piste than ever before. Some of what I learned from instructors about skiing bumps last season started making a lot more sense. Mostly due to more mileage I think. Had lessons in Utah that made tree skiing and making short rhythmic turns on steeper slopes much easier.

The effort I put into cardio work during the off season paid off. When Catherine’s Area at Alta was worth hiking, I could do the short hike without needing a rest at the top. That meant I was willing to head out to Catherine's with Bill more than once a day after snowstorms. A few times I didn’t even take off my skis. When the access route was groomed, I could use herringbone and sidestepping to make my way up. We checked out the start of the hike for the Highlands Bowl (took the snowcat up and back) at Aspen Highlands. Would want to be in even better shape for that hike. A 40-min hike at 12,000 ft is a much bigger deal than a 5-min hike at 10,000 ft.

I was traveling so much during the winter that I wasn’t doing much in terms of fitness exercises during ski season. Would’ve been better to keep up with stretching. Towards the end of the season, I learned how to get my hips working better. Improving hip flexibility, as well as adductor and abductor strength, are on the list for off-season ski conditioning. Started up the weekly sessions with my personal trainer as a way to jump start getting back into fitness exercises.

Massanutten bumps on MakAttack, first season the bumps were created by a groomer


Sugarbush bump run, no one around midweek


Getting ready to follow Bill down Hoops at Snowbird

 

[marzNC]

Along with the two long trips out west, I went to Massanutten with friends several times and did two driving ski safaris in the northeast. Had a good time checking out some new places in the northeast and Colorado.

Ski Trips 2014-15, Dec-Apr
* Massanutten, VA (usually 3-4 days each stay, mostly with friends): Dec, first week of Jan (demo weekend), MLK weekend, Pres. Day weekend, late Feb during PSIA clinics
* Early Dec ski safari in NH (Sunapee, Loon, Wildcat), ending at Sunday River with Divas
* Early Jan in WV (Snowshoe, Timberline)
* Late Jan week based in a SLC house, with 3 ski buddies, mostly Alta
* Early Feb week based at Alta Lodge, with Bill (extended a few days to catch a snowstorm)
* Late Feb, with friends in PA, NY (Whitetail, Roundtop with Divas, Hunter)
* Early March, VT sampler (Pico, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen)
* Late March CO sampler, with Bill: A-Basin, Snowmass, Ajax, Aspen HIghlands
* Alta in April, with Bill and other friends: 18 ski days (3 snowstorms, one each week)

Early Dec TR for northeast
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...y-river-after-whiteface-early-dec-2014.18818/

Early Jan TR for WV
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...-loop-to-snowshoe-and-timberline-in-wv.19032/

Late Jan TR around SLC
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/tr-slc-late-jan-2015-diva-meet-up.19066/

March TR for A-Basin
https://www.epicski.com/t/133802/marznc-jamesj-and-bill-at-arapahoe-basin-co-3-25-15

Alta - looking back at top of Supreme lift after the Catherine's hike

Powder tracks off the meadow in Catherine's


Pico - powder in the trees


Aspen - warm weather, blue skis for first look at Ajax


Snowmass - Bill heading down after we rode up the Cirque poma, Snowmass has some looong trails


Alta in April - new snow overnight makes it worth being ready when Collins opens


Alta on April 15 with 25+ inches of fresh powder in the morning, snowed all day

April 15 drifts on the Alta Lodge deck at 5:30pm

 

[marzNC]

Lessons continue to be a key for me in terms of having more fun than ever skiing on and off groomers. Not only more fun on ungroomed terrain, but also made short Mid-Atlantic groomers more challenging as I worked on various drills. Never expected to enjoy bumps and trees so much. Only started exploring them in 2010 on a trip with JC because he likes bumps and trees. That's when I started appreciating trees hold soft snow days after a snowstorm.

I find working with more than one instructor helpful in the long run. I continued to work with Walter at Massanutten doing Silver Clinics (over 50). We made good use of the seeded bumps that were available by mid-Jan. Had a good lesson with Olesya and JC at Snowbasin with Stew (PSIA Examiner), especially using the terrain based instruction rollers for 1-leg skiing. Was happy to hear from Stew that he considered me Level 8 (out of 9) at this point. Had four lessons at Alta together with my ski buddy Bill. We worked with JW in powder in steep trees in late Jan (Wed PM, Fri AM) and soft spring snow with Kristen in April (about two weeks apart). For me, taking a private with a friend or two makes a lesson at a big mountain more useful and less stressful. When a semi-private lesson includes skiing on ungroomed terrain, helps to do the lesson with a friend of similar ability and interests. I enjoy the time on groomers working on a few drills related to improving fundamentals as much as the runs off-piste with an instructor. Usually learn a lot from what happens for the other student(s). Always impressed at how very experienced instructors provide each student with separate goals or critiques for the same drill or trail. All the lessons out west in recent years were with PSIA Level 3 instructors with 15+ years experience, mostly 25+ years.

After getting a better feel for how to ski steeper ungroomed terrain with less thinking and effort, it’s fair to say that I’m willing to go off on adventures with Bill far more often. Exploring A-Basin and the three Aspen mountains for the first time was all fun and no stress because I could venture down unknown ungroomed black trails without worry. Had a few falls, but nothing to cause any worries. At Alta, the number of areas I like for off-piste adventures (trees, steeps, ungroomed powder 8+ inches) continues to expand. Same for Snowbird, although I still like Alta better.

Some of the longer bumps runs I did were in the northeast. In early March, I checked out Pico, Sugarbush, and Mad River Glen. Luckily, those ski days were a day or two after small snowstorms. Skiing mid-week, I found the bump runs (black, double black) had 6+ inches of soft snow that few people had skied. I took my time and had fun wandering down the bumps making controlled turns and not feeling much need to stop except to check out the view. Did find that my calves were working overtime when the bumps were on the big side. Still plenty of room for technique improvement.

Decided to get new boots from my local boot fitter before the spring trip out west. Broke in the boots at Mnut, PA, and VT. Another pair by Nordica, but this time a 3-buckle model. Took it easy for the first few days at the small Mid-Atlantic ski areas. No serious issues by the time I was skiing in VT. Got the boots tweaked before I flew out west. Quite happy with them.

In addition to checking out skis at the Massanutten (Jan. 10-11) and Alta (April 11) demo days, I also rented a few times for Alta snowstorms. Mostly I picked skis that were about 100 underfoot and 158-166 in length. (My Blizzard Black Pearls are 88 underfoot, 159cm. I’m petite, 5’0”, 120 pounds.) My favorite is the DPS Nina 99, 158cm. Other skis I would consider when renting for a powder day are the Dynastar Cham 97, Dynastar Cham 107, Rossi Saffron 7, Rossi Savory 7, and Blizzard Samba. Also tried out a couple of really fat skis for the first time. The K2 Remedy 117, 159cm, was a surprise. Even though the Remedy is 117 underfoot with tip & tail rocker designed for powder, it holds well on skied out groomers. Took a while to get used to seeing such wide tips in front of my boots though. For the 25+ inch powder day (April 15), I took out the Armada VJJ after lunch, 115 underfoot, 165 long. Had a better time on the VJJ than the Rossi Savory (106 underfoot, 162cm) I had in the morning.

 

[SkiBam]

Well, marz, I would for sure award you the prize for most places skied, lessons taken, improvement made, etc. etc. Sounds like you had a fabulous season!

 

[marzNC]

Well, marz, I would for sure award you the prize for most places skied, lessons taken, improvement made, etc. etc. Sounds like you had a fabulous season!

Got lucky that all the trips fell into place this season. Especially since my husband's professional conference in March was in Denver. Being able to have a week in Denver before starting to ski at relatively high altitudes of Colorado ski mountains was a bonus. Not likely to get as many ski days next season. But I'll have plenty of fun trying!

 

[marzNC]

Another TR from 2014-15 . . . three days at Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands in late March. Mostly spring skiing, especially warm the second and third day, so more groomers than bumps. Plus it was the first time at Aspen so didn't know where and when to find good soft snow as it warmed up to the 50s.
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...rip-to-aspen-snowmass-march-26-28-2015.19489/

 

[marzNC]

Even in NC, it’s cold enough at night to have the heat on. Summer is definitely over and ski season is just around the corner. Thinking back, I would say I was more active this summer than the previous one. Both in terms of keeping up general fitness and pushing harder in terms of activities some people who are ACL-deficient might avoid. Joined a new fitness center that's very close to my house. Bonus is that there is a Taichi Heavy Ball class that I really enjoy.

Did more high ropes courses during the summer. Started in June with the new GoApe in Raleigh with my daughter and local friends. In July, had a chance to do the most difficult course (Red) at Asheville Adventures with my daughter while friends traveling with us did the easier courses. The Red Course was hard! Took us over an hour to finish, although some of that time we were waiting for others to clear a section. The two of us also did GoApe in Delaware, which is great fun because the zip lines are over water. In general, I was more confident about doing challenges that involve swinging each foot independently. Also better on the landings on the zip lines at GoApe courses where it’s possible to finish standing up when you approach with feet “running” in the air.

Small rings at GoApe


Big rings made of metal on Red Course in Asheville


Did a hike up a peak in the Adirondacks for the first time since losing the ACL in 2012. Hiked up Hurricane (3678’, 2000’ ascent, 3.4 mile one way) during the North Country School alumni gathering in late August. The 360 degree view was spectacular and included Lake Champlain, Mt. Marcy (highest peak in the Adirondacks), and Whiteface (could see the ski trails). Felt good that I wasn’t particularly sore the next day. In general, doing short hikes are easier going up and going down. I can compare how I feel on one trail on the school campus that I’ve done every summer starting in 2012. It’s short, only takes about 20 min, but has a steep section towards the top. I have less trouble doing the climb now compared to 10 years ago.

View of Whiteface from top of Hurricane

Hurricane fire tower, not operational


View of Lake Champlain in the distance




This thread made it over 26,000 views in the past month. The view count is close to 18,000 for my thread about the first few months of rehab as a coper in 2012. Every knee injury is different, but hopefully those reading learn something useful.

 

[marzNC]

Plenty of ski trips planned for the upcoming season, although I don’t expect to ski quite as many days as last season. Hoping for 50 days, with at least 20 out west. The mid-season trip with ski buddies will include Alta/Snowbird and Aspen. Also going to spend a couple days at either Sun Valley or Jackson Hole, driving from Salt Lake City. Idea is to get good use out of the Mountain Collective Pass. The stretch goal is to get into good enough shape to do the hike to ski Highlands Bowl, if we are lucky enough to have good conditions (good visibility, little wind).

Will be using my new Head Absolut Joys at Massanutten in Jan and Feb, mostly for holiday weekends with friends taking kids. Looking forward to working with Walter again. Planning to attend the DCSki/EpicSki Mid-Atlantic Gathering Feb. 19-21 at Blue Knob in western PA. Not sure where I’ll ski during the early March drive up to Lake Placid to pick up my daughter for spring break. Depends a lot on the weather, but thinking about Stowe because it was added to the MCP.

Lots of incentive to work out the next few months. Will be working with my personal trainer weekly until Thanksgiving.