OKers are aware I'm sure that Dan has recently sustained an ankle injury. Apparently it was enough to keep him out of the Long-o, and even the Texas meet is beginning to look doubtful. I think there are many of us (myself included) who are quite concerned about Dan's health and his preparation for the OK relay team.

Is there anyone who knows the latest on Dan's ankle? When can we expect Dan to be on his feet again? How does this bode for the state chumps? For that matter, did Fritz have anything to do with Dan's "accident"?

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), November 01, 1999

Answers

Dan was clearly hobbled by his ankle injury at last weekend's long-O' and one-day meet. In the long-O' Dan did not finish. One the one- day meet, he walked through much of the course. Both events were in Harriman State Park which is notorious for rocky terrain. So, the terrain might have made running with an ankle problem even tougher.

I have no doubt that Dan will recover from his injury in time to win the first leg of the next US relay champs. But, it may also make preparing for the Possum Trot difficult.

-- Spike (meglin@juno.com), November 01, 1999.

My ankle should be fine, as a matter of fact the ankle which hurt on the side and front during the long o does not hurt there at all. I quit when I started to run out of gas at the long o and my ankle started hurting worse. I knew that I was not in shape to "race" a long o but that I could maybe "run" it. I did not feel well that day at all and had no zip in my legs. It was an effort to just keep going with my ankle feeling badly and no zip in my legs so I quit feeling that if I kept going I might do severe damage to my ankle. I got out of the weekend what I needed to. I got some good practice in the tough terrain I had not run in in 7 years. It will take a few more times in that terrain before I will be able to "race" an o course. Now my ankle is sore at the base of the achillies where it hurt a couple of months ago and was sore for a few weeks. I will try to run an easy three miles on it tonight and see how it goes. My ankle injury started when I ran the test loop four times last Friday at an average pace of 16 minutes per loop. I took off Saturday and then ran the PTOC meet on Sunday taking it fairly easy. I think I was still not recovered from the test loop run because my legs were a little sore on Sunday. When I went out and ran on Monday for three miles easy my ankle was sore and I had to stop a few times and walk along the way. I took off Tuesday and Wednesday and felt I needed to test the ankle on Thursday so after work and before leaving for New York I ran the test loop in 13:57. My ankle felt ok but still was a little sore. I want to run in Texas, but I don't know if the terrain will allow it. It should not be nearly as bad as the rocks of New York. This is the time I want to increase my training to about 30 miles a week, so this injury is very frustrating. I think I will try to train through it and see what happens. I better quit this rambling is way too long.

-- Dan (daniel.meenehan@umb.com), November 02, 1999.