Mak Shea Smith

6.5 weeks post op: my notable walks

Catching y’all up to speed on my recovery journey if you’re not on Strava - I got off crutches entirely at 3 weeks and was cleared to start building ‘flat walking volume’ while being mindful of any pain/flare-ups. Within the week, I got up to walking for an hour pain free so I started walking a little faster. At my 6 week follow up I got cleared to start ‘increasing distance and incline’ so naturally I hiked up to an alpine lake. I also front squatted 95 pounds this week (only 100 pounds less than my 1RM but we celebrate all the little wins around here)! I even kicked a rock with my operative leg and didn’t have the usual deep hip pain from before surgery!! AND I am still 100% pain free and have had zero flare ups to speak of!

Taking this time offline to just focus on my own thing has been so freeing. I decided early on in this recovery that I was going to start expecting the best instead of fearing the worse and it has breathed new life into my routines and mindset. Before surgery, I was really scared about taking a long break from running and having to rebuild from nothing. Now, I can’t believe how much pain I was living with and had normalized. My left glute just wouldn’t turn on and all my stabilizer muscles were so pi**ed off from overuse despite so much time spent in PT.

More than just physically, I mentally feel so much peace with where things are at. Recovery is actually extremely satisfying if you allow yourself to live in the present moment and not get caught up in where you used to be. Walking a mile further than the week before, climbing a bit of elevation when I could only walk flat, using a heavier band in my PT exercises, and feeling noticeably more stable on my operative side are all fueling this enjoyment of recovery for me. Taking this journey week by week and being excited about the new exercises and restrictions lifted has made it so easy to love recovery!

Anyways - there’s plenty more walking, biking, hiking, elliptical, and swimming in my future until I’m allowed to run in a few months!

my last time in crampons was the spring of 2023 climbing Shasta in a day! Shasta is a steep volcano but it’s certainly not at 18,500’ - Pico de Orizaba definitely had its own unique challenges but it reminded me of what i love most about mountain activities! moving through beautiful terrain and being completely absorbed in the task ahead of you 💓

sometimes i get caught in the paradox of being a trail runner who doesn’t explore new places too often. i get fixated on training and wanting to match workouts with terrain - i know what my typical pace is on certain routes and i don’t have to route find or deal with the unfamiliar. i’m lucky to live off some pretty famously hilly dirt roads (which is great during winter when conditions in the mountains are questionable) but one of my goals for this next year is to run new trails more frequently. this trip reminded me of the magic that’s in not worrying about pace - at high altitude, you’re maxing out at ‘mountaineering pace’ which is much slower than even power hiking pace. there was so much joy in this discovery and i can’t wait to apply that knowledge in other aspects of training and life :)

i am SO grateful to for allowing me to host this incredible trip. we had the most fabulous, badass guides and i felt supported every (literal) step of the way. i trust Alpenglow 100% with my life in the mountains and i cannot imagine this experience any other way! i had so much fun with this group of women and i am so grateful that they took a chance to come to Mexico, climb a volcano, and try a new activity!

i would be remiss not to mention for this expedition - they sent me some incredible pieces of gear. most notably, my soft shell pants and my mountaineering boots. the Nepal Cube GTX boots immediately surpassed my old mountaineering boots in comfort and stability!!! was very happy that i decided to get a bigger size boot for this trip! i didn’t have any foot troubles on summit day :)

today is my 27th birthday!!!! some highlights from the past year of living :)

26 was a time for sure - from telling my advisor i’m mastering out, to graduating grad school, to hiking a lot of miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, and everything else that has lead up to this moment in Mexico City! i have been challenged so much this year and ultimately i am so grateful for the support of my partner, friends, and family for getting me through it all. i wouldn’t trade a second of the learning lessons, especially knowing that it’s all building towards something. i have covered more miles this year than any year before and i look forward to building on those miles while i return to running races and spending more time in the mountains of Colorado next summer!

not every year is going to feel like the ‘best one ever’. my mid twenties have held so much uncertainty - from living with chronic pain from a back injury and thinking about my career, i haven’t quite felt like i see a clear vision for the future. the benefit of that is that i am learning how to live in the uncertainty! i have made some pretty big decisions for next year (ie breast reduction, going back to school for dietetics, working in a bridal shop) and i am feeling so hopeful about FINALLY resolving my injury. these few years have taught me about living in the gray area and although i can’t say i’ve loved it, i have certainly been taught lessons.

all of this is to say that anything you see on social media probably doesn’t begin to cover the whole story. we all go through these periods of uncertainty where it can feel like we are taking steps backwards. the point of life isn’t to always be moving forward, it’s just to live! i’m hoping that this next year of life gives me guidance and vision 🩷 in the meantime, i’ve got the BEST support system around me to reflect with and enjoy the day to day moments. i think max and i laughed more in this past year than any other year together!