Recovering from knee surgery is freaking hard

Hey Everyone,
Last time I talk to you I said I had recovered from tearing my right knee up. Well what I did was tear my ACL and MCL, if anyone is familiar with knee injuries they know that the MCL is the only ligament in your knee capable of healing itself. My ACL was torn to the point of needing surgery, but I did a lot of early physical therapy on my own, some what against the doctors orders. The physical therapy got good strength back into my knee and the doctor was amazed I was able to get that strength back so we decide to hold off on surgery and see if I could get through the 2009 season with my knee as it was. When I rode I didn’t ever really notice my knee hurt, but later that night I would have to ice it. It was really a bummer because it only aloud me to ride once sometimes twice a week if I was lucky. Also working full time didn’t help me ride all that often either.

I went into the first round of the XTRM AMA Supermoto Championship having only ridden supermoto once in six months, but I rode motocross every week so I wasn’t to worried about it. The track was short but fairly fun, it took me awhile to figure out the track. Which was weird I tend to learn different tracks really fast, but after all was said and done I finish eighth in the main event which up until that point was my best result in the pro class.

I did one local supermoto race at home in between rounds one and two of the XTRM AMA Supermoto Championship which was fun I won both of my motos and it gave me some more confidence in myself. Round two of the pro championship took us to Sonoma, California the track was so cool it had tons of neat off chamber turn, and I fun dirt section. It was so hot out there it was nearly one hundred degree temperature with one hundred percent humidity, it sucked I am not use to any humidity in the high desert were I live. The race went well I finished ninth in the main event, I was just happy to be done with that kind of heat.

There was a one weekend break between Sonoma and the next round in Las Vegas so me and some friends loaded up and headed out to phoenix to get in some moto training on some different tracks. Now remember my knee had hurt up until this point but not enough to keep me off the bike, but I tapped my leg in a corner and it ended up finishing off my ACL and tearing my meniscus. I could barely walk that next week, but I was going to Las Vegas no doubt about it. We got there and the track had a really neat layout which ran us into and arena for a arenacross style dirt section then all the asphalt going around the outside of the arena. I not sure if was because my knee hurt so bad but I rode relaxed and pretty well. I battle with Casey Yarrow for fourth the whole main event. By the end my knee hurt so bad I had to back off and settle for sixth. I was upset at myself because I couldn’t stay in that fight for fourth, but the more I thought about it I realized I was just lucky to got have injured my knee more. Plus I just had my best ever finish in an AMA Pro event.

The Las Vegas race was at the end of may, after that I stayed off the bike because my knee was really screwed up all it did was pop out of place all the time and cause me pain. I decide if I stay off the bike for a few months maybe I could get enough strength back in it to do the last two races XTRM AMA Supermoto Championship. I also got some custom CTI2 knee braces while I wasn’t riding because my EVS knee braces didn’t seem to be giving me much support. I started riding again a little over a week ago to get some practice in before I go to Utah for round four. My first ride back on the bike hurt pretty bad but I really wanted to finish out the season. The second ride back I got bucked over the handlebars on a big double landed more on my head and shoulder but it was enough to completely finish off my knee. So I am once again out for the rest of season which is a big bummer, but I was thinking if I manage to do as well as I have so far this year I can probably do better healthy next year. As of right now I am a week away from surgery and my plans are to take a nice long time coming back from this, and not just jumping back on the bike to soon. Hopefully I will be completely healthy for next season.

Sean Butterman

Hey everybody,
            I am just starting to ride again after tearing my acl and mcl in my right knee. I am going to try to make as many nationals as possible this year again racing the supermoto lights class. With the way my last few seasons have gone im just getting much support except for a few really great companys like vortex and steel mx. I cant blame companys for not supporting me two years as a pro and nothing but injurys. I still was able to acomplish my goal of getting a  top ten finish in the 2008 season so i feel even with the injurys this year I learned so much gained alot of speed and had so much fun. So for this 2009 season im my goal is to stay heathly and give 110% at all the races whereever i end up it will be a great ride.
thanks to everyone who has supported me these last few seasons.

Sean Butterman

hey everyone,

Sorry its been a while since I checked in, I have been training so much trying to get ready for the 2008 AMA Supermoto Lites championship. My goals are to be consistently in the top ten and to stay heathly which I did not do this last year. Last year I was just outside the top ten at the beginning of last year before a broke my leg so I definitly believe I can get there I have been working really hard to gain speed on the bike.Thanks for everyones suport.

laters, Sean

Sorry it has been a while since I wrote, on May 19 I was racing at the opening round of  the AMA pro supermoto championship in St. Lious. I qualifyed for the main event, and felt awesome on my bike,  by about eight laps in I had got up to12th and was setting my fastest laps of the weekend. Then as I enter the hardpack dirt section I lost my front end and ended up with an ambulance ride to the local hospital with a broken tibia. A week later back here in New Mexico I got a 1 1/2 foot long rod and 5 screws put in my lower right leg. I am 3 weeks out from surgury and am starting physical therapy to back in shape. I hope be racing again by september. I would like to thank all my sponsor for sticking with me through this.

Thanks, Sean Butterman 

Sorry I have not written in a while. The last month has been very busy, I went to Primm, Nevada for the Stateline Supermoto Challenge which was awesome because all the AMA pro were there. I was even able to qualify for the 250 pro class. I also raced the first two events at our local track and won the open class events on a 250f. I am preparing for the AMA supermoto series opener on the 19th of this month in St. louis. I am so excited, I got my AMA pro license in the mail last week and everything starting to come together. Thanks for the support and any more would be greatly appreciated.

later, Sean

It was definitely not the way I wanted to end the last race of the season. Morning practice My 450's water pump went, I push it back to the pits and swamped everything of to my 250f that we brought along so I could race motocross the following day. After I finished getting the 250 ready I went on my pit bike and said hi to some friends of at the motocross track, that is just a few hundred yards a away form the supermoto course. On the way back I was about to turn in to the supermoto/ road race pit( that has a 5MPH Speed Limit), there is hard right corner that was blind so I had to roll out into the thurway to see if I could go. As I pull out I heard a vintage road race bike grab 2nd gear coming straight at me around 35mph, I had nowhere to go he hit the front of my pit bike taking it out from under me and breaking my wrist. Luckily I had enough points to win the championship, and the guy that hit was really sorry about what he did. It was one of those stupid things that happens once in  while. Once my wrist heals in about a 6-7 weeks I will start training hard to get ready for next year. Thanks for everyones support, Sean

Sorry I have not written in a while but everythings haves been going really well. I got a job at the coolest and oldest yamaha dealership in the country. I won both motos in both races 5 and 6 of the New Mexico supermoto championship. The ahrma national came through a few weekends ago and I swept both days of racing to get nice bonus since it was a purse race. The money is a real help since I am getting ready to by myself a truck of my own. Right now I am just training as much as possible between work and school. Also on the 21st of this month is the last race the state championship which I am leading by a confortable 20 some point and I am excited about it and I am also looking forward to doing Afew of the remaining race for the miller motorsports park supermoto championship.Lastly I would like to thank all the companies and people that put there faith in me, it mean so much and I can not thank you enough.
Sean

Race 3 in june wasn`t what i call an awesome weekend and only salvage a 3rd place overall. Race four however went much better with a 1,1 moto score but my teammate and friend Stefan Liebert keep me on the gas with a ton of new found speed. Thanks for reading my update, Seeya

This weekend went a lot smoother. I holeshoted both motos and just cruzed to the win. I did not feel much like landing on the ground again. I would like to thank all of my sponsor for giving awesome product, also I would like to give shout out to My freind Stefan Liebert for stepping it up a notch good job. Say tunes for more news. Sean