A rookie legislator who’s a former coach is nursing a serious injury that’s put him on crutches. State Representative Mike May of Spirit Lake says it all began with a phone call. May says someone called to invite him to play in the legislature’s basketball league, so he decided to go to nearby Milford to play ball with an “over-50” crowd to work out the kinks in his game. After about an hour, May heard a pop and knew he’d ruptured his Achilles tendon. “It’s almost like a gunshot behind you,” May says. “And then you fall down and I knew what it was, and I reached back and I have no Achilles tendon anymore.” May has been on crutches for three weeks. May expects to be on crutches for three more weeks, but may get frustrated and throw them away. He’s done it before. May broke his toe once during track season, used crutches for one day and then tossed ’em. “I have a real problem with following doctor’s orders, but in this case, at 59 (years of age), I think I’d better,” May says. The state capitol in Des Moines isn’t exactly easy to navigate on crutches. May had to climb a steep staircase to get to a committee meeting on Thursday. The elevator that’s supposed to take folks up to the committee room wasn’t working, so May had to take two flights of steep steps. “It wasn’t fun,” May says, with a laugh. May started his teaching career in Humboldt, and after a year there he taught and coached in Arnould’s Park for five years. He then stayed in Spirit Lake for 27 years, teaching and coaching sports, like girls basketball and girls track. May retired in 2000 and now helps run a family resort. He was elected to the Iowa House this past November.