Injury update
My calf/ankle/Achilles issue kept me stationary for Thursday’s prescribed 5 miles. But Friday night I prepared for the next day’s 16. I stayed in, ate a pasta dinner and hydrated myself. The next day I ate appropriately, waited for digestion and then suited up into my water belt and iPhone and headed toward the river.
I made it about a mile down before I had to admit defeat. It was possible to run on my leg, but I felt every stride and it definitely didn’t seem wise. I could even feel a pain in my lower back, as I had for Wednesday’s 8 miles, probably due to compensating for one side of my body with my ungraceful running form. If I didn’t injure my Achilles worse, it’s possible I could create a whole new issue elsewhere. Which is endlessly frustrating. In a terrible way, I almost wanted a more obvious, undoubted injury so there’s none of this hesitance. Healthy or injured; this in-between leaves me in limbo and questioning every decision. It was probably right to lean toward safety and forgo that long distance for fear of exacerbating the situation, but there’s no way to know if I could have just “sucked it up.” I hate being behind in my training. I’ve followed the schedule precisely thus far and have been so proud of my progress. Now I’m forced to waver on it every day.
Like today, first back after skipping two runs. I went to the gym. My left leg still hurts, and climbing up and down stairs is a long and painful process. But I needed to try the treadmill. I did. I ran for maybe two minutes before I disembarked for an hour on the elliptical instead. My book recommends “water running” and stair climbing as effective cross-training activities during injury. I do not own or have access to a pool. If I did I still wouldn’t know what underwater running would entail. And stairs turn me into a 90-year-old woman. Elliptical it was. And my leg was okay.
Strangely, both times I’ve relied on this machine I feel it more on my right side, specifically at my right ankle, where I have metal implants from a broken ankle seven years ago. So far, it’s earned its bionic nickname, especially where its counterpart has failed. So I don’t know what’s causing its elliptical presence.
Tomorrow I really want to try for my 8 miles. I’m currently icing my calf/ankle area at an elevated height and wishing for some recovery. I’m really so miserable about this whole situation. I hate feeling helpless and unsure.
