Sidelined again

I did a tempo run on Wednesday morning. It went very well. I was able to hold the pace and it felt challenging, but completely manageable.

More than once during the run, I thought about the fact that my knee and my hamstring seemed to be completely healed. I was feeling strong and healthy for the first time in a long time. I allowed myself to get a little hopeful about actually training again.

After a two mile warm-up, and four miles at tempo pace, I slowed to a jog. I was a little more than half a mile from my car. Because I like to keep things nice and even, I planned to stop when my Garmin hit 6.5. At 6.47 my right foot came down on a stray piece of mulch on the sidewalk and my ankle rolled. Hard. I swore. Went down. Caught myself just before I hit the ground. Some guys ran by and asked if I was okay. I said I was sure I would be. They didn’t stick around to find out.

I slowly stood up and hobbled to my car, which was within sight.

I chose icing my ankle over showering. I drove to Whole Foods instead of to the showers at the gym. I got coffee and a bag of frozen peas. I sat with my foot propped up on the frozen peas. It looked like it might be a little bit swollen, but I hoped I was just being overly cautious.

I wrapped it in an ace bandage and went to work.

I was on my feet quite a bit, but tried to sit down as much as possible. I even sneaked in a couple more icings. It hurt, but not terribly. I could walk on it.

When I finally got home that night, I took off the bandage and got into the shower. My ankle started swelling up. The pain got much worse. It now hurt too badly to put any weight on it.

I called into work. I took myself off the schedule at the Wildlife Center for Friday.

The pain made it hard to sleep.

I started worrying about the Tacky Light Run that Kurt and I are registered to run on Saturday.

By Thursday morning, it was feeling much better, but was still very swollen. I took a complete rest day (well, besides the laundry and vacuuming that really needed to be done.) I watched Miracle on 34th Street and several episodes of Gilmore Girls. I ate too many Christmas cookies and wallowed.

I was considering working on Friday, to make up for taking Thursday off (and since I had already taken myself off the schedule at the Wildlife Center, and was thus free to work.) But by Thursday night, the swelling hadn’t gone down any. It actually looked like it might even be a little more swollen than it had been in the morning.

This morning, it is STILL swollen. It also hurts more than it did yesterday, but not as much as it did Wednesday night.

I’m going to the store to get some healthy food (no more cookies and wallowing!) and to pick up some movies from Redbox.

It will be another day on the couch with my foot up on pillows.

I’m trying to be positive, but all I want to do is run. Or scream. I’m not good at sitting. I packed my gym bag last night, thinking that I’d go for a swim this morning (I have to do something!!!!) but I thought better of it when I realized the swelling hadn’t gone down any overnight.

Urgh.