Slogging along

It's been almost a week, and my ankle has not improved. I daresay it's worse. Still not running, but forty minutes on the elliptical yesterday hurt quite a bit, so I suffered through forty minutes of biking today. I used a recumbent bike, and ended up feeling a strange ache down my left leg. It would ease up when I shifted to the right (also resulting in hitting my knee on the handles!), then resume when I sat straight. It felt like something pressing on the back-top of my left thigh.
Now, I can feel a swollen spot on my inner left ankle. It's been that way for a day or so, but I'm starting to worry. I don't think this picture captures the swelling.

(you can see my ace bandage and ice pack in the background!)

Luckily for me, S is on vacation this week (he's a music teacher), so today I get to drive to work.
I'm going to try to get a referral to a sports medicine doctor today. I want to see someone who will get me up and running again soon.

Onward and upward!

And down for the count

After my triumphant return to blogging, I've managed to incur some sort of injury in my left heel. Here's how it goes:

S and I went to Washington DC the weekend before Valentines Day, along with a few members of his band, so that they could play a show at American University. While there, I ran an "easy" 3.5 miler in Potomac, Maryland, and then a 9.3 miler along the C and O Canal. (Easy is in quotes, because Potomac is the most hilly neighborhood I've ever run in.) It was quite cold on the canal, but it was a delicious run. I hadn't run more than 5 since getting my wisdom teeth out, and I was so happy to be out with the wind on my face. Thinking back on it now, I felt little twinges in two places - one along the seam of my right sole, where it turned out I was getting a nasty blister (new, thin socks), and one along the inside of my left heel/ankle. I thought nothing of it. It felt like a little bruise.
We came back to Somerville, and I had a nice easy run on Tuesday. Just a quick 3 miler, with little twinges.

Thursday was the killer. I had a 6 mile speedwork run set out for me, which, for the sake of time, I shortened to a five miler. The plan was - 800 warm-up and cool-down with three 1600s at 9:16/mile, with 800 recovery jogs in between. By the time the first 800 was through, I had a twinge in my ankle, but I wanted to power through. That was a mistake that I regret now, though my speed was pretty good. It was the last 800 cool-down that was the most painful, though at other times in the quick miles I did actually make a noise. It felt a bit like I imagine being stabbed with a small pin would feel. Throughout the run I realized I was altering my gait to accomodate the pain - very small steps, and landing and lifting off on my mid-foot. Closer to the heel, even.

I ended up limping for the rest of the day.
I had an easy three miler on tap for Friday, but I ended up going to the gym and using the bike instead. It didn't hurt at all, and wasn't nearly as satisfying as running.

S and I spent the day in Amherst yesterday, and we each had a run planned for today. Mine was supposed to be 11 miles, and his an interval run. We were to meet up at Petsi's for breakfast. I wrapped my ankel all day yesterday, and it most definitely hurt when I woke up. After doing some research, I decided I may have given myself Posterior Tibial Tendonitis, and hoped I would be able to run even a short distance today.

No such luck. Pain when I woke up, and a crushed heart. I went to the gym and did an hour on the elliptical (with some pain), and twenty minutes on the bike. Unsatisfying, disheartening, and boring.

I haven't run since Wednesday, and I miss it horribly. Mainly, I'm scared that the Run for the Border half marathon at the end of March is out of the question.

Any help?

Return

Triumphant!

When I last wrote on here, I had just finished my first 5k, and was excited that I had continued to run.

Fast forward 8 months, and let me fill in the gaps.

S and I decided to try running a 10k, so we downloaded an additional training program which promised a 10k in six weeks. By the 3rd week I was a wreck. I couldn't run more than 4 miles, and I was feeling horrible about myself. So I took about a month and a half and just ran what was comfortable: two intervals of twelve minutes, 20 minutes of straight running, etc. Until September rolled around. S and I went to Essex for a weekend wedding extravaganza. In attendance were all of his college friends, and no one I really knew, so I took the opportunity to wake early and run along some trails and less-travelled roads. i ended up running 4.15 miles, and feeling awesome about it. I took that as the assurance I needed to start building my milage.
I started waking up around 5 am every other day, and once on the weekend. I slowly built my milage from 10 miles a week to what it is now: 25 miles a week! That breaks down to, on average, five miles three days a week, and a long run of 10 miles on Sundays. I've run 10 four times now, and I feel amazing about it.

Unfortunately, S needed to stop running in July due to a pretty severe plantar faceitis injry, and is just now starting up again with me. He's marvalled at how good my form has become, and how much faster I am. I've gone from averaging an 11 minute mile to just under 10. in short bursts (I've run a few short intervals with him), I'm averaging about 8:30/mile.

After my crazy long runs, S makes my my favorite meal ever.

Two eggs over-easy, with sharp cheddar on top, apple butter underneath, on toasted brioche (in this photo, the brioche was made by me! My 2011 new years resolution.)

The most satisfying, filling, warming, delicious meal.

Here's hoping I keep going.