Exactly two weeks from today, I'll be running in the Soldier Field 10 in Chicago. Bum ankle or not, limping or in full stride, I plan on crossing the goal line and finishing on the 50. This is why I run and why I need to get over this left ankle injury pronto! There are more races to run and cool venues to see and I'm not going to let some crummy little ankle issue get in the way!
I am back on the blog to report some disturbing news, my left ankle is aching and I’ve taken a break from running. About two weeks after the marathon, I was on a nice Saturday afternoon recovery run when all of a sudden I felt that familiar pain, only this time it wasn’t my right ankle, but my left. Mind starting racing. Panicked thoughts about surgery started to flood my every thought. And the fear that perhaps my time as a runner had come to an end became overwhelming.
At first I denied that there was even a problem. Must be the shoes! Must be my gait! Or lack of stretching. Over the next two weeks I desperately tried everything from having my ankle taped by Anne to wearing different kinds of shoes to work, all with the hope that the soreness would somehow magically disappear. Yet it persisted. It continued. It worsened. I knew what I had to do --- go see the doctor.
Last Tuesday I saw the awesome Dr. Marc Danziger, who thoroughly examined my ankle and determined that the tendon sheath was irritated. Could I run? Yes, as long as it doesn’t hurt, but keep it short. What about the Soldier Field 10 in Chicago which I’m supposed to run Memorial Day weekend? Yes, even if I have to limp to the finish line, it would be okay. How do we lick this? Rest and 750 mg of Relafen twice a day for two weeks. Do I need surgery? Not recommended. If rest and Relafen don’t work, then we’ll supplement with physical therapy.
I’m going to recover, I know that. Hopefully by June I’ll look back at this left ankle issue as nothing but a bump in the road. I’m anxious to start running again. I’m anxious to build off the progress I’ve made over the past two years and to maximize my ability as a runner. Yet, I also realize that rushing back will set me back. Doing too much too soon will only increase the chances that I will develop a more serious injury. Patience is the order of the day, and I’m trying my best to exercise some.
