So I'm a Gimp - Who Cares?

As we all know, I sprained my ankle in the beginning of November. I went to the doctor & got a "not broken" diagnosis and decided it was safe to continue training for the various races I had registered for.

I completed the Alafia X-Country 1/2 marathon just walking and finished in 3:36:30! Not too bad at all for walking the entire time! (Not to mention I was ALL ALONE on the entire course, so it was hard to motivate myself.)

After Alafia, I decided it was time to start putting some jogging back into my routine. I took it easy and only tried jogging for 20-30 yards at a time. Although the pain & swelling weren't going away, they weren't getting any worse either. Then I started kicking it into gear & upping the mileage as final prep for the Disney Half Marathon. During on of my evening workouts, I was jogging down the Ringling Bridge in Sarasota & started feeling a shooting pain in my ankle and shin. I knew immediately this wasn't "normal" and stopped jogging, finishing the training workout by just walking. I decided at that point that it was better to just keep walking rather than injure myself more & put the Disney race in jeopardy.

After talking to Ryan, he convinced me that I should see a specialist since the aching and swelling weren't getting better and espeecially since I was getting that new symptom of shooting pain. I went just over a week ago to Coastal Orthopedics & was seen by a great sports medicine doctor there. He confirmed that my ankle is NOT broken, but said the sprain was definitely more severe than first thought. He also told me that I probably sprained/stretched out the nerve that runs down your shin & ankle onto the top of your foot - this is what was causing the shooting pain.

SO - I'm officially NOT allowed to attempt to jog for at least 2 months. That means no jogging in any of the races I've entered so far in 2009 - looks like I'll be a "Power Walking Half Marathoner" - there's no shame in that, right? I will also have some physical therapy sessions to get the ligaments, tendons and muscles in my ankle re-aligned since they're all out of whack from the sprain.

It's been a lot harder than I thought to just walk. It's just a totally different type of movement than jogging, which is what I've always been used to. But, as time passes, I'm getting more used to it and can maintain a pretty good pace once I'm warmed up. Usually, the first 2 or 3 miles are pretty painful with burning shins and calves. But once I'm through the initial pain, I can really move! In all honesty, I know it's probably better this way. My weight gain has made it hard on my body to try jogging at all, and now being forced to walk may get my joints & muscles used to moving on a regular basis again without all the "pounding" that comes with running. Hopefully I'll start to drop some weight as I continue training for all of these races (and with the new spinning and Pilates classes I'll be taking). Then once I get the "all clear" from the doctor, I can ease myself into jogging again without injuring myself!

So for now, I'm going to be one of those dorky ladies walking down the street with my arms pumping away! ....just don't laugh too hard when you see me!