Diary of A Mad Woman : Part 2

The Ankle Dictator and I are in a stare down; each waiting to call the other's bluff.  Unfortunately, I am not bluffing and he isn't joking so we continue to stare at each other.  It's a waiting game and I wait impatiently for him to flinch.  Maybe I should flirt with him.

Oh the Ankle Dictator thinks he can trick me.  He brought me a gift that he thought I'd love; wrapping it up in fancy little paper with a great big bow thinking I'd be impressed.  Cleverly gifted was the promise of sleeping in.  One would think the gift of extra sleep would be welcomed and I won't lie, the first day or two the Ankle Dictator snagged me hook, line, and sinker.  Not anymore.  While in training and after 4 days of hard running, I'd earned a day off of running therefore allowing me to sleep in.  Oh how sweet that day was.  Now that I have them every day, they aren't so sweet - more like the sweetness of a sour patch kid.

After a week of snow, ice and finally rain, we were blessed with a day of the most incredible sunshine and blue skies.  I'd look out my window and every thought was consumed with how it was incredibly perfect running weather.  I cursed the Ankle Dictator.  As my sprained left foot is needed for the clutch in the car,  I couldn't even drive my convertible.  Sigh.  I bought a latte instead.  It made sense at the time.

Saturday morning I wouldn't have to get up early to meet my friends for a high mileage run, leaving me with the freedom to make plans for Friday night.  We invited our friends Suzanne, Jim, Karen & Tim over for a friendly (?) game of Pit.  Not one of us could remember the last time we had laughed that hard, each declaring our abs were getting the best workout they'd ever had.  We rediscovered cheek muscles and the next morning they were still sore. 

The Ankle Dictator and I continue our stare down; but I will take my laughter-induced sore abs and cheeks and begin a new workout.   And I will workout hard in hopes to gain some of the endorphins running gives me.  When the sore muscles come, I will sharpen my stare at the Ankle Dictator and when he least expects it, I will wink at him.  Hopefully it'll fluster him enough to forget about my ankle.

Diary of A Mad Woman : Part 1

It is 5 days removed from spraining my ankle, 5 days of no running, and I am still alive.  Amazingly I haven't killed anyone either; that could be in part that everyone can out run me right now, but let's attribute it to my incredible self-restraint shall we?

The Ankle Dictator has been pretty quiet, not jabbing my ankle every time I move.  The trick, I discovered, is sitting on the couch with my foot up.  This alone is an accomplishment worthy of marathon-finish line proportions.  Never have I sat still for this long.  Who would've thought that rest really does work?  Each day I've been able incorporate more and more into my day letting me know that my ankle is doing much better in it's recovery this time around than it did in 2008.

Mr. Meany Pants visited me the other day.  Dressed all in brown, he hopped out of the big brown box truck he drives and had the cruel audacity to bring to me the Running Warehouse package I had ordered before I sprained my ankle.  Can you believe the nerve of some people?  Although I will say I look forward to the day I can break in this bad boy.  Saucony's ViziPro will make me light up in the dark without having to wear my jacket.  It even comes with a flashing light on the sleeve.  This satisfies my gadget geekiness (<---- that is a word now).

I'm planning the exercises I will be able to do that do not involve my ankle.  This has proved a little trickier than anticipated; even some of the weight set exercises require me to brace my body with my feet and ankles.  As it gets stronger I'll be able to incorporate more and more.

Today I'm planning on an intense upper body workout ~ I am painting my oldest son's room.  Oh come on now, did you really think I'd sit still all day?

 

Curve Balls & Laundry Baskets

One can plan out an entire year of racing, down to the minute detail and it can all get tossed up in the air by a laundry basket.  Strange to think that something that has absolutely nothing to do with running can bring my exercise regime to a screeching halt.


The Villian - doesn't it look evil?

It is hard to say what happened, as I really am not sure what did.  I do know I casually leaped over the laundry basket (AKA The Villian), easily clearing all 18 inches of it. 
The next moment I am on the ground in pain. 

Golf ball or ankle?

And where my ankle is suppose to be I find a golf ball.  The ground has become my friend as I am having a difficult time standing up.  In an instant I knew, I just knew, this golf ball size lump has sucked every moment from my near-future runs.  I lived through this in 2008 when I had a severe sprain, on the same ankle, and was side-lined for 6 weeks.

Here I sit on my sofa, my foot wrapped and propped up on pillows.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad.  It's disheartening to look at your personal goals and know that they are put on hold.  The Ankle Dictator will be in control for awhile; as much as I despise him, I have to play this smart and listen to him.  My spring marathons have been taken off the schedule and my June schedule is questionable. 

There are blessings in this that I recognize, and for that I am grateful.  In order not to have Christmas gifts put on credit all my race fees were put on hold until February.  So although running them has been taken out of my schedule, I am not out of race fees.

My boys have been wonderful, making sure I can stay put and have my foot up.  It is a wonderful thing as a parent when you receive affirmation of your parenting with the kindness and care they show during times like this.  They will make wonderful husbands.

When my sadness took the form of tear drops, my husband shared the heartbreak with me.  Not many women have empathy like that in their spouse, I am blessed.

Being taken off running is not the end of the world and is not the worst thing that could happen to me.  Right now I need to realign my goals and once I can wrap my head around them, my focus will sharpen.  However right now, I am sad.  And that is ok.