Lake Michigan at Sunrise

Lake Michigan at Sunrise

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Hold my beer while I finally update my blog

This quote has as much literal meaning as it does motivational to me.:


Over the last few months, I feel like I have been cast to be in this famous story with regards to my ability to run:

My initial injury was a sprain of my left ankle in early March, when I fell down some icy stairs.

I didn't realize I had sprained it (I thought the pain and stiffness was just a bruise). I went to see a doctor a couple weeks later, and he diagnosed it. He told me I could run, just use pain as my guidance. I removed long distance and speed runs from the next week, and felt like I was improving slowly. Then I got a stomach flu and missed the next 10 days. I took this as a blessing in disguise, 10 days rest will be great for my ankle!

We are now at the week of the Shamrock shuffle. I knew I had to try to shake off dust and get at least one sustained speed test in that week. After 4 days of easy runs, I had to test my ankle and fitness. Both were not there. Race didn't happen. I ended up taking my daughter to the zoo (with the jogging stroller), thinking I could enjoy an easy pace and split up the run.

I didn't think the run through enough. Running into the wind with a jogging stroller put a lot of pressure on my ankle and set me in pain. Now we start the horrible next month or so of rebound running.  I would rest 5-10ish days, make sure all the pain was gone, pass the hop test, get all sorts of excited, thinking this would be my return.. and 1 or 2 short runs later, I was in pain again.

Finally, my left ankle stopped hurting (it was a little tight, but improving), but now my right ankle gave me pain after 35-40 minutes of running, and set me limping for a few days after (right side was overcompensating). Rebound running again.

Mentally, I'm getting pissed, frustrated, and defeated. I know I can't complain, I'm not unique in the matter, everyone gets hurt. I just hate it being such a blurry injury that teases me into thinking I'm healthy.  I take another week off, see the doctor and accept a physical therapy recommendation. I go ahead and try to run again just because I had no symptoms, and suffer the same consequences.

Now with the weather turning. the city has been filled with runners . I have to avert my eyes, my frustration builds. Remembering how just as I got injured, I was getting into some new area of sustained running speed that I didn't have last year. I wanted that back, and I want to improve so far beyond that.

As the blog post started, you fall to learn to pick yourself back up. Apparently, I wasn't done falling...Literally.

My physical therapist (same one I had last year during my Chicago Marathon training) put me on rest while she bruised my legs and ankles with Graston tools and works on getting my fibularis longus back into place. I didn't mind the pain, as it validated my complaints stemmed from an injury and were not imagined, and that they can be improved upon.

What could happen during this rest right?

Well apparently, I can sprain my MCL on my right knee! I went out to the Zombie Pub Crawl and fell of a stage while doing a dance that has you hop 90 degrees every verse to repeat the dance. (Note: There was a curtain behind the stage, which I thought was just covering a wall.. not space for me to fall) My right leg stage on the stage and get bent a bad way.

Pre fallen zombie
I went to see the doctor again, he diagnosed it easily. Thankfully he wasn't worried, as all the major injuries were avoided. I'll have to deal with the pain and limp (my knee is wrapped up) for about a week and have my physical therapist work on that as well. Hopefully I can get some estimated time for when I can start running again soon...Or maybe I should just start with walk without a limp again?

To sum this up, I'm obviously Batdad. And as soon as I get out of this injury dungeon (thanks Bane), there will be hell to pay on my running shoes.

Cheers!

21 comments:

  1. Holy reincarnation, Batman! This zombie blogs! I thought your blog was dead and buried - joining the ranks of "Run Gingerfoxxx" and "Chicago Runner Girl" - as great blogs that are now among the walking dead. Anyway, hope you break free of the injury dungeon and can join me this summer/fall for some quality LFT runs. I'm not one to dispense advice, but since I was recently in said dungeon as well, I will dispense advice: When you feel you can run again, don't do too much too soon. I repeat, don't do too much too soon. We all know you are fast (twss) and can run long distances, you've got nothing to prove to us. Just wait two or three months until you attempt mileage anywhere near the "Ken Zone". It has taken me 14+ years of being in and out of injuries and I think I maybe on to something with this short-distance-running-comeback-thing. Hope all is well with you and maybe I'll see you at a Star Wurst session again soon!

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  2. Who is this stranger? Glad to have you blogging again. Sounds like you've been snake bitten like me... ITBS left side, PFS right side,got sick, shin splints, ankle pain, soleus pain

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  3. Hey I think I know this guy from Reddit.


    My left knee has been bothering me so I'm taking a week (or so) off from running. So I totally sympathize with seeing other runners and wanting to punch them. I have however been embracing the bike commute which has actually been quite pleasant and a nice distraction from not running.

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  4. Sounds like you've had awful injury luck the past few months. I hope your PT is able to work some magic so you can get back out there soon!

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  5. Ugh, stuck in an injury spiral sucks. I've been thinking about you lately and wondering what you've been up to...rehabbing apparently. Hopefully this is the last of it and you'll be out enjoying the weather and the Lakeshore Path again soon!

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  6. Well, well, well! Nice to see you pop back into Blogland, even if the circumstances are less than ideal. I guess at least you were already in PT, so you can now kill two injury birds with one stone? Hopefully obliterate those injury birds, in fact, because injuries are lame. Feel better soon!

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  7. Whoa, you're back on twitter AND the blogosphere? I can't even think of an inappropriate joke to make about your absence, I'm a little rusty (twss?).

    I think saying you injured yourself while doing a zombie dance at a pub crawl earns you about a million awesome points with the WRCE. But dude, that really sucks. Hope you can find your way out of injury dungeon sometime soon, we miss you at Pint Nights!

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  8. I do leave a void in people when I leave (rim shot)


    I need to train my awesome points in for a beer!! I really need out of the dungeon, the spiders are spinning webs on me!

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  9. Thanks! WWF will be after me for the bird killing!!

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  10. I've been thinking about me too! wait..
    I'm the anti amy whinehouse, rehab place is my Cheers, literally everybody knows me.
    I better be back out there soon!

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  11. I need the polar opposite of this luck for the rest of the year!! I've taken more time off in the last few months than I had in the past few years!
    PT Magic = a lot of bruising lol

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  12. What is reddit?


    You should wear a mask while biking and air punch them! You feel better too! Maybe you can make an extra shirt, I bike with pedaling women?

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  13. Stranger DANGER!
    Glad you are going to get checked out! heal up!

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  14. I was trying to short run return before (3-5 mile test runs.. less than 3 will be rough to mentally do). I'm glad I never signed up any races, or else I'd be livid and depressed.
    I hope to be out as soon as medically cleared!!

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  15. Injury vortex! scary!! thanks :)

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  16. Hey there, welcome back! Ugh, I hope you're injury free and back to running with the wind in no time!

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  17. I love your zombie outfit! Hate the double injuries though. Feel better soon! :)

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  18. How do we know this is you and not an imposter?

    Your second injury sounds like one of those injury where you say "You've got to be kidding me." Like you do a backflip just fine, but then fall and injury yourself stepping down a curb. I'm talented in injuries like that. Hopefully your luck turns around now!

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  19. Thanks! it is a slow, long breeze to get back to running

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  20. Gracias!! I shuffle like a zombie now without trying!

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  21. HELLO I AM NIGERIAN PRINCE, HUGE BANK ERROR, I NEED YOU TO SEND ME....

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