R I C E

Rest, ice, compression and elevation. And if no improvement in 5-7 days come back for an MRI. That was the doctor's advice. So here I sit ice pack on my ankle, pillow underneath feeling rather cranky.

Update: By the time I went to bed last night I had iced it three times yet the swelling did not seem to be much better. I had to crawl up the stairs. After a few false starts I managed to find a somewhat less painful position to sleep and did manage to sleep through the night. But getting up this morning at 6 am I did not feel strong on it at all. So I opted to skip work and make a doctor appointment which I was able to get for 1:20.

The swelling had gone down some overnight. I can walk on it but I'm not doing and one legged stands. The thing that bothers me is that every so many steps, when I take them, my ankle yells back and kind of gives way. After some gently prodding and twisting the doctor decided on the 'conservative approach' (his words) and leave it be for a week. He said the more I can rest it the better and faster it will recover and if not better in a week to come back for an MRI.

Blood pressure 104/62 and heart rate 67. At least there is plenty of wiggle room there for when the crankies hit because I shouldn't run or walk distances until this is better. Running and walking are what keep me sane. I can be as lazy as the next one if the mood strikes but I also have to be able to get up and go when the mood strikes. *Sigh*

Doc also checked out my other bumps and bruises (palm, shoulder, head) and agreed with me that they were nothing serious. A litle sore but I'll survive.

Ouch!

Well today I headed out to a warm up jog before doing a hill workout on 8th street. At the end of my street is a park that I cut through. I usually run on the paved path. The paved path is cracking up and so I thought I'd try the grass. I took a couple of steps on the grass and realized it was too long. I couldn't see the any dips, holes and other obstructions so I decided the paved path was safer. At least I could see where the breaks were. Unfortunately in the two steps to get back to the path I twisted my ankle.

I fell pretty hard. It is my right ankle. My left hand went out to stop the fall. My hand at the base of my thumb hurts almost as much as my ankle does. Maybe more. My head for the most part hit my arm except for a small piece on the side of my head which hit the pavement and is slightly bruised. Thank goodness for my arm taking most of the blow to my head because despite that my teeth rattled and I can't imagine what would have happened if it hit the pavement that hard.

Anyway I limped home and iced it twice before Dave arrived home from softball. I just iced it a third time a little bit ago. I've resisted aleve just yet. I'll take that before bed, for now I want to feel the pain and know what's going on. I'm pretty sure it's just sprained. I can put most of my weight on it but it is not happy about bending. I'll see how it is in the morning and then make a decision about going to the doctor.

So needless to say I did not do my hill workout today. I really needed a run today, too :(. I was feeling frumpy and clunky and running makes me feel better. Now I feel broken, frumpy and clunky. *sigh*

Ok so it was only 5 miles

From where I see it, the point was getting out after 4 days off so I'm happy with the run. Tomorrow I'll be off; Hill workout on Wednesday; Easy run on Thursday; 9 miles with the group on Saturday.

Taking the long weekend off

Friday was a planned no workout day. It usually is. However, by Saturday I wasn't feeling any better. In fact, despite an effort to get up early to meet my running group I ended up sleeping until 10 am on Saturday. Not like me at all so something is up. I did manage to take a walk but that was it for any exercise. Still feeling groggy at bedtime Saturday night I opted right then to skip everything until Monday.

So I've plotted out 6 miles around Media for Monday after work. 6 was the planned distance for Saturday. I'll run Wednesday and Thursday (Tuesday we are headed to Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game and there won't be time) and try to get back on schedule on Saturday, the 11th.

10 mnutes and back to take a nap

For the third day in a row Iwoke up tired. Yesterday was day two. I did manage 2 miles easy as the schedule called for yesterday. That actually made me feel better (as did my workout on Tuesday). So I decided to try again today. Today's workout called for 30 minutes total with Tempo in the middle. My plan was to warm up and cool down with a half mile easy and do two miles tempo separated by another half mile easy. I think some (I don't know who exactly.. but I've read it) would say a tempo should be at least two miles at once. I knew that wasn't going to happen though so believing that tempo is sustained higher pace at a distance longer than speed intervals I went with a mile.

However, my body had other plans today. I avoided the temptation to go right for the couch when I arrived home. I headed out and after the first half mile I was still feeling really sluggish (usually by that time I'm starting to pep up a a bit) So I changed my strategy to finish the planned 3.5 miles at an easy pace.. easier than usual even if I had to. I made it barely another half mile and stopped. I wasn't any more comfortable and my brain would not focus on anything but how I tired I felt. I walked back home, cleaned up and now I'm headed to my couch for a nap.

Tomorrow is my rest day for the week. I'm probably going to keep it and then meet some Phillyfitters on Saturday for an unofficial run on the Valley Forge Loop. Stay tuned....

Edit (later that evening...) ok now I have a mild sore throat and really dry eyes..... so maybe there is a reason for the tiredness that isn't just old age..... The first thing I will do tomorrow is not get up early.