Injured

First the good news...

The eating schedule I posted yesterday worked great! I had enough food, the right types of food (soft to start, more dense later) and I didn't feel like I was overly focused on the eating part of the day. So I'll be sticking to that plan for future training and race days.

Also good news is that I walked me heart out for a full 10 miles (ok, my pedometer said 9.96, but I'm claiming it as 10). Which leads me to...

The Bad News ... 

Around mile 4 I started having pain in my ankle. The outer ankle and radiating up the side of my leg to about mid-calf. The best I can describe it is that it felt like shin splints, but not on the shins. So... even though I had pain, I kept walking. Figured I'd just work through the pain and get done with the 13 miles today.

Around mile 8 I had figured out I wasn't going to finish. But what do I do? We're out in the middle of a practice race that only had 3 water stations, no medic stations and no support along the course. Luckily I was walking with my group leaders and training group. We determined we'd get to the next water station at the 9 mile mark -- which we figured out was actually at 9.75. I made it just fine. In pain, of course, but I was fine.

If I had really been bullheaded (which I usually am) and insisted on pushing through the pain, I definitely could have finished the 13 miles. But at what cost? I did not want to cause any more injury to my ankle that would prevent me from doing the race in 2 weeks. So I knew it was the best thing to just stop. Joe, the water station guy, gave me a ride back to the start line. (Thanks Joe!)

So what was wrong?

I knew it wasn't a simple pulled, strained or sore muscle. It felt different than that. I had pain when I put weight on my foot, but if it was elevated or I was just sitting, no major pain - just a dull throb. I honestly was afraid there was a fracture or something wrong with the bone. So I went to get xrays.

I tried going to a 24-hour clinic, but it seems those things are out of fashion these days and we don't have one available in my city. (And I don't live in a po-dunk town either!) So I ended up at the ER. I felt stupid for being there for a non-emergency, but I really wanted to get my foot checked out and get things fixed.

I should interject here that I've had this pain for about 3 weeks now. It has progressively gotten worse. Today was the first time the pain has prevented me from walking my training program though.

So at the ER, I got right in (it was a slow emergency day, apparently). The doc checked the ankle, noticed swelling and heat at the sight. Got some xrays and found out there was no fracture, splintering or stress on the bone.

So the official diagnosis? 

Peroneal Tendonitis. 

The treatment? Rest, ice, compression, elevation. No training until the pain goes away. Normal, light-duty activity is OK, but I have to take it easy and rest. When I asked about the race he said to wait and see. He said no training between now and then. Which to me means that I won't be ready for 13.1 miles if I can't train for two weeks. :: sigh ::

But I'm going to wait and see. I'm going to try really hard not to be discouraged and pissed. I'm going to use my 6 free passes to the gym and do some water workouts so I can at least keep up my cardio work. I'm going to rest and behave.

~Pam