Ouch!

After Sunday's successful 20 minute run, I am certain I can do the 5k. If I can run for 20 minutes, after a month of training, with another 3 months I'll be able to run for 40 minutes.  "Unless I get hurt or sick" I thought.

 

So Sunday night, after being on my feet all day, my ankle started to hurt. It kept me from easily falling asleep Sunday night, restless and tossing with the pain. But I woke up much better, so Monday at the gym I jumped some, and I felt the ankle a bit, and by Monday night I didn't want to put any weight on it at all.  What's up with this? Did I do this to myself by thinking about it?  I vaguely remembered having hurt my ankle before and having a brace. When I looked in my drawer I had four ankle braces! I wore one Tuesday, and a different one on Wednesday. That and ibuprofen seem to be bringing down the pain.

 

My normal cycle of running again Tuesday or Wednesday mornings were both out of the question. I was really bummed. I want to keep pushing my body to that hard place where the heart is pounding, the breath is loud, and sweat is everywhere.  I've found I really like that, and only running gets the heart rate really going like that.  Lifting weights at the gym is hard, and doing crunches and leg lifts are hard, but they are not that sustained aerobic rush I'm beginning to really enjoy.  And it's really easy to take the excuse to do nothing.  It's really easy to sink back to couch potato.

 

By Thursday morning, today, I went to my gym session and did all no-impact things.  I had time before leaving on a business trip to try out the treadmill, and I got two five minute jogs in before I decided I had better stop.

 

I have no experience with sports injuries. I don't know when to push on through the pain because it's transitory, or when to back off and try to heal. I do know that older folks will take longer than the young guys to heal.  

 

Now I'm at a beach resort and spa for the night. When I first planned the trip I got all excited about the short time in Florida-maybe I would be up to running on the beach?  Now it turns out I'm expected to join the others for a working breakfast at 6:45 am. Once again, eating for my country. Never let it be said I couldn't do my duty when called upon.  But I still want to get out there to the beach and do at least a short Kennedy-esque jog.  It'll have to be at 5 am so I had better get to sleep now. Ibuprofen, do your thing.