Recovery

Rescued by a Professional

In this, the final installment of my trail running series, I explore my own attempts to recover from my injury before seeking professional help. Who knew it would take me four installments to cover my story?  Honestly, almost anyone who knows me.  I am known as a bit of a talker who enjoys listening to and telling a good story.  Anyhoo, on with the show!

After returning home from the race, I tried to do everything right. I iced the ankle, took ibuprofen, kept the foot elevated, and got a brace. I kept at it for nearly two weeks and worse yet, did not run even one mile. 

Although the swelling was not completing gone, I improved enough after the two weeks that I tried to resume running. I took it easy and kept the mileage low with no speed (relatively speaking -- think Clydesdale, built for power, not speed), yet the ankle continued to be painful and lacked the full range of motion. As any reasonable person in my predicament would do, I scoured the internet for miracle cures, ointments, and exercises.  After a month of trying this or that surefire cure without success or improvement, I broke down and made a appointment to see a physical therapist.  Hindsight tells me this call should have come sooner.

My therapist was terrific. She ran me through a battery of tests during the initial appointment and immediately concluded that a couple of key joints were locked.  She showed me how the heel and ankle joints "glided" in the healthy leg and compared that to the distinct lack of gliding in my injured leg.  She worked on the joints during the appointment (and subsequent visits) to loosen the joints while directing me to complete a set of assigned exercises meant to build strength and improve flexability. The recovery was slower than I would have liked, but we worked together over several weeks and the pain subsided while the range of motion returned.

I am now back to running, again preparing for the Lincoln 1/2 marathon in May and I am again confronted with the desire to run trails while trying to balance the fear of getting hurt running said trails.

What do you think, am I ready to hit the trails again? Could I endure the heartache of another injury? Better yes, can I avoid injury? Where do I start to ensure success?