I am happy to report that my leg is feeling much better this morning, such that my corresponding panic level is also much lower. I'm also learning that I do not have the patience with an injury that I always thought I would have.
When I've read about people having an injury and struggling to hold themselves back and rest in order to heal, I always kind of scoffed. Probably because of all that couch potato time I've logged over the years. I'm fairly good at doing nothing but lay around on my bum. I figured that if I had an injury that was serious, or could become serious if I didn't stay off it, I'd stay off it and not push it. Apparently not. I was hassling my leg most of yesterday like some demented Verizon Wireless commercial: Are you healed now? How about now? How about now? My leg was not thrilled. It was also swollen and painful.
But this morning the swelling has gone down considerably. It is a little achy and definitely stiff. My first thoughts were: Hey! Let's start stretching! I bet we could walk a few miles tomorrow! I did some fairly gentle stretching and within about five seconds my leg responded: How about we don't! Since my thoughts on this injury are ranging from I could do some walking this weekend and then I'll be able to do an easy run on Monday to I won't be able to do my marathon to I'll have to have surgery and will never run again, I am preemptively cancelling out my brain and deciding that I will not be walking or running this weekend. Sunday I will reevaluate the situation. If all goes well, I'll walk on Monday and maybe do a few minutes of slow jogging if my leg is pain-free.
In other news, with my usual excellent timing, I finally told my mom about all this (the marathon, that is, although I also told her about my Achilles strain). (Hi Mom! You won't mind if I post that really goofy picture of you from when we went camping with Claire, do you? Didn't think so!) I told her on condition that she not tell my stepdad about it yet. There are a couple of people I'd rather not tell right now, because I don't need the negativity, and he is one of them. Well, I don't know how he'd react to the news so in the event he reacts like I think he would, I don't want him to know right now. Particularly with this injury.
Which got me to thinking about the Marine Corps marathon. If I were going to run that, I'd tell him about that. Provided that I'd already done one marathon. I bet he'd be impressed by my doing the Marine Corps marathon. I'd be impressed by my doing the Marine Corps marathon. Which got me to thinking about what other marathons I might want to run. I say "might" because I'm about 50-50 on running another marathon someday after I do my first one and running my marathon and then never running again ever. Really, it's even odds right now. Last night I caught the end of the Berlin Marathon and this weekend the Universal Sports channel is broadcasting the Chicago Marathon live. I'd like to see what that is like. Mostly the main pack part of it; see what everyone is wearing, and so forth. I did watch the entire Beijing Olympic women's marathon when that was on. I never would have thought I'd do that (watch the entire thing, that is), but it was strangely compelling.
Oops, break time is over. Gotta go!
Cheers,
the CilleyGirl
I understand the injury freak-out! I have the same tendencies.
ReplyDeleteNow that my first marathon is under my belt, I feel fairly confident that I will run another - maybe even Eugene in May. :) It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but so worth it!
I hear you on maybe not ever running again after the first marathon! I just hope I get to run my first marathon! Take care of injuries sooner rather than later....I've learned the hard way, I'm afraid.
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