Auntie Em Goes Running

I didn't run this morning.  Last night when I got back down the mountain and took off my ski boot, my ankle was swollen, a lot.  I decided to wait until morning because nothing really hurt.  By the time I went to bed it hurt.  During the night it hurt a lot.  This morning the swelling had gone down into my foot.  I checked for spider bites, then called my Dr.  Still not panicking.  But by this point, I pretty much figured that I had somehow broken my leg.  I began planning marathon training on the bike and in the pool.  Not panicking, just dealing with it.  

Dr. says its not broken, he worked on it a bit, and the pain is better.  I've been alternately icing and heating all afternoon, keeping it up, and hoping it is better tomorrow.  Still not panicking. 

Jogged in the pool, for the therapeutic benefits of water and so I didn't run mad.  Ankle felt stiff, after a while the whole leg felt stiff.  By evening, though, I could see some ankle bones and veins in my foot.  Good news.  Went to yoga with my daughter.  I did most things, the ankle flexibility limited me a bit.  When I couldn't do the pose, I just lay on my mat defeated and crippled.  

I have questioned why;

and cursed and whined and cried, NOW

its time to fix it. 

A day of no running; the ankle continues to unswell itself.  More bones showing all the time. I am to do running drills tomorrow and a bike ride.  Here is a haiku that my husband wrote (I think its a nice valentine for me):

You are a poet

possessing beauty, skill, grace

  And very fleet feet.

I really love that its all about me! 

Happy trails everyone. 

^{No running.  A strength and flexibility session; lots of lunges!  Ab work.  1/2 hour of running drills in the street in front of my house.  Very difficult to do without breaking into a run, particularly as some of the drills involve jogging at the end.  Ankle is still too swollen to run, and since I've already scrapped the idea of the 5K this Saturday, I see no reason to push it.}  

^{Rode my blue bike for 12 miles; about 40 minutes.  Easy.}

^{Winter rains are back!}

^{A whisper at first, but soon}

^{the music is loud.} 

Seven easy pool miles - 65 minutes!  Felt great, and afterwards I could actually see my ankle bones sticking out, almost normal.  I am listening to a good book, "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver, and I didn't want to quit listening this morning, so I put the ipod on top of my head, put the swim cap on, threaded the ear cords through a hole on top of the cap, and listened for the whole workout!  

I just dreamed again

of dirt trail disappearing

beneath muddy shoes. 

Heading up to Vancouver today; hopefully we'll be back for some yoga class this evening.

Didn't make it to yoga, BUT got to see the Olympic Torch in Vancouver, AND got to run 3 miles on the trail when I got home.  Everything was AOK. 

Skipped my 5K this morning, but last night's short run didn't have any ill effects, so I'm doing two runs today.  This morning's run was just an easy jog with some strides thrown in at the end.  Total mileage was 3.71; average pace for the easy miles was 9:25.  Average pace on the short strides was 5:48.  I felt fine, but the fast muscles didn't seem really eager to kick in.  I suppose that is from a whole week off of speedy running.

This evening's run will be a bit longer and will start easy, then alternate between some MP and some tempo work.  Must finish in time to watch the men's downhill and some speed skating.  We get at least two channels that have the Canadian coverage, and it is WAY better.

Had that dream again -

you know the one, where you fly,

but can't get away. 

Second run:  15:12 minutes at AP 9:22; 10:01 minutes at AP 8:07, 5:53 minutes at AP 9:20; 5:14 minutes at AP 8:31, and 10:10 minutes at AP 7:48.  Add the 1/2 mile jog home for a total of 5.89.  Everything felt good, except that I have a very bruised feeling in the lower shin, from the Dr. treatment, I hope.  No extra swelling in the ankle, though.