The Good
In my fourth week of injury I finally hit my cross training stride. In fact I might even be enjoying cross training (the horror!). Well, at least my muscles are enjoying it.
Monday: 60 min pool running
Tuesday: 45 min spin class
Wednesday: 75 min hot vinyasa (with Mike)
Thursday: 3 mile walk
Friday AM: 45 min spin + 15 min abs
Friday PM: 45 min pool running
Saturday: 1.5 mile walk, 1.5 mile run*
Sunday: 11 mile bike ride
All in all I'm pretty proud of myself this week. It certainly helped that it's spring break so I didn't have to worry about silly classes and homework, but considering how much I'm not a fan of cross training, I think I knocked it out of the park.
My mood has also been great this week, probably the best since I've been injured. As Elle Woods once said: "Exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy!"
The Bad*
All that said, my good mood sort of came crashing down Saturday afternoon. My legs were feeling really good, so I decided to attempt a run to see where they were at.
I walked a half mile to the bike path, ran .75 miles, walked a half mile, ran .75 miles, and walked the half mile home. I'd love to tell you that the run felt great, but it didn't. The pain was immediate, constant, ranging from dull to sharp. There was not a single moment when I didn't feel discomfort or pain. I came home and cried my eyes out, iced the crap out of my leg and hit the hay.
Sunday morning I woke up to intense, throbbing pain in my shin. I emailed the doctor right away, who told me last Monday that he would order an MRI if running was painful. I cried for about an hour, completely distraught and feeling hopeless. How could this possibly just be shin splints? How could it possibly have hurt that much to run after almost ONE MONTH of rest!?
As I sit here writing this post with my legs up on the couch, the leg isn't hurting, but I know the problem is there. I can feel it, like a disease, clawing into my bone and muscle. When will this goddamn nightmare end?
Looking forward, at least we have a good week of weather to look forward to, which make me both happy (see you later winter!) and incredibly sad (because I can't run in it). Perhaps the leg will feel good enough for me to at least take some nice long walks.
Have you ever had an injury that just wouldn't go away? How did you deal?
hang in there, dude! do you know when your mri is? We're both thinking of you over here and wishing you a speedy recovery (pun intended). Be well! let's talk sunday before I leave for the village! I love you so much!
ReplyDeletePS sometimes a little Chloe does a lot of good...
Hope you can get some answers soon!
ReplyDelete:(((((((((((((((( I'm sorry. Of course, I know how you feel....like my husband says "you are young and have lots of years of running ahead of you". True, but it still sucks. Hang tight.
ReplyDeleteSUCH a bummer about the leg....!! I really, really hope that you can get some answers soon and recover ASAP! There is nothing more horrible to us athletic types than not being able to get out there on the road... I totally feel your pain.
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