Sprained Ankle and Bruised Ego

On Sunday, April 17th I sprained my ankle.  I was playing indoor soccer and hit the ball at the same time as another player causing me to fall.  That was it.  Nothing dangerous.  Nothing courageous.  Just a silly misstep.  To say my ankle was swollen is an understatement.  It was swollen, painful, and I was unable to walk.  I went to the doctor's the next day and the x-ray indicated I had not broken any bones.  They gave me a brace to use and told me to rest.  I also got some pain medication which was nice.  But it seemed like a whirlwind of events.  My life was once again turned upside down.

I was supposed to start a new job as an Assistant Track Coach.  I had to miss the first two days since I could barely walk.  I was home bored, tired, in pain, and feeling blue.

On the third day, I finally went back to work.  I subbed for the week and went back to coaching.  But still no physical activities.  It was hard to rest, ice, compress, elevate (all the above and at different times).  Every moment I wasn't working, I was on the couch.  Yes, there's a permanent shadow on the couch now.

I cannot express how much I hate sitting.  It's fun for a couple of hours, and I did catch up on a ton of mindless tv.  But was it fun?  Nah.  I would have rather worked out, gone on a walk with my dogs, taken a fitness class, etc.

The worst part was missing a race I had signed up for.  My ankle was weak.  I asked around and everyone suggested I skip the race.  Random people on Instagram offered their advice - all said not to risk it.  I am not defined by one race.  Nor does it make me tough to walk a race in a brace.  The potential for more risky with uneven terrain and obstacles was not worth it.  Most of all I knew I could do the race (I had done it before), and I didn't need to prove that I could do it again.  I had wanted to do it again to IMPROVE my time/abilities.  I ended up volunteering at the event.  Yes, I took my own advice and didn't risk further injury.  It was hard.  There's no doubt about that.  It was hard to see others having fun and feeling accomplished.  But I knew it was the right thing to do.  There will be other races.  In fact, I signed up for one today.

I'm hoping to start moving more this weekend.  Taking it step-by-step.  Most importantly, listening to my body.  I have a ton of races lined up for the year.  It is too early in the year to be permanently out.

Here's to positive thinking and letting my body heal appropriately.

Comments

  1. Have you tried elevating the leg for a few hours and using a heating pad or ice pad? That is what I had to do the last time I sprained my ankle. So glad you didn't break any bones, but sometimes healing a sprained ankle can take even longer. Ouch. Definitely agree that you shouldn't push yourself to run a race when there is uneven terrain and obstacles.

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