I had been dealing with some very minor ankle aching after my runs for awhile. However, it was so minor that I wasn't too worried about it, plus it usually went away within a day. Unfortunately, during my long run last weekend my ankle started really twinging. I had a 10-miler planned, but it was bothersome enough that I considered cutting the run short around mile 8. Instead, being the stubborn runner that I am, I started pausing every few minutes to stretch my calves and shins. It did help.
Those last two miles were not fun. But I pushed myself to finish anyways.
I know, I know. Not very smart of me.
The universe wouldn't allow me to get away with such blatant displays of tomfoolery, though. Nooooooooo!!!
The next day, my ankle was definitely not 100%. It hurt to sit or stand with my foot or ankle at certain angles. Parading around in high heels at the office sure didn't help matters, either.
The pain lingered for a few days, causing me to take a couple of unplanned rest days (along with wearing flat shoes in the office except when I was in meetings). We've been hit with some torrential downpours of rain this week, too, which gave me another reason to rest (sorry about our run getting rained out this morning, Erin).
Unfortunately, the ankle aches were making me nervous. I have my first race of the year coming up on April 20, followed by my first half marathon of the year coming up on May 4. Talk about bad timing.
Last night, in the mode of "I'll try anything that might help," I pulled out the old golf ball and started rolling my heels over it. (You may recall my adventures with golf ball therapy in the office.) Wow, did it hurt. I was taking deep breaths and trying not to curse or emit any guttural grunts that might terrify any of our neighbors or their small pets.
The results? Whether it's due to the golf ball, the extra rest days, or the three-quarters of a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies that I've consumed unassisted in the last three days, my ankle feels nearly 100% today. Whew!
I'm sure I'm not out of the woods yet, of course. But this weekend is the last opportunity to do a solid long run prior to both of my two upcoming races. I should probably take it easy, as I know it's most important just to get myself to the starting line in one piece. I do hate the feeling of toeing the line feeling unprepared from cutting your training short, though. Sigh.
Either way, the golf ball will probably be making featured nightly appearances for awhile.
Plus I do still have another quarter-box of Girl Scout Thin Mints to work through.
Sorry to hear about your ankle, but it sounds like you are on the mend. The golf ball works wonders for me too. Usually I use a tennis ball, but when I need the "big gun" I reach for a golf ball! :-) The Thin Mints are likely helping too!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, Pete, my ankle-pain twin. How is your ankle doing these days, by the way? You haven't said much about it recently which I take to be a good sign, especially since you've got Boston coming up this weekend!!! WOO HOO!!!
DeleteGood call on the tennis ball being the "small-gun" compared to the golf ball, despite the juxtaposition of size, LOL. And I think that Thin Mints ALWAYS help ALL ailments, don't you agree? =D
My ankle is fine. Just knock on wood that it won't flare up during miles 14 through 26 on Monday. Or maybe my left ankle will get jealous that my right ankle got all of the attention this training cycle and it will start to hurt! :-)
DeleteGlad to hear that your ankle is fine, and a big knock on wood that it will behave itself on Monday. And I'm not even going to joke about your left ankle getting jealous because I've had that happen to me with my knees. My left knee is my ITBS-prone one, and after months of favoring it my right knee started to hurt, too. I definitely wouldn't wish kind of "jealousy" that on anyone!!! =D
DeleteYou can send the extra quarter of thin mints over to me! Glad to hear the golf ball is working... I have a "trigger point ball" that does the same type of thing (but is a bit softer & more expensive) and use it regularly as I get my mileage up.
ReplyDeleteOf course, girl scout cookies (my high mileage vice is Swedish Fish) work too :)
Don't laugh, but I finished the extra quarter of thin mints last night (unassisted yet again). Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, a coworker of mine is married to a Girl Scout leader that has direct access to Girl Scout cookies pretty much anytime. So I take advantage of the procurement options, LOL. Believe it or not I've never tried Swedish fish...!
DeleteA trigger point ball would be a fantastic tool. Trigger point anything sounds good (my trigger point foam roller has saved my life a few times!)
Sorry your ankle is giving you trouble this close to your races! Hopefully repeated golf ball and girl scout cookie therapy does the trick. And I've used a softball and tennis ball before and they work wonders :)
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the sympathy and I was sorry to hear about your ailments last week, too. Isn't it amazing how frustrating it can be to take forced-rest days? But I can imagine that Maui did wonders to help you both physically and mentally. =) Can't wait to see more pictures!
DeleteBoo on the ankle!! You and the golf ball better become really good friends for the rest of the year to ward off the evil ankle demons.
ReplyDeleteBoo on the ankle, indeed. Indeed, I've become resigned to the fact that the golf ball and the foam roller are both going to become my new besties for pretty much the rest of my running life. How is your hip holding up these days, btw?
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