Try-Athlete (Injury Report on Day 5)


Here's a scene-setter -- a rainy day in my world (click to enlarge).

Today I'm not an actual athlete but a trying-to-be athlete. My last post in this space made reference to a run that took me above the Cal campus; little did I know that was my last healthy run before I officially joined the ranks of the injured. The second half of that run was straight downhill -- and that on top of a cross-country race that also featured some staggering downhills, hills that sucked runners downward with the inexorable force of normal gravity seemingly doubled.

Following these perilously slanted adventures, I went out for a 10-miler last Sunday (the day that is now known as Day 1). From the start my right hip (my "good" hip) was strangely sore. I ran-walked a bit, I stretched periodically, but--did I turn around and go home? No. I ran the 10, and limped home muttering something like, "mumble, mumble...a bit sore in the butt."

Monday (Day 2), I was still limping. Tuesday (aka Day 3), I went out for a test three-miler -- got an F on that test. Tuesday night I went to see Dr. Jess. Turned out she was out of town, but her colleagues breaded and battered my glute and my piriformis, the culprits in this sad tale. Then came Wednesday (Day 4). Went swimming to see if that test would yield better results than the running test. Oh great: another F.

So today is Day 5. I am positively limping. I went to the gym for a tri-try, which is to say that I tried three different activities to see which one might get me through this inevitable running downtime ahead. First was a half mile on the elliptical. (It was a no-go -- insert sad trombone here.) Next was the Concept 2 rowing machine--only 1,000 meters allowed. (Insert smiley face here--no pain!) Third, I tried the spinning bicycle. (Another smiley face! Spun for only 7 minutes, but worked up a slight glow and felt no pain.)

I'm going to row and spin as much as I can, then, and not run. This means not do the Primo's half marathon Sunday (I'm viewing my entry fee as a donation to the schools, which it in fact is, so that part's OK.) (Do you think there are too many parentheses in this post? Me too.)

I'm stopping at Walgreen's after work to buy a cane and I promise from this day forward -- at least through tomorrow -- to keep full weight off the injured part as much as possible. And I promise to try and be good. And to tri, or at least duo, by rowing and spinning.

Comments

Merrilee said…
Oh no! I know you've been here before (and injury is a b*&ch) but you are doing the right thing and experience shows that you will eventually be back where you want to be. Just not when you want to be.
12:29 PM
Elaine Merrill said…
Thanks, Merrilee. For right now anyway I'm having an easier time with this than I would have predicted--trying to stay mellow, that's all.
1:38 PM
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