Cranky Ankley

Voice of America park

Well, the mysterious ankle ailment persists. I felt something in my left inner ankle bone on Monday night but really didn't give it much thought or attention - it just kind of itch-ached, if you know what I mean. Felt like something that would just go away.
No time to run on Tuesday morning, as it was COPS Swat Demo Day. I decide to just do my Tuesday 6 miler on Wednesday. So, I'm at this Demo thing, standing there watching guys shoot bullets at a clay dummy wearing a ballistic vest and I become aware that my ankle is swelling. And the longer we stand there, the more it puffs up. And yeah, it hurts, too.

I make an icepack, sit down, put my foot up. Others join me and we make random guesses as to the cause.... a sting, maybe? bug bite? did I twist or strain it somewhere along the line? I certainly don't recall an incident in which something "happened" to it.... weird.

My medically intuitive (and doctor-avoidant) hubby tells me he wants me to see the doctor and gets me an appointment. Not at all sure that's necessary, but I trust his sense of body-related stuff, so I go.

Dr. Webb wiggles and pokes and has me push this way and that against his hand. Range of motion seems good. Doesn't look like a bug bite. Prescribes naproxin, tells me to ice and support it and run as seems wise.

Doesn't seem wise to run Wednesday, so I stretch and do pilates. Take my naproxin, ice and elevate (and whine - waaaaah - frowny face on crankly ankley).

Thursday morning I put a brace on it and go to Voice of America park intending to run my 6 miler. Get through the 1st 1.3, wondering the whole time if I'm being stupid to run on it - could I be doing more damage? Or.... am I being a big wuss? It doesn't really hurt to run -- it just aches and swells when I stop. I decide to run round the little lake again - it's the most ideal day to run, beautiful in every way and I feel great except for poopy ankle. I stop after going round the second time to go pee. When I walk, the pain intensifies and I feel it swelling in my shoe. Harumph. 2.6 is all for me today. Drive home, ankle throbbing, hoping I'm not going to wind up Amanda's boot twin.

Got a quick appointment with the podiatrist for 10:30 am. Dr. Sisney is a friend of my sis-in-law and she's a triathlete, so has a clue about running injuries. She pokes, wiggles, queries and sends me for x-rays. Hmmm... x-ray does show lots of stress lines, but nothing else. 

This reminds me.... (funny thing, the memory) that once upon a time, I broke this ankle - back in the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. I hit a curb catching a frisbee, spent the better part of that summer on crutches, in a cast. Yes, Dr. Sisney says, that would explain the stress lines. Still, she really offers no clear explanation for the pain or swelling, just treats me - prescribes 5 day prednisone pack, gives me a compression sock-thingy, and tells me she doesn't see any reason not to run - although it might be wise to trade out this weekend's 18 mile endurance run for next weekend's 10 miles. (Her office is full of marathon, half-marathon and triathlon posters - got the distinct impression she's pretty hardwired to train and complete events. I like that - but I'd feel better if I knew what the heck is going on).

So I start the steroids, stretch and get fitted for shoes that suit my feet on Friday. The shoe-fitter dude notes that the wear on my previous shoes indicates that I've been running on the outside edge of my foot. Apparently, I need more neutral (less stabilized) shoes. He set me up in a pair of Adidas Gliders. They're kind of ugly, I think, but as he said, my feet don't know or care what they look like. I hope they have ankle healing magical powers.

I need to spend a few hours just wearing them around the house to break 'em in and get my feet used to being in them before doing the endurance run, so that's what I've been doing this morning. Wearing them while hunting for my i-pod shuffle, which is mysteriously M.I.A. I've cleaned out lots of drawers, purses, countertops and car compartments in my quest, but have not found it. (Aaaargh!) ...Wearing them while searching runner's ankle injuries online, trying to self-diagnose via web md since the live md route has been less than satisfactory.

Medical intuitive hubby comes up with idea of a bone spur (which I had actually thought of, too - since I've had one in my shoulder before - and come to think of it, the pain is much the same)..... From the little I've been able to find online, everything fits. Of course I still don't know for sure.... and if that is the case, I don't know what it means for marathon training.... and even though I'm pretty sick of obsessing about this when I know I am blessed and everything is as it should be and there are so many people with much more complex, confronting issues....
All morning, I've been afflicted with flip-flop indecision regarding running today.... should I? If I do, should I go for 18? or 10? or maybe the 6 I never finished this week? Or.... maybe I should rest it today and set my sights on tomorrow? And what in the heck happened to my shuffle?!?!!!

And so it begins...

Monday, July 5 - I'm out for a low-key morning run in Glendale, around the block, coming up Albion Lane: a thought - "Chicago - Manda wants to do a college visit to University of Chicago - hey, maybe we could run the marathon and schedule a college visit this fall!"

I run home and forget all about it, until....

Two days later, Amanda's in her room and I'm thinking "in a year we'll be prepping her for college and.... Oh yeah, what about the Chicago Marathon idea?" And I hurry to explain the concept. Manda's eyes shine, "Yeah, let's DO IT!"

Eager for info, we get online. Registration is closed. Boo.
Unless.... you run for a charity.

Manda's eyes light up again, "Yeah! We'll raise money for cancer - for leukemia! We can do it, Mom! What if we have that concert with your friends?"

And an hour later, we're registered with Fred's Team to raise $2000 each. (Yup, $4000. Yup, my husband is freaked.) What we didn't realize was that we hadn't officially registered for the Chicago Marathon. But since we believe we are, we live life around the online Nike Training Schedule - running, running, running.

The Mama in me starts worrying whether Manda is really ready for this. She's had health issues, after all --- we should probably check with her doctors first.  Doubt and worry, worry and doubt.

And then.... Email from Fred's Team: Thanks for registering with us, but you're not registered for the marathon. Still need to fill out more forms, pay more money.... hmmm.... maybe this is our chance to back out.... definitely want doctors' approval before we submit official reg forms, but that takes time - and the deadline is tomorrow. I call and request an extension. Agreed - two weeks.

We get appointments, stay on training track. Run our long 10 mile endurance run on Loveland trail - longest run of Manda's life; longest run for me in six years. Manda clocks us at 91.5 minutes. Accomplishment.

Two doctor appointments, two thumbs up - just be sure to add stretching and strengthening to that schedule. Just be sure we're running for the right reasons. Run, stretch, run, stretch, sweat sweat sweat.

As of yesterday, we are officially registered! (And psyched!)

Let the fund raising begin! Stay tuned for Making Music, Raising Money Fundraiser for Leukemia details soon....

Manda and Mama have started this blog to document our journey. Hopefully, there will be songs, videos, photos and updates from both of us on all things marathon-related between now and then....