A Run is a Run is a Run Part 2 (and Good Luck to Jenn)

I took my first running steps on Sunday!!!  It was nothing spectacular and I was extremely nervous, but I mixed some very slow running into my four mile walk on Sunday and into my 3 mile walk yesterday.  I was thrilled to find no pain and no symptoms.  The incisions felt tight and it was awkward at first, but otherwise, things went really well.

At PT, on the other hand, I'm finding out just how out of shape I am.  10 minutes on the elliptical had me winded like I was running hill sprints.  Planks make me shake, and that's only 30 seconds worth.  Luckily, my physical therapist is kind enough not to make fun of me.  That said, he is also pushing me to do more than I ever did for weight lifting and core strength when I was healthy.  I am really confident that I am going to come back stronger than before once I finish the healing process.

Jenn, I know today was your surgery day, so best thoughts to you.  I hope you are home and resting comfortably by now and I look forward to hearing from you later in the week.

6 Weeks Post Op

Hard to believe that 6 weeks has already passed.  Pictures of my beautiful scars below. As you can see, by the end of the day, I still have some swelling my ankle.  Overall, however, things are looking good.

A Run is a Run is a Run

Today marks my first day back to running.  Now, to be fair, I ran in the shallow end of the pool to minimize impact, but I ran nonetheless.  And it felt great!  I had some minor pain on the lateral part of the ankle bone and like running in the deep well, the water moving over the incisions felt a bit uncomfortable.  Overall, however, I felt much better than I'd expected.

I am starting to get back into a gym routine as well.  I now alternate between running in the pool and working out at PT (3 days a week) with riding the bike (indoors) for 30 to 45 minutes.  Neither activity has much pain associated with it, but I am definitely ready for some outdoors time with real air.

Vermont City Marathon is just a couple weeks away and I must admit, I'm frustrated to miss it for the second year in a row due to this injury.  It's my "hometown" marathon and I had high hopes of performing well in front of my family and friends.  I still haven't decided whether I will stay in town that weekend or not.  Last year, I hid out at my parent's house, not wanting to see a city full of runners.  I'm feeling more hopeful this year, perhaps because the dark cloud of reemergence is hopefully resolved by the surgery.  Still, it will be hard to watch people give their all while I'm relegated to the sidelines.

I'm hopeful, however, that I will begin to run outside of the pool soon and begin the much more fun part of recovery - rebuilding a base.

5 Weeks Post-Op

It's hard to believe that I am already 5 weeks post-op. 5 weeks ago, I thought I'd be close to running again.  While I'm closer than I was 3 weeks ago, it seems unlikely that I'll head out the door to jog next week.

That said, I am definitely starting to make progress.  PT is going well and my scars are starting to fade down.  I'm currently trying to decide whether to dress them up with a tattoo (after I get off Coumadin, of course).  Suggestions have included a full calf sleeve with a Halloween theme (thanks Pete), bows or a zipper up the back.  As you'll see below, getting the remainder of the glue off was a significant improvement.

I'm starting to run in the deep well a couple of days a week.  I did 15 minutes yesterday and felt good.  Water moving over the incisions was a little uncomfortable, but I managed.  Today, however, I am very tight in my hips, so will need to start to work on flexibility again. On days when I'm not in the pool, I'm up to 30 minutes on the bike.  I am also starting to do upper body weight training again.

Despite getting back into the swing of things, I am still extremely tired by the end of the work day.  By the time I make dinner, I'm ready to crawl into bed.  Even this morning, I skipped my morning bike ride for more sleep.  It's very similar, actually, to the way I often feel during peak mileage weeks, where I could sleep 12 hours a day and not be rested.  Luckily, the "Sarah crush" phenomenon that I also have during peak weeks is absent.

Below are my scars at 5 weeks:  Lateral on theTop, Medial on the Bottom

The Big Dig (4+2 weeks post op)

When I was younger, I recall a sign while driving through Boston that said "Rome wasn't built in a day," which referred to the Big Dig.  As anyone familiar with the city knows, the Big Dig meant one-ways switching directions overnight, abundant detours and progress that seemed to move backward.  For me, however, this phrase has become a new mantra, replacing "impossible is nothing" among others.  As I make progress, there are moments when I am incredibly frustrated by how long things take me, how weak I've become.  When I stop and think, however, I typically end up feeling pretty encouraged by where I am.  PT helps considerably; having someone help me sort through good versus bad pain and push me a little farther than I would go on my own gives me at least two days a week where I feel like I will be back on the roads in no time (relatively speaking).

I had an excellent PT session today.  In addition to the work we started on Tuesday, we added in some squats, deadlifts and planks.  This morning, I did a 10 minute walk and a short yoga routine. Tomorrow, Sunday and Monday, I will do 20 to 30 minutes on the bike.  On Tuesday, after my regular PT appointment, I will get in the pool to take my first running strides since surgery.  I know I am weeks (months?) away from running again, but for now, my increasing activity levels are helping to control my emotions and keep me from making stupid decisions that would further slow my recovery.

With a compression stocking, elevation and massage, my scars are starting to look much better.  I am still getting used to the shock of seeing them in the mirror, but they are far less grotesque than they were.  (Medial on the left, Lateral on the right)

Walk This Way

Today was a great day for progress!  I'm almost 4 weeks post-op and have been up and around without crutches for short periods of time.  Today, however, I spent almost two hours in PT and am cleared to walk without crutches most of the time.  I also got to do some "real" PT work, walking, marching and side stepping to begin the process of rebuilding towards running.  It became quickly evident just how weak my hips are; while trying to march, the planted leg just wanted to collapse.  When we worked on hip exercises (clamshell and leg lift), my range of motion was severely restricted.  One major benefit of this layoff is that I get to rebuild my running from the bottom up, which clearly includes building stronger hips.

As I was laying in PT, another marathon runner was working next to me.  She was there for a whole mess of issues, including a possible stress fracture.  However, she refused to get an xray to confirm the SFX, and instead was planning on running Vermont City.  I understand where she is coming from; a long layoff is not something anyone wants to volunteer for.  However, after this experience, I am a firm believer that trying to fight your body might get you through one race, but that your injury will ultimately win out.

So why are runners unlike other athletes in terms of injury?  Of all the patients at PT this morning, anyone who wasn't in the geriatric age group was a runner.  Some people were there for more preventative work, but most of us were there with major injuries. I am currently reading Born to Run which asks an iteration of this question.   I'm interested to see what the book concludes; I am also interested to observe my own evolution over the next couple decades of running.  Is it possible to be a high mileage runner and avoid injury or are we all doomed from the day we lace up our shoes?