Like a complete putz I decided Sunday to work on increasing the strength in my right calf. I had tibial nerve damage after my ankle surgery that left my leg and foot weak. It's so weak, I still cannot even hop even once on my right leg. So, I'm getting nervous about Badwater coming up and I know running 135 miles is not quite as easy as running 40, and I'm quite concerned about how the weakness will after me over the long distance. So, I valiantly decided to work on doing strengthening exercises several times a weak....and I got started on Sunday.
So, Sunday, I did 3 sets of 20 of the achilles strengthening exercises where you lower your leg off the edge of a stair. These are excellent posterior leg and tendon strengthening exercises. Well, it felt great on Sunday when I did it, and I completed the rest of my weight routine (which was the first time I did it in many many months...). So, the rest of the day I was fine. Monday, however, the calf started hurting so much at work. I kept stopping to stretch it. It was very sore. By the end of the day Monday, my calf was so sore I could hardly walk. I iced it Monday night and I even DMSO'd it, grasping at miracle cures for my stupidity. It kept me up all night long last night, and today, it's not much better. In fact, it is very sore even to the touch!
Lovely. Can you say DORK? ...All together now!
So, in my brilliant attempt to strengthen my weak calf, I unwittingly severely strained it and likely inflicted a localized rhabdomyolysis complete with calf swelling and marked tenderness! Lovely. Dork. Putz. I am so frustrated, embarrassed. I will make myself wear a Scarlet D on my chest if this doesn't heal up before my 50-miler at Bishop Saturday.
I'll just have to see. In the meantime, no running. Heck, I'm even trying not to WALK on it! Bummer.
Dork.
Argh.
-Lisa (still at work at 8:15 pm, just taking a break to make my confession)
10 comments:
ack! so sorry you got hurt. I did a similar thing a few weeks ago when I decided I wanted to make my core extra strong for a trail marathon and ended up pinching a nerve (or straining something) in my back and being in serious pain for a few days. Luckily mine went away within 5 days and I was okay for the race. Hope your recovery is just as quick!!!
I know how frustrating self inflicted injuries can be
Whoa! You are beating yourself up pretty good here...It is frustrating, and I may post something similar tomorrow, as I think I might be about to do something foolish. I have some soreness from my little marathon streak, but I'm dying to go for a run tomorrow. If I do and it's bad, I'll just copy/paste your post over to mine, okay?
I know it's frustrating, sure hope it's better by the weekend.
BUMMER!!! You dork little woman:) How could you do it to yourself, you, a doctor who prescribes others to be smart? OK, enough beating. We all are simply people with OCD and are very stupid when it comes to ourselves, doctor or not. Now you'd be the one to offer yourself a treatment plan. Please feel better!!!
Hey BOP - Don't do too much! Add some walking into your run. It'll still quench your thirst for the run but lessen the risk of injury. Moving (run/walk) will likely HELP your soreness after the thon streaking. But just be cautious to not overdo it. Run/walk - that's what I say. BUT then again, I'M the putz who's injured giving advice!!
And thanks for the condelences, Addy. I really do appreciate it. I too hope this heals up for the weekend.
I've actually done very well with alternating longer runs with shorter runs. Every other weekend, I've restrained myself from running no more each week so that my weekly mileage does NOT go over 20-30. (I only max out at 40 or so on my "high mileage" weeks!) Doing this though, I've been able to keep injuries at bay. I was actually quite pleased with my RESTRAINT and it was working. THEN, I go and do this..
Thing is, the easy exercise felt GOOD. It's not like I haven't done it before (pre-nerve damage). I had no pain or soreness even the rest of the day. 3 sets of 20 is not overdoing it; it's just it was overdoing it for a neurologically weak leg.
Why oh why....?
It's a LITTLE better today, but I can't even self-massage it. It's that sore.
I'll probably be ok by the weekend; I just wish I could do a little running during the week here. I should be building my meager mileage. But you can do only what you can do, right?
Fellow Dork! For years I've been putting up with, sometimes severe knee pain, thinking that it was due to lack of conditioning, shoes, or inserts. It has led to some pretty slow finishing times and LONG DAYS of self contemplation. I just found out that I have a torn meniscus. Arthroscopy next Wednesday. See you Bishop for one last long day.
STUBBORN
A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Wassup DORK!! I still luv ya :-)
Welcome to the "Dork Klub" Lisa. May your membership be shorter than mine!! Well at least you're a "smart dork". You'll get through this and the pace of Badwater will be just fine for your leg. I have a feeling that there will be other more looming issues to contend with. Best wishes to you at Badwater and beyond.
(~: George
Thank y'all for welcoming me to the Dork Club! If nothing else, I know I am here with friends. :)
Tim, that's such a bummer about your knee. I guess "one last race" before surgery is what I would do to. Just don't limp and compensate and hurt something else please. What about Badwater??
More later...
Thanks for the encouragement, George.
And Tim, LOVE the quote...Nietzsche's a favorite of mine.
Of course BW is still on. I'll have 8 weeks. Snails don't have knees (I don't think) they just slither along. I can't be much slower than last year (still want <48). I'm still going to SPW over Memorial Day to help crew/photo/carbo load (liquid). My brothers will be coming along so we'll help whoever wants some help. We can talk more at Bishop.
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