Another blog about not running (any more)

"I've been pleased enough with things to want to blog about it for quite some time except for the fact that I'm superstitious and don't want to jinx myself." - Saturday, 6 March.

"I think I've sprained my ankle." - Sunday, 7 March.

Well, that lasted long. In various forums on Saturday and before, I mentioned not wanting to jinx myself. Apparently voicing the idea of avoiding jinxes is a jinx in itself. Best not to talk at all. Saturday's run was a landmark run, Sunday's run was going to be an easy run where I could try more trail run-like terrain. I was aiming to go for a 12 km run so to get past that 100km mark for the week. Weather conditions were excellent although rain over the weekend had made it just a little moist. 

I started by going through the trails around the side of Mt Eden and then crossed Khyber Pass to the Domain. The Domain is great for runners in that it has a plateau area with a nice one mile loop, as well as a reasonable few hilly loops through bush and park area even with a small stream waterfall. Despite the 30km's on the previous days, I felt pretty good, perhaps as a reflection of my fitness. As I was mainly aiming to finish 12km, I was always part navigating a route while calculating a distance. Once I left the Domain I felt I just had to return basically the same general distance as I took to get to the Domain, so I decided to go through the Mt Eden tracks again, but via a different route. I went up via "The Stairs of Doom" (a set of stairs up to the summit road from Glenfell Place) and went along the road until the goat track down the mountain. It was basically just downhill to Mt Eden Rd and home. 

But it wasn't to be so easy. I don't believe I was careless or distracted. I had my eyes focussed on the track looking for dangers ahead. But while my eyes were checking a metre ahead, my left ankle was quickly bending inwards on a danger underfoot. Benign ankle rolls do happen from time to time and you can usually "run them out". This one did not feel benign and a few more strides made it clear that it was a sprain of some degree. 

I RICE'd and the following day I went to the physio for treatment and had an ultrasound to find my five partial ligament tears. Three days later I was rather surprised to be mobile enough to get around, and movement is part of the treatment. But now at the one week now mark, there has only been very small incremental improvements. I have kept my entry to The Dual active although I will probably not do much of any training before it.

I'm now quite calm about injuries and set-backs as I've had plenty. I'm sure the near-misses for injuries I've had in the past in the good times are compensated by the occasional direct hit. It could have been worse for example, a sprain or worse just days before or on the run itself (which does happen to the occasional runner). 

So we'll see how the next four weeks treat me and my ankle. Fingers crossed I can get moving to retain some of the fitness I've gained.