no couch potato

the official diagnosis is that I sprained my foot. I don't buy it 100%, because Google says ;) that sprains are usually caused by twisting the foot unexpectedly, or running over uneven ground; while the road was slightly uneven in places at the Cherry Blossom 10M, I was watching my footing every step of the way (that's what ya get for wearing Vibrams), and don't recall a single twist or unexpectedly difficult landing. just straight forward, mile after mile. which really seems to me to be more like the recipe for a stress fracture.

I find myself comparing this "injury" to the time I somersaulted down a black diamond at Mt Hood Meadows in...hmm, 2005, maybe? I got xrays, was diagnosed as having a shin contusion with severe swelling, and told to ice, elevate, and stay the hell off it for at least a week. I was so so good about it...but also really really lonely. didn't help that the pain meds didn't touch the pain, but made me really really sleepy. I became a total couch potato. started a netflix account, watched a lot of Project Runway...and ate a lot of donuts. a lot.

one week turned into 2 turned into 4...after 2-ish weeks, the shin felt ok and I tried to go skiing again -- I was determined that this injury was not going to end my ski season -- but my leg had other thoughts. the moment I put the ski boot on, the leg said HELL NO, GTFO. so I went to the lodge and proceeded to get trashed while my friends skied the awesome corn.

since it was the back of my leg that was twinging at that point, I thought maybe I had a posterior contusion, which Google said ;) takes longer to heal. I was still limping at least 6 weeks post-fall. 6 months later I got another xray...which showed pronounced calcium deposits on my fibula. yeah. broken leg, misdiagnosed. I'm happy it healed well but I wish I'd known why it was taking so darn long to heal. so I am a little mistrustful of this diagnosis.

while I was on the couch healing my leg in '05, I dreamed of running. swore that I would train for a marathon after I healed...well here I am, 6 years later, and finally signed up for my first. and injured again. but so so happy that with this injury, this time around, I have no desire to watch endless tv or eat boxes and boxes of donuts. maybe it's the impending wedding/honeymoon that I want to look awesome for, maybe it's having actual goal races that I have already plunked down money for (see, told you I'd get over hating racing). but this time, I am at the gym trying out all the cardio options to see what works with the foot, and planning to get in a lot of lifting. BRING IT.

(but also, foot, please heal in the week that the dr said it would take...please?? swimming is so boring, I can't take it as my only cardio! if anyone has swimming drills to stave off the boredom, or instruction videos to improve my stroke, please share!)