Let's see. How did this all begin?
Oh right. I know. I went running. And it hurt. I thought it was a fluke, so I went running again. It hurt more.
I took a little bit of time off. And then tried running a third time. It hurt even worse and I finally got it through my head that there might be a problem (I am just a tad bit stubborn).
So, between the doctor and the acupuncturist and the podiatrist and my coach, the problem boiled down to this: I have been running on really crappy, really old orthotics and now I have a nice amount of soft tissue damage in my lower shins. It's quite boring actually and people's eyes tend to glaze over when I start to explain what the hell is wrong with me and why the hell I am not racing.
They want to hear about blood and gore and traumatic crashes and all I have to offer is this: I am an idiot who should have had new orthotics and new shoes eons ago.
Initally, the doctor cleared me to bike race but not to run. I raced. I did not get better. That's when the hammer came down: no racing OR I will not have a ski season OR I will be wearing a boot on both feet OR zombies might attack the world OR the world will spontaneously combust.
You know, any or all of the above.
So I gulped hard, held back my disappointment and nodded my head when my doctor asked if I would comply.
It's been over a month of no racing and over six weeks of no running. I am still not better and therefore not cleared to head out to the trails, forget running two steps carrying a bike over my shoulder.
This injury thing is super annoying. Forget the 30-minute workout. You know, the workout you do when you only have 1/2 an hour between work and picking up the kid at daycare? Yeah, that's gone because that was a quick run. Also, cyclocross skills practice? Adiós, amigo. Track workout? Say hello to my new friend, Masters Swim Practice (also known as "Oxygen Deprivation at Ridiculously Early Morning Hours").
Then, to add insult to a real-life injury, I woke up on Monday morning unable to move my neck. At all. I thought it was a typical I-slept-weird-now-I-have-this-stupid-kink-in-my-neck-to-make-me-cranky-all-day kind of thing. But of course, it wasn't. It's now been almost 48 hours of excruciating "PLEASE GIVE ME SOME PAINKILLERS" kind of pain and after some chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, ice, stretching and kinesio tape, I can only hope that it's better tomorrow. And pop some more painkillers.
(Yeah, seriously, I know. WTF??)
Being injured isn't all negative. I am turning in to super cyclocross supporter. I am more rested than I have been in months. I am posting some pretty damn good power numbers on the computrainer.
Yes, I am still allowed to ride my bike. Just no running. At all. Period. For real this time, NoPoGirl.
Anyway.
I still check the race results religiously. I still secretly plot disobeying the doctor and racing the next weekend. I still stare at my trail running shoes longingly.
Things I tell myself: There will be another cyclocross season. I will ski hard this winter. I will be even stronger on the bike for road season.
RIGHT???
Just call me Super Race Heckler
