Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Youch

I don't know how much longer I can continue running. I keep thinking of Dr. Andrew Weil saying "I know people who run deep into their 30s and then they can't walk at 50. Your body will tell you when it's time to stop certain activities."

My body's been sending me signals since I was 25: shin splints, bad knees, a bum hip, flat feet, blisters, callouses. I simply put more Dr. Shoal's cushions in my shoes and keep plugging away, because if I don't run I tend toward corpulence. The first third of this year I was running 25 miles per week, then I had ankle problems (a new pain!) that required a month off. Since May I've been running about 10 miles per week, mostly in three days, and walking on alternate days. I've given up road running, and walk to the rubber track at Towson High, run, then walk home. This was working well for me until yesterday.

I finished my run as usual--2.5 miles on the track in the gorgeous triple-digit Baltimore heat--walked home, showered, went to work, sat at my desk ordering books and videos for three hours, then attempted to stand and nearly keeled over in agony. At the juncture of lateral malleolus, calcaneus, and talus in my left foot is a gooey swollen spot the size of an orange, and I don't know why. I didn't turn or twist my ankle, I didn't drop anything on it. It just started hurting.

Actually, I do know why it started hurting: old age. I'm likely to take a couple weeks off and then start running again, and in November something else will fall apart.

Dr. Weil has a point. Is it time to become a swimmer or a cyclist? Maybe I should get a step-climber or one of those gazelle things the fat steroid dude with a pony tail rides on late-night TV.

But I like running. I've been doing it the better part of 20 years. Ugh. Being a pedestrian kind of necessitates preserving my musculoskeletal system, however.

UPDATE 8am Thursday: I can't touch my left foot to the ground without significant pain. WTF? Is it a sprain? A stress fracture? Fuck this. I had to slide on my ass down the basement stairs to fetch a set of crutches left here by the previous owner of the house (thanks ghost of Willard R. Bowman). Making coffee on crutches sucks.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You think you've got it bad...? I got hit by a tree on the way home from work last night. It is related because my ankle hurt because we have been playing tennis lately and I put the cruise control on (which I never do) and two second later a tree fell onto my car smashing the windshield right in front of my face, it removed my radio antenea and half of the molding around my windshield and f-ed up my hood and scratched the side of my cute blue car. ALL because I have been playing tennis.

Beat that Hilda! -Love lil sis

Geoff said...

Jesus, that's scary. Not the tennis part, but the tree eating your car part.

I took a shower with one leg out of the tub using a crutch this morning. Beat that!

Anonymous said...

Obviously you haven't seen me play tennis...pretty scary!

Did I mention a tree hit my fucking car right where my face is and smashed my windshield?

(WAHH WAHH< I torture my body by running voluntarily everyday) Me??? I don't run less chased...I feel great! Only problem I have is falling trees.

Remember when I broke my wrist because of you when I was 30? I didn't complain...I think you need to toughen up!

Why can't you get your hurt little ankle wet? The drops of water scar you???? Or did you put a fake cast on it? -- LIL SIS

Geoff said...

I can't stand on it--I don't care if it gets wet. So I had to stand with one leg in the shower and the other out next to the crutch so I wouldn't get the crutch all wet.

Hmmm, you get drunk and try to do gymnastics and break your wrist and it's my fault? Just like when we were kids. You should blame Porc Heaven; he started it.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I blame myself for being drunk and stupid, but that is no fun in this circumstance. As for when we were kids...you were older, wiser and more mature...so why do I have so many scars from you on my head???? (and don't even think about blaming me for the scar on your head, that was all KSR's fault)

Did you find out what is wrong with you foot/ankle yet?

Geoff said...

I already know what's wrong: Old Age

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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