Injured... and I sooo want to run...‏

[poundcake]

Hi all.

This is my 1st post, I've been lurking for a long time and love reading the posts, if I need motivation (which I totally do right now), here is where I come.

So, my story.

I'm 43, out of shape & before I started Couch to 5k at the beginning of March this year I hadn't run since i was about 15. I'm 5'10" & I weighed 208lbs when I started, so around 4 stone overweight.

About halfway through W4R2 I started getting severe pain in my right ankle, no stumble or fall, no turned ankle. It was a lunchtime run so I limped back to work. General consensus (colleagues, parents, 2 GPs, an AP at the surgery, a friend who is a sports physio) was the wrong shoes - I'm not even gonna admit to you guys what shoes i was running in - plus no trauma, no previous injury, equals tendonitis.

At 9 weeks I finally convinced GP to refer me for an x-ray.

Very long story short - 'intra-articular fracture of the right distal fibula' - my leg is broken just above the outer ankle 'knobble'.

It hasn't healed, I don't know whether this is because I hobbled around on it for 2 months undiagnosed or not. It's now 22 weeks (tomorrow) and I'm currently waiting for an date to go have an operation involving chisels, grafts and metal. Then I start again with the healing.

I'm sorry to unload like this, I was starting to enjoy running SO much (slow as I was) and I'm feeling a bit blue. No activity for 5 months so far & probably at least the same again before I can think about trying - I'm a bit of a grumpy girl.

Has anyone else had anything like this happen?

On the slightly brighter side, I've lost 10 lbs since the break - no idea why!

Thanks for listening

[jcwerb]

Hi Poundcake! So sorry to read of your injury just when you were getting into the running programme and loving it. It has a very addictive effect indeed so can understand your frustration! But surely one day your ankle will have healed, you will be able to go and get some good shoes and start the program again which will be great. Thinking of you and hoping that will be soon! xx

[teabreaks Graduate]

Oh no, what rotten luck, just as you were starting to enjoy your running. I hope the time flies by and that you will soon be running with us again. Can you ask your physio if there are any exercises you could be doing to strengthen your legs in the meantime?

[runningnearbeirut Graduate in reply to teabreaks]

Yes, and I'm sure there will be some exercises you could do to help prepare other bits of your body. Lots of us are finding that our abs and upper body could also do with a bit of work.

So sorry to hear about your injury

Do hope that now you have a proper diagnosis and there is a plan in place to do something about it you can start to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

The programme will still be here waiting for you whenever you are really ready to start, and we'll be here to try to help you not feel quite so discouraged while you're waiting.

[beforefifty Graduate]

Ah! So sorry to hear what you have been through so far, and what is ahead All I can say is that however long it takes eventually this program will be here for you to take up again. Obviously there is a fair bit of rest, recovery and physio etc between you and your restart, but you can and will manage it.

Btw, this is the place to unload, so don't apologise. We can all understand and sympathise with your injury and keep you motivated so that in a few months you feel like you want to get back into running.

Keep us up to date with your journey and good luck!

[misswobble Graduate]

Oh bloody good grief! What a crock of shoite!

Budge up folks, another one for the injury bench! So sorry PC, you must be proper peed off. I hope that once you have your repairs done that you can start the road to recovery. Keep a positive frame of mind and stick to a healthy diet with lots of body repairing foods

You could do upper body fitness while you're back on the couch. Get some weights and some instruction. Upper body strength is really good for runners!

Keep us posted on how you're getting on. Good luck!

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Oh no Poundcake, that sounds horrendous! Just have to concentrate on getting it right and the running will still be waiting for you. Have they checked for osteoporosis - seems weird to get a break without any obvious reason

[Mamma_Mia Graduate]

Welcome to the group PoundCake, but I'm really sorry to hear that your ankle/leg is crocked - hope you don't have to wait to long for the remedial surgery. Like the guys have said above, C25k will still be here for you when you're fit enough to take it on, and we're all around even when you're on the Injury Bench, so do keep popping in!

Take care