Sprained ankles and bruises and going to PT, these are a few of my favorite things....

It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy, 'cause every now and then I kick the living sh*t out of me....so goes the line to one of my favorite Lit songs and what should be the anthem of my training and life lol!

The road to training hell is paved with good intentions and torn ligaments falling on the trails as you run. I really thought it was just my ego that was damaged, but wait, there's more! I did manage to finish my run after I fell. I was bloody and gross, felt my ankle pop but it blessedly went numb and I ran another mile and a half that night. What hurt worse was Heather making me clean my boo boos. That and sleeping with that road rash for the next couple of nights.

Have I mentioned I am not too fond of running, I think it bears mentioning again hahaha!

I remember asking someone, does this look swollen to you?

And their horrified look as they took a gander at my ankle, ok, ok, I will go to the doctor when I have the time and done with my races ahem....

BUT, I had races coming up, things I couldn't miss and here I was injured. It's bad enough I was out of commission for so long from getting spare parts removed, I totally didn't want to miss my first race back, the I Love the Tavern Tri. So I didn't! Amazing thing about the ligaments I tore was it didn't hurt to run or bike. Hurt like crazy to swim. Anyway, did the Tavern, finished 4 minutes faster then the year before, maybe I should injure myself more often. Did I really just say that out loud??

Two weekends after I had the Alleghany Medio Fondo. What is a fondo you ask because anyone who reads this blog is probably a runner, no it's not a pot of melted cheese silly, it's a bike race! There were three distances the piccolo, the medio and the gran. My training buddy and I were doing the medio together, 65 miles of mountainous riding.

If you've never climbed a category 3, or category 1 mountain, believe me when I say, YOU AREN'T MISSING A THING! It's hard and it sucks and you know what, I am doing it again next year because I popped my chain 1/2 mile from the top of the category 1 climb and didn't finish riding the climb but walking. Not like the chances were good for me making it to the top in my saddle, I was struggling big time, but I want the chance to redeem myself. I struggled like hell up the category 3 last year during the piccolo and this year it was wayyyy easier, so I am hoping to have the same success next year with the category 1. Here is yet another why do I hit myself in the head with a hammer moments for those of you keeping track at home!

After the ride I cried uncle, I went to the orthopedist, he said I had damaged the blah blah blah ligments on the outside of my ankle and had swelling in the joint, well duh... He started me on physical therapy, Voltaren twice a day that I stopped taking because it made my lips tingle and put me in a brace. The only activity he restricted to limited was my running. He has me aqua jogging instead. Wow, there something to be said for it too, IT IS AS BORING AS WATCHING PAINT DRY! It's hard, don't get me wrong. Your whole body, arms included, are resisting the water as you try to maintain form and not look like you're on your way to the big doofus convention. The only thing it has going for it is when you get too hot you just dunk yourself under water. Good times, good times.

My last race in the trio was the 3 Sport RTC Sprint Tri. That was this past Sunday. I was all freaked. I played tennis in my head with the I am going to do it/I am not going to do it thing. Did I not run at all and take it totally easy and give my ankle more time to heal? So many people freaked me out about how much more damage I could to my ankle, I could totally screw up my IronMan training. Aw hell to the no! I did it but I didn't race it all out. I used it for training and aside from getting behind two pool walkers which gummed up my swim time, I was rather pleased with the time I posted for holding back. I PR'd from last time I ran this course by 3+minutes. I mean really, this is getting ridiculous. I am doing better hurt then I ever did before.

The irony of my injury is staggering, hurt but doing better then ever. I feel like screaming at my body "lucy you got some 'splainin to do...." They always say no pain, no gain, but this is ridiculous.