What goes bump in the night

What goes bump in the night? My ankle!

This week I made a pact with myself to run or walk outside for at least 20 min a day. Sounds easy, but getting motivated when it's cold and gray or even rainy can be hard. I stuck to it, and was pretty proud of myself! As a bonus, I was feeling good! My climbing was improving, and I even started a weight lifting program. Hey, go me!

Sometimes my pace was 9 min/mile. Sometimes, it was 14 min/mile. That's not what mattered, and I was stoked to be back on the horse after our travels. Helping to fuel this stoke was a fun run I had circled on my calendar earlier in the month- The Prospect Park Track Club Pub Run. I had gone last month and had had a blast. 

The night was freezing and windy. I packed 3 (yes 3) various down jackets and headed to the run. After warming up for a mile, I felt pretty good. It wasn't as cold, and I was having too much fun talking to other runners to watch my step in the dark. Whoops.

I rolled it. My bad ankle, the Humpty Dumpty ankle that all the king's men had just glued back together again. I tried to put weight on it and knew it was too risky. My shoe was already feeling tight against my skin, and in the glow of the streetlight we confirmed that it had started to swell.

My friend helped me get a car back to the bar and calmed me down. Good news, you definitely didn't explode it this time! She made me laugh while I tried to remember everything my sports doctor had said about ruining my surgery. We don't know how long these results will last, he said. I shook my head and tried not to make it bigger than it was.. hopefully. 

Back at the bar, my new team was waiting. They joked with me about getting a headlamp for Christmas and brought me ice. They made me feel warm and welcomed and not like a total spaz for tripping in the dark.

Still, I was a little embarrassed. I said my goodbyes to those around me and limped out the front. You'll be ok, I know this is hard, my friend said. It isn't exactly an ideal time to be injured. I've been stressed and anxious- a fact that is not lost on those around me. Hazards of blogging, I suppose.

My girlfriends texted me all night. Positive thoughts and helpful reminders. I had been bummed and angry but suddenly not so much. Instead I just felt....lucky. Lucky for the club, whose members I still don't know the names of, and lucky for my friends who understood my feelings and supported me.

So yeah! I'm a bit injured. I elevated, and iced, and now a few days out I am walking a bit more. I am resting but I am happy- using this time to try different illustration techniques and sink into all the holiday parties on my calendar.

You know, I think everything will be ok.