What makes an athlete and athlete?

A few weeks ago I participated in our monthly WW 5K social walk around the city. Yes, I shouldn’t have done it; I was in agony for two days after the walk. But I had an interesting and eye-opening conversation with my friend Bob. Bob is a WW lifetime member; he lost over 100 pounds and he walks all over Manhattan every day. I was explaining to him the results of the MRI and my injury. I joked that “I guess I can call myself an athlete since this is an athletic injury.” Bob responded in all seriousness, “Yes. It is an athletic injury. You are an athlete. You can tell people that.”

When I think of athletes, of course I think of professionals who make their living in any given sport. When I think of athletes, I also think of people like Mel (my super WW leader and runner) and my friend and fellow WW Sheryl (she runs, rides her bike EVERYWHERE, and is just such an all around active person), just to name a few. I also think athletes are all of the thousands of people who have been running, biking, playing tennis, or just live at the gym (I see a ton of them in my running magazines and on my social websites). The one person I never would have considered an athlete is me.

I know I don’t look like how an athlete “should” look. To many athletes, I probably don’t sound like an athlete. Yet somehow I became an athlete. I always thought that running is something I do, like washing dishes or cleaning the house. I just never think of myself as a runner. Maybe it’s because I’m still considered a newbie, but I think I maybe don’t feel I have “earned” the right to call myself a runner yet.

I've read many times that if you run, then you are a runner. Well, I run. I must be a runner and an athlete. Don't all athletes get injured at some point during their "career"? This is mine. 

I am an athlete. I am a runner.

Results

I received the results of my MRI today. I have a pulled tendon and some degeneration. I had to Google tendon degeneration. Apparently it occurs when an athlete increases activity too quickly. Well, I guess this means I am officially an athlete. The good news is that I didn’t tear anything, so that’s promising. Also good news that it is already starting to heal because it is not as painful as it was a week ago (and definitely not as painful as three weeks ago).

I need to continue to wear the brace with the 27 Velcro straps as it seems to actually be helping when it is not annoying the shit out of me. I also need take 400 milligrams of Advil twice a day for at least the next ten days. Doc would have prescribed something else, but I am allergic to most of the drugs they prescribe for this sort of thing. I also have to do a month of physical therapy twice a week. Physical therapy is activity, so I’m definitely all for that! I go for my evaluation on next week.

In the meantime, running, biking and anything that puts pressure on the foot is out. I am ashamed to say that I have been focusing on not what I can do, but what I can. Well, that stops now.  What I can do: most strength training exercises, especially the machines at the gym; walk, at least a mile or two a day as I have been, and I can swim (if anyone knows of a pool I can “borrow” for a month, please let me know).

What this means for my mid- and long-term plans, I have no idea, but I know what I need to do now. I will focus on the rest when I need to.

Sidelined

You would think I would be training for almost a month now for my half marathon. You would be wrong. Injuries tend to place you on the sidelines.

It happened two weeks ago while I was running on the treadmill at the gym. I was running my normal pace and suddenly felt a sharp pain in my right foot by the arch. I slowed down immediately to a walk, hoping it was just a kink. After a few minutes, it did subside and I continued with my run/walk training program. I didn’t have any other pain the rest of the night, so I thought it was all good.

That is until I stepped down off the bed the following morning. The pain shot from my arch up into my ankle. I tried staying off of it and not running for several days, but it didn’t improve. I went to a sports medicine specialist on Monday, hoping it was nothing too serious and that I’d be back to running soon.

Well, my bones look okay (except for a bone spur in my heel that I didn’t know about), but I definitely injured my tendon. The doctor gave me a brace that laces up like a shoe and has about 30 straps that secure with color-coded Velcro so I know where to secure each one. I don’t think it’s doing much except annoying me, but I will wear it until further notice. I also have to get an MRI so we can see what and how extensive the injury is and then hopefully start healing.

Of course I am unable to run and the doctor told me I can’t even go on the horrific stationary bike either. Fortunately, I can strength train, so I will be doing that at least three times a week for a while.

Yes, I am extremely disappointed that I can’t run (of course, the second the doctor said I couldn’t run I wanted to immediately get my running shoes on and just go), but I know I need to allow my foot to heal and not cause further damage. I’m also hoping it’s just a really bad pull and that with rest and maybe physical therapy I will be back to running sooner rather than later. Until then, I can only do what I can.

As for the half marathon in March, it is completely up in the air. But even if I’m unable to participate in it, which is likely at this point, there are many other half marathons I can participate in and will just pick another one later in the year. I may be sidelined right now, but I will back out there pounding the pavement soon.