Yesterday, my doctor confirmed what I kind of learned earlier this summer: I am NOT a runner.
Earlier this year, I wanted to ramp up my exercise routine in the hopes that I would lose weight faster. When I first started exercising regularly, I would get all tired and sore. But after a few weeks, I was able to exercise without becoming tired and sore. I started exercising longer and doing more.
And eventually, I felt I had reached a plateau that I could get passed only by running there. I tried one of the intermittent training programs that take you from couch potato to 5k in 9 weeks.
I lasted 3 weeks.
By the third week, my ankle was protesting LOUDLY. It ached, and it didn’t really stop aching.
This started in June when my normal exercise routine was all screwed up anyways because I wasn’t home very much in June.
In July, I thought I would resume my previous exercise program minus the running, but I soon gave that up too. My ankle hurt too much. Looking back, it seems obvious that my ankle played a big role in why I quit exercising, but I wouldn’t say it was a conscious choice.
My ankle was no longer hurting constantly, but it was more likely to flare up when I did a lot of walking. I was also limping more and for longer periods of time.
Since I broke my ankle in December 1997, I have always had a limp, but it would go away. Back in the early days, I only limped for my first step of the day. Once that first step happened, I was limp free for the rest of the day. In the last year or so, it started taking a few steps to get rid of the limp. And since June, there have been more days than not that I am limping all day long.
I thought I was on the mend though, and I hoped to resume exercising regularly now that I’m back in school and have a regular routine again. I do a lot of walking at work, and the days I walked to class, my ankle throbbed.
On Tuesday this week, I came home from work with a very sore tender ankle. I kept complaining, and when I pulled my feet up next to me as I sat on the couch, I was shocked to realize my ankle was swollen. It wasn’t a little swollen. It was a LOT swollen. No wonder it hurt so much!
Wednesday, I had already had an appointment to see my doctor for an annual visit. The visit changed plans though with my concerns about my ankle. It turns out I have traumatic arthritis, and I need to consider exercises that are nonweight-bearing like bicycling and swimming. I cannot run. Ever.
Arthritis at 38? I’m…. I don’t know. I need to figure this out, but I do know, I am not a runner.
