so...then this happened...

As I was basking in the glory of completing a successful 50 miler.  Completing a painfully hot 50K, and waiting for the inevitable post-race soreness to go away.  A demon flew from out of nowhere and threw itself squarely between me and my 100 mile race goal.  The demon was sneaky, painfully annoying and expensive.  It canceled my Pikes Peak plans, destroyed my my Do Wacka Do weekend, and then after all that…it took my bicycle away also.

 The tiny demon could only be seen by MRI, it was nestled in the neck of my femur, tucked up inside my hip…sitting there, glaring at me.  A tiny fracture, so small you could barely see it, but it was radiating so much pain I could not even run a single step.  It sucked the life out of my running; just as things were going so well.

Doctors said 4 weeks on crutches….yes crutches.  No running, no cycling.  I panic.  What will I do with all this free time?  And with Labor Day coming….I was missing summer, missing hours of training, missing my social life which is so deeply entrenched with the running community I ‘m pretty sure most of my friends are either runners or I will convert them to runners.

 The first week I was in denial “these crutches are stupid”, “this is never going to work”, “how am I supposed to scratch and walk?”  I wondered who the genius was who invented devices to help you walk with one leg, and at the same time took away both of your hands.  …what an idiot.

 I took a trip to petsmart to buy fish food and a sales person came to me holding a small snake.  I petted the snake, the snake was so cute.  I asked her how big he would get she said about 6 feet.  I told her, no I have a Chihuahua.  She said, well we have a lovely sand boa that only gets to be about two feet.  I took a look.  I held it, petted it and then put it back.  I checked out my fish food and left.  I texted my friend and told her about the sand boa.  She promptly replied “I’m sure you are looking at that snake because you can’t run, you are bored and need a challenge.” …she was right.  I went to Best Buy and purchased Tomb Raider for my Xbox One instead. 

The weeks that followed, I stumbled with the crutches.  The first day back to work was an onslaught of “what happened?” , “Did you sprain your ankle?”, “Are you OK?”.  Like I had not already been injured for the previous two weeks just now it was visible.  I got questions from each new person I saw, people I did not even know felt entitled to see what was up with me.  My dad asked if I was taking any ‘sick leave’.  Really?  Why would I waste good time off work to just sit around the house?  Besides, by job does not have dedicated sick leave.

The next challenge was Labor Day weekend.  Hours and days off work and I could not run, cycle or even walk.

I occupied my time with the following activities:

Playing Tomb Raider

Vacuum Sealing Food

Feeding the Fish

Tying Scarves

Purchasing Cook books

 

Taking Photos of my Dog

 

At work I was relegated to the elevator.  I used the elevator more with in these 4 weeks than I did in 10 years working there. Ya know, people do not know how to use elevators. When getting onto an elevator it is recommended, customary, and polite to allow the people on the elevator off before trying to get onto the elevator.  Three times I was almost run over by people in the hallway trying to squeeze into the elevator before the occupants got off.  Really???

So here I sit, waiting for my hip to heal, waiting for my x-ray, waiting to ride my bike, to run…listening to my muscles atrophy.  

My friends have been great.  We go shopping and have dinner, they are very encouraging.  Soon we will be able to resume our active pursuits again.  

Soon I will be able to effectively clean my house again, climb on step ladders and take out the trash.  When I do I need to throw my friends a party for putting up with my grouchy ass for the last 4 weeks.  Sound like something to look forward to.