Running, Injury, Triathlon and Life Updates
We are now entering the season of Pumpkin lattes, cool running mornings, and back to school (if you have kids) as summer is coming to a close. It's exciting and sad at the same time. I love summer for the warmth, sunshine, outside fun (parties, lake fun, beaches, etc.) But Autumn is definitely one of my favorite times of the year!
Especially as a runner, training just feels easier and I have so many memories of cross country with my teammates like running in the rain and stomping in mud puddles. We had so much fun! Fall is also marathon season! But these days, I haven't been running. In fact, I haven't ran consistently for the past 14 months. In June of 2022, I was diagnosed with a sesamoid stress fracture and sesamoiditis which is something (as far as I'm aware of) that I will always have. As for treatment, it has been a long, challenging, and frustrating journey with going to multiple practitioners trying to find someone that can help me (and not just tell me that I need to find a new sport), fracturing it again not just twice, but 3x (or at least supposedly), and trying to figure out what to do with myself in the meantime to stay active, fit, and well sane. Finally, I found a chiropractor that had shockwave therapy which is ultrasound treatment, that gave me hope! After weeks and months of foot treatments (10+) and adjustments, I finally was able to run again without pain or surgery! It felt like a miracle because after 12 months, I saw surgery in my future. I felt ALIVE again. But then a couple weeks ago, I started having pain in my ankle...nooooo. I still don't exactly know what is wrong, but suspect imbalances and weakness from my foot as well as months of overcompensating may be causing it. So again, no running :(
We are also currently training for a triathlon....an intermediate triathlon in 2 weeks! Just 3 weeks ago, I completed a training sprint triathlon and felt great, but now I'm not sure if I will be able to compete or run. I have still been keeping up my training for swims and on the bike, but running is just not bearable. So here we are again. An injured runner. I made an announcement the other day about starting a new podcast and had a negative comment on how I lacked experience to have any real knowledge and am an "always injured" runner. For the past 10 years of my running career, this is the most serious running injury I have had (and for the record has been the same injury). It takes time to recover and have tried my best to see the silver lining in it all, but in reality when running is your LIFE, you feel like normal is death. We had to pivot and find ways to move that didn't put pressure on my foot (hence biking and swimming). We have also been able to spend more time with family, focusing more on personal growth again, and volunteering in things that I value and care about (like at the farm sanctruary). The biggest lesson I learned through injury has been patience and resillance. I have also realized that life is NOW and my greatest purpose and meaning is just me BEING.
Currently, I am settling into a new beginning: living in a new town, living with my significant other, and starting a new job (100% remote!) and still have BIG dreams and goals, but for now, I am focused on getting healthy again to run and do my best every day in everything that I do and the patients/clients that I serve. Here's to new beginnings and continued health and happiness!