Dirt in your skirt blog

Stopped in My Tracks

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Margaret Schlachter

IMG_3565 After days of being laid up on the couch waiting for the ankle to get back to normal, it was finally time to go see the doctor. Still on crutches days after a missed landing on a trampoline at Alpha Warrior and continuing to live with not knowing the extent of the injury was becoming increasingly stressful. After days of trying to deal with insurance issues in the end it came down to not waiting for insurance to come through but cough up the money for the peace of mind knowing what has happening in my ankle.

 

As I crutched into the medical center gave them my information and into the room and waited for the doctor I was anxious. The stress and uncertainty had reached its apex. The doctor gave it a quick look and I was off to get a set of x-rays. As I posed for the camera three shots were taken. Then I was wheeled back to the room and waited for the results. As the doctor came in I heard the news, it’s not a break! All the bones looked good, and after a full pulls and such everything seems to be in its place. A feeling of jubilation to know nothing was broken at the same time dread wondering how long the road to recovery would be.

 

IMG_3566

 

It is as if the doctor knew my whole life story, he knew I wanted numbers and said “I can tell you want to be back on this as soon as possible.” Then he remarked, “when is your next race?” Yup, he knew me, was it the way I was dressed, the way I portrayed myself, was he a closet OCR fan, or had he just seen enough athletes in his day to pick one out of a crowd. Maybe it was just one look at my mangled toes that tipped him off to the miles I prefer to put on my feet. For whatever reason, he knew me or my kind, my tribe. His word 2-3 weeks before it starts to feel normal again. Maybe racing at the end of July and I need to continue to use the crutches for a while. But he said, “you can spend lots of time in the pool”.

 

IMG_3571So this means, Utah Spartan is out, Mexico Spartan is out, Speedgoat is a maybe otherwise I will not be racing again until August. With a decision made that I would not be racing until the very last day in August a while ago, it seems now it’s time to focus on the fall. Use the summer to heal up, strengthen up, and perfect the art of aqua jogging. Not the summer I envisioned but the reality of the situation. I have laughed about the injury, cried about it, and now it’s time to move into the next stage, recovery. For the rest of this week it’s continued rest, next week it’s time to move forward and keep crutching one foot at a time forward. My eye is still on the Ultra Beast and beyond and for now that’s all I can focus on, that and my recovery.