Mile Markers: Halfway There

The halfway mark was one of the most mentally difficult weeks of this injury. Three weeks in the boot already has felt so long. A few inches of snow fell, which made navigating outdoors in the boot a bit more difficult. Nothing quite made me long to go run like a few inches of fresh snow and some gloriously cold temperatures. It’s been four years since I’ve ran in cold weather (without rain) and I sure do miss it. By the end of the week, however, I felt more optimistic about my remaining tenure in the boot. 

Monday: 25 minutes Pilates

Pilates is a blissful break from the boot. I completed a 25 magic circle workout with modifications to avoid bearing any weight on my foot. 

Tuesday: Upper body strength

The dogs and I did take a walk! It totaled 1/2 mile, with a 10 minute stop at the dog park in the middle. I needed fresh air and sunshine and could not pass up being outdoors for the first real accumulation of the season. 

I couldn’t find an arm bike at our gym, but I did locate a recumbent elliptical that allowed me to use only my arms and rest my feet up. I sat with my feet on the ground and only used the arm pedals for 10 minutes to warm up for strength training. I fatigued muscularly before my cardio did, but at least it was some form of light cardio. 

Wednesday: 30 minutes Pilates

I am so grateful I can still do Pilates. A fast-paced Pilates workout is enough to provide that feeling of having moved and exercised, even more so than lifting upper body weights at the gym. I did a magic circle workout with enough non-weight bearing exercises like side leg lifts and teasers to give the sensation of a thorough total body workout.

Thursday: Upper body strength training

Let me just say, the snowy days are the hardest with this injury. If I could run, I would simply bundle up in layers of puffy vests, Buffs, and mittens, lace up my new Saucony Peregrine Ices, and enhance my visibility with reflective gear. I don’t mind the cold and I enjoy a fresh snow. 

But alas, I can’t run. This snow better still be here when I can run outdoors again. (Someone please remind me I said this in March when we still have snow.) The dogs and I instead settled for watching the snow fall (a benefit of working from home!). We ended up with a total of about 3 or 4 inches of fresh snow! 

Ryan and I went to the gym in the evening. I completed 15 minutes on the recumbent elliptical (legs resting up, only working arms) and about 20 minutes of upper body and core strength training. I did med ball pullovers on the stability ball, Russian twists (feet elevated), chest presses, shoulder rotations, and lateral raises.  

I also learned that whoever designed the walking boot did not live in a snowy or cold climate. The toe is open, which effectively lets snow fall into the boot and soaks the liner, thus leading to numb toes. A numb broken toe elicits a strange awareness of the injury – not pain, but a nauseating sensation that a bone injury does exist. Thankfully, duct tape makes a waterproof seal. Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped ( to paraphrase The Martian). 

Friday: 20 minutes Pilates

I tried a new Pilates video with a focus on posture and upper body. In addition to the upper body focus, the abs series was at a rapid enough pace to leave my heart pumping and my muscles fatigued by the end. While not as satisfying as running, I am always so happy when I can enjoy a good workout with this injury. 

Saturday: Rest day

I noticed a significant improvement in the state of my foot by the end of this week. The dull ache subsided and my range of motion began to return. I’m hopeful that a couple more weeks in the boot (I’m scheduled to see an ortho the first week of December) will lead to a complete healing and quick return to running. 

Sunday: Rest day

[Tweet “A week of workouts at the halfway between injury and recovery via @thisrunrecipes #weeklywrap #running “]

Linking up with Weekly Wrap! 

Did you get snow this week? Are you ready for winter?
How was your week of running?