Stress Fracture.

In June I got an email from my sisters telling me that they were signing up for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco, and that I should join them. It's a lottery, so there is no guarantee by signing up that we will actually get in. I begrudgingly signed up, thinking that there was no way we would get in, because all you every hear about is people who have been trying for a decade and have never gotten in. Sure enough, the second week of July I get an email saying, "You're In!" ...I about pooped my pants. I immediately got sick to my stomach, and started looking up training programs. I started training the Monday following that email, and was running three times a week, with two days of cross training, and two days of rest. I had problems with my brand new shoes, which led to major knee pain. I wasn't able to run more than mile without absolutely losing it and sobbing at how much my knee hurt. Luckily, when returning said shoes to SL Running, they were able to get me into another pair that alleviated all pain in my knee! Huge win.

About four weeks ago, I made Kati do my "long run" with me, which for her was like any other day. I needed to do six miles, so she suggested we do three miles down Milcreek Canyon, and then another three from the canyon to her house. Downhill the whole way? Let's do it! I actually survived said run, even if it took me the same amount of time it usually takes Kati to do a half marathon. Kate pushed Ruby the whole time, who, by the way, loves being in the stroller and doesn't make a single peep. 

The next day I was sore, but that was to be expected. The thing that hurt most was my ankles, which I thought was weird, but just chalked it up as being part of running downhill for six miles.  The bad part about it was that it hindered my ability to continue to run. The following week I was barely able to do anything without it aching, and it just got worse as time went by. A week and half later and my right ankle was still swollen, and hurt more and more each day, especially at the end of the day after I had been on it all day. Ruby had a check up Thursday of that week, so I figured while I was there I would stop at the Instacare. Harder than I would have ever thought it would be. Ruby didn't want to sit in her carrier, so I was holding her, and her carseat. When they went to take my blood pressure, she tried to take the Oxygen thing off my finger. They didn't even try to weigh me, because, how? Got into the office and had to change into a gown (I was also there because of a cough I'd had for the same amount of time). Then Ruby was hungry, so I had to make her a bottle, at the doctor's office. I don't even remember how I got the warm water. Luckily she finished eating right before the doctor came in and was okay hanging out in her carseat for a little bit.
The doctor couldn't really tell me what was wrong with my ankle. He told me that he thought it was an injury due to over-use, but that I would need to go see a Sports Medicine doctor. So, that's what I ended up doing.

Almost a week later I was in the Sport Medicine doctor's office, explaining to him the sage of events that had happened over the last 2.5 weeks, and how I was training for a half marathon in October, but hadn't been able to run since that six-mile day. He pretty much told me to kiss of the half, and informed me that I have tendonitis in my ankle and/or a stress fracture. There wasn't really a point in taking an x-ray because you often can't see them on x-rays, and the treatment for both things is the same regardless. What's the treatment you ask? Oh, just wearing this awesome boot for two weeks. The first thing I thought of was driving. I've had to take this sucker off every time I drive. It is a pain in the neck. The doctor also told me I needed to go to Physical Therapy to help strengthen that tendon, because it will get weaker with wearing the boot.
I went to PT for the first time this past Monday and it turns out I have really weak hips. My tendon in my left foot is stronger than my right, but it's still pretty weak. The PT worked me out for about 45 minutes and then gave me a list of exercises to do at home. It was crazy how sore my butt was Monday afternoon. But, strengthening my hips will help strengthen my knees, and my ankles which means less pain or no pain! That would be super nice.
I find out tomorrow if I can take the boot off. I'm pretty confident that I won't have to wear it anymore. Hopefully I'll be able to slowly get back into running. After working so hard toward something that I'm not able to do anymore, I was a little bummed. So, I signed up for another half in May in none other then DISNEYLAND. I'm pretty stoked about that.