Well, here’s a lesson I never wanted to learn while I was on vacation: You never truly appreciate your mobility until it’s gone.
Ankle splint + ocean view = Not too shabby.
Yesterday I was walking on the Marginal Way in Ogunguit, Maine, when my foot landed on a short ledge at the edge of the sidewalk. My ankle rolled and I went down, smashing my left knee on the pavement. The pain in my ankle was enormous, and it looked pretty funny, so my friend carted me off to the local emergency room.
Thankfully, it’s just a sprain (grade 3 or maybe 4, according to the doctor). They gave me a splint and some crutches, and sent me on my way. So here I am, with four days left of my vacation, and I’m hobbled. I didn’t even get a chance to walk my favorite beach yet! It’s the thing I look most forward to every year! I am so irritated and frustrated by this unexpected turn of events.
If you’ve been keeping score at home, my newly sprained ankle is on the same foot that’s been giving me marathoning grief on and off for the past two years. Sure, there was pain involved in that injury, but it only surfaced when I was power walking for many miles. I was still able to go about my daily business with little discomfort or need for accommodation.
But this is a whole new ball of wax. Stairs and crutches? Forget about it. Crutches in general are the devil’s work. And the frosting on this dumb cake is that there are miles and miles of beaches here, begging me to come walk them. I spent a lot of time complaining about my marathoning injury, but now I know how much more difficult and frustrating a disabling injury can be.
Immediately after the doctor told me I did not break my ankle, I started thinking about what the gym can do for me as I recover. I was already starting down a new non-marathoning road, focusing on water workouts, the elliptical, strength training. And now, at least in the short term as I heal, I’ll have to reevaluate my workouts again. It’s frustrating, but today I’m looking at it from the perspective of, at least I am able to work out in some capacity, even a limited one.
Today’s message: Appreciate your mobility. Whether that means you can run a 6 minute mile or you are able to get around the grocery store in a jazzy scooter (I tried one last night, and they are pretty great!), appreciate that you are able to move through this world in whatever way you can.
Me? I’m just going to sit here and look out at the beautiful sea and be happy that I can still eat lobster with a sprained ankle!
