Cinco de Mayo!!! cha cha cha

Well, I ended up staying off my ankle for over a week.

It got swollen and colorful as you saw, and wasn't very happy with me moving about much. I iced it a lot. After a couple of days, a dr. friend of mine suggested I switch to moist heat and massage the colorful bit upward, to encourage the pooled blood to get out of there. I followed the instructions and noticed it made a quick difference in the color of the area. The tenderness persisted though.

I showed up to my Monday outdoor game, geared up, and tried to run around a bit before the game... and realized very quickly nothing good was going to come of me playing the field. I could barely run! When I tried to kick the ball with my bad leg it hurt too much, and I ended up just nudging the ball gently in a general direction... and whimpering a bit. Not gonna happen.

Instead I ended up playing goalie for that game... as my goalie friend is also my indoor team's goalie when I sprained my ankle, and at roughly the same moment I hurt my ankle, he sprained his finger... and preferred not to keep for that monday outdoor game. He wanted to give his finger more time to heal. We swapped positions, but I told Marc (the goalie) he had to play like a girl. hehehe.

The game went ok. I made some saves and missed some great shots from the other team. We ended up losing by 1 pt, and I took full responsibility. I'm not a great goalie. heh.

After this, I made no attempt to play ultimate frisbee on Tuesday, nor indoor soccer on Thursday. My ankle was too tender. I was wondering how it'd hold up for the Cinco de Mayo run on Sunday though. I'd been registered for that 10K event since before Race for the Roses... so I was really hoping to be able to run that. Granted I hadn't actually EXERCISED at all since the soccer game I sprained my ankle in, but whatever.

This is how my ankle looked on Friday afternoon.


Saturday evening, I opted to drink loads of water and electrolytes instead of alcohol... just incase I'd be able to run on Sunday morning.

Sunday morning I woke up and poked at my ankle. The swelling was entirely gone, and most of the coloration was gone too. neat! I got up, got my running kit on, and headed to downtown portland for the race!

It was a smaller event. Probably the smallest organized race I've participated in actually. Nonetheless, they had a mariachi band there as well as several running gear booths, and a clothing check. I wasn't sure how to dress since the weather forecast called for sunshine and right about 50 degrees for the race (starting at 9am). There is a little rule about dressing for a run that says you should dress as if it's 20 degrees warmer outside than it is. You may be a touch uncomfortable at the beginning of the run, but once you are warmed up you'll be happy you dressed that way. When I laid out my clothes for Sunday morning, I kept saying to myself, "what would I wear in 70 degrees!?!" It had been SO DANG LONG since I've ran in nice weather, I had no idea what I'd wear actually.

Turned out it was a BEAUTIFUL day. I wore my capri-length running tights, with a pair of black running shorts over it for dignity... my ultimate frisbee jersey (since it's a technical T), and well.. I brought along my northface windwall vest, but I ended up deciding that was too much. I checked that at the clothes check before the race.

Here was the race route



As you can see, we started and ended at Salmon and Naito Pkwy in downtown PDX. It was really just a massive out and back course, more or less.

I met up with Sheryl and some other TNT runners before the race. We wandered to the start line and merged with the runners to start. Sheryl had been complaining about some leg cramps earlier in the week, so she was ready to go slower. Me? I was obviously concerned about my ankle... we both creeped along at the beginning. No one had to slow me down... I didn't want to hurt myself.

The whole "out" portion of the run was pretty much a constant uphill... Sheryl and I warmed up as we ran. At about 1.6 miles or so, the course veered off for the 5K runners. They were headed back.

At about 1.8 miles or so we started spotting the 1st place runners headed back to the finish line. I thought it was actually kinda cool seeing who was in the lead and was enjoying cheering them on. Other runners around me felt it just reminded them how slow they were.

Eh... I know I'm slow. Look at them go!!

up up up.

FINALLY at the turn around, the event gave us our first water station. Sorry, but 2 miles is a better spot than 3 miles for a water station. I was pretty thirsty. I grabbed the offered cup of water gladly, and then noticed it only had like a tablespoon of water in it. I stopped dead and complained... and then took another cup of water and chugged both of them. Then Sheryl and I continued on to the turn around.

Perry was standing at the turn around. He had apparently gotten food poisoning the night before and was in no shape to run, but he wanted to cheer us on! That was nice of him. He ran with us for like 20 feet and then left us to go find a restroom.

We were headed back down hill, and pointedly stopped at the water station again for some more water (as did a bunch of other runners around us following our lead). It wasn't long after that tho that I started dealing with a side cramp. I don't think my body appreciates a dramatic change in elevation gradient... like running a 3 mile uphill, and then heading downhill. I got a side cramp at B2B... 2B coming off of the Fremont Bridge, and also my legs started cramping coming off of the St John's Bridge at the Portland Marathon. Coincidence? I think not.

I tried dealing with the side cramp with some breathing techniques I know... but it didn't help. I finally told Sheryl I needed to walk a bit. She walked with me a touch, but then was itching to get running again so I told her to go. She took off downhill... and I walked, grabbing my side, trying to convince the side cramp to back off. I think I was dealing with that thing for about 2 minutes before it finally let up. I tried running again and it didn't come back... so I started running faster... and faster.

It was downhill afterall. easy!

After a while I was able to actually CATCH Sheryl... just at the same moment she caught up with Lori actually. It was cool. I was watching her surprise Lori, and then she was explaining that she left me behind because of my side cramp (meanwhile I was only like 10 feet behind them trying to catch up)... but during the story when motioning where I was, she turned around and gestured back and saw me. She smiled, surprised, and cheered me on, and I was like, "dang! I wasn't able to sneak up on you!!" It was pretty neat.

We all three ran together for a bit, and then I found myself chomping at the bit cause in order to pace Lori and Sheryl I had to slow down and I really wanted to go faster, so I just pulled ahead and went with it.

I could hear Lori and Sheryl talking and laughing about something behind me as I turned the corner onto Harrison. down down down.

My bad knee started to twinge on me a little... but not enough to make it impossible to run. I adjusted my gait a little so that I was bending my knees less (and taking smaller steps), and just kept going. Wheee!

Back on Naito Pkwy... I found myself trotting at a pretty good pace. One final little dip under a bridge and I felt my bad knee almost give out on me. Whoah. So close to the finish line tho, I decided to continue to ignore the knee, but try to step more carefully and reduce the impact on it. Infact.. on the little uphill out of the dip to the finish line I found myself speeding up again.

At the finish line I put forth a burst of speed and crossed the finish line with 2 other people who previously were ahead of me. ha!

I staggered over to the timing chip clipping girls, and had my chip removed.. then I grabbed some free vitamin water that was being handed out... and then.. oh yeah! I forgot to turn off my Garmin! I stopped the timer. It read 1:04:50 or so.

Then I wandered back to the finish line and Lori and Sheryl were just getting to it, so I cheered for them and hugged them once they were over the finish line.

Frank and Kim were cheering all of us on at Naito Pkwy... and met us after the finish line. We all got in line for food... AMAZING turkey tacos from Azteca... I've never had a tastier taco. ever.

Besides an amazing taco, our registration also included a complimentary cup of red hook IPA. We found a nice spot in the sunshine on the ground and ate and laughed. a good lunch with great people.

Later that night the official times were posted and I learned I finished in 1:04:14. That comes out to a 10:20 minute mile pace (I managed to shave ANOTHER 27 seconds off my pace since B2B...2B)!! EVEN WITH THE SIDE CRAMP AND THE WALKING! neat. So. I think a 10 minute mile pace for a 10K is within reach for me. I'm pretty sure it is actually. So exciting!!

Next official run for me is a 10K in Bend, OR in 2 weeks for the Pole Pedal Paddle.

B2B...2B pics up + ankle problems

The B2B...2B photos are up. It's a different photo company, so the previews aren't as big... which is a shame... but you can still see me.

Well, ok, maybe not. Here is the starting line photo. I'm actually running next to Sheryl (in green)... but directly behind the girl in the red ball cap. go figure.



And here is a view from the Widmer Brewery/Tasting room of us running along the lower deck WAY UP ABOVE on the Fremont Bridge.



That was probably the coolest part of the run actually. The view from up there was magnificent.

And then they had a couple photographers on the Broadway Bridge, but I guess none at the finish line where Sheryl and I did our cartwheels! dang. So, here are a bunch of me crossing the Broadway Bridge.








And, that's about it.



In other news, 2 weeks ago was tough soccer game for me. For one thing, none of the ladies on my co-ed team were able to come besides me, so it was just me with the guys.... and since at least 2 of 5 field players have to be women, we had to play down 1 on the field the entire game, and I wasn't allowed to sub at all. That made the game extra tricky.

I did well actually. I had a really strong game and was really enjoying myself.. until close to the end of the first half when I stepped in front of the ball to block a shot (from a girl on the other team) on our goal. Well, my foot didn't reach the ground before it blocked the full shot. A totally legal tackle, but the full force of that shot on the side of my foot made my foot act as a lever on my ankle... and the side-to-side range of motion on my ankle is what absorbed the energy of the shot.

and um, I have weak ankles.

I think I said something like, "hold on hold on hold on hold on..." as I crumpled on to the ground to hold my ankle in agony and roll around a bit on the floor with my eyes closed. It really hurt. It would have been worse if I played soccer without ankle braces on, but yeah... it still did a doozie on me. I was helped off the field. There really was only like 20 seconds left in the half be the time I was off the field.

I stripped my gear off that foot and tried putting ice on it... and then poked at it for a while over half time.... and then I decided I had to go back in. Yes, back on the field. Back into the game. I tossed the ice aside and put my gear back on, lacing my ankle brace extra tight. Then I tested my ankle in the box, hopping around and doing little direction changes to make sure it'll be able to hold up.

I was pretty sure I could do it, so I went back into the game. Played a strong second half, no problems really. I could sprint, kick, pass, etc. We of course ended up getting clobbered like 6-3, but not for lack of trying. heh. I got loads of kudos from the other team for my performance, for being able to play through that injury, and for my effectiveness on the field (oh yeah, I even scored the first goal of the night btw).

The next game was getting ready to start and I was asked to sub for a team who didn't have enough ladies show up... I considered it for about 10 seconds before I decided that was a bad idea.

Instead I went to the pub, where I put up and iced my ankle while enjoying my favorite pilsner. It was starting to stiffen up and ache a bit by the time I decided to head home.

I tried wrapping my ankle for bed, but it was uncomfortable, so I ripped the ace bandage off in the middle of the night. The next morning I woke up and noticed that yes, my ankle was a touch swollen.

Can you tell which ankle is swollen? It's a little subtle unless you look closely at the ankle bones.


Here, this photo might help a little:




By that evening the ankle had even gotten more swollen and colorful...




Yeah, the ankle hurt... I hobbled around on it for about a week or more.