Incoherent Ramblings

It’s been a long time since I’ve taken the time to reflect and talk about running. Not just race reports, but the life journey observed and ran through running. The last time I reflected was High Lonesome 100 in July of 2023. This course captured my heart, deep in the Wasatch mountains in Colorado. I was surrounded by great people who became better friends, as they adjusted their summer schedule to support my dreams halfway across the country.

 

Since then, there have been a lot of trials and tribulations. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I was fortunate early in my running journey not to have serious or lingering injuries. In August 2023, I injured myself during a tune-up race that still has lingering effects. It has been a long journey with highs and lows trying to get my issues properly diagnosed and come up with a treatment plan to fix and address issues while getting to experience unique opportunities.

 

Originally diagnosed as a sprained ankle, I managed my impact and training loads while letting everything heal. I posted strong results but was deeply concerned that something wasn’t right. My breaking point came during the Mountain Mist 50k, where an early slip led me to lose nearly all ankle rotation. I was unable to rotate my ankle 10o, whereas the normal amount of rotation is approximately 70o.

 

I finally discovered that I had a torn ligament in my ankle, the ATFL, and that I have been running with this issue for 6 months!! It’s an outer ligament that goes along the ball of your ankle. It was misdiagnosed by several professionals, I argued and lobbied with them insisting I needed an MRI because I was dealing with ligament issues and not skeletal structure. I'm very fortunate that this has not derailed my future running adventures.

 

I spent February and March focused on treatment and rehab. I started unable to rotate my ankle, hobbling out of bed, and unable to stand on or raise my right foot without immediately losing balance. During treatment, I lost a lot of fire that motivated me to train and race competitively. I continued to train and produce results in shorter distances that didn’t rely on my body’s ability to be resilient and durable. I consistently dropped out early in endurance events due to complications with my ankle.

 

I’ve spent significant time learning about other aspects of running. Working at a running store, becoming and building a business as a running coach, and building/volunteering have brought me a lot of rewarding experiences with the knowledge I can share with my athletes. Ultimately, I still have that fire and heart to be a runner and myself to the limits of what I’ve been capable of. 

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