Will I Run Again?

It's been a while since I wrote anything about the gym or the treadmill.  That's because I struggled with pain in my ankles so much that I ended up going to three different specialist for opinions. Finally, I got to a NYU specialist who was very thorough and on point. He showed me on my X-ray where I had a very mild case of arthritis in my ankles, which flared up whenever I overdid it; causing my tendons to become stressed and to swell. Now previously, doctors/specialists had told me to never run again because I had injured my ankle beyond repair. This specialist, however, told me to continue running but to know that from now on I will have to monitor my ankles and if there is a sign of even remote pain, to stop and rest it for a few days. He also suggested I exercise with an ankle sleeve on (Ace makes a perfect one) for extra support.  

While I have yet to trust my ankles enough to run, because remember...they talk to each other and play tricks on me, I have been trying to strengthen them, and the tendons around them on the elliptical machine.  For some reason, she loves me! The elliptical machine is my friend. :-) She's so much nicer to me than the treadmill ever was.  And, while my ankles do get tired, my whole body enjoys gliding/stepping in time to my carefully selected Pandora stations. My knees never snap or ache, my "twins" stay in place, my ankles rarely hurt or swell afterward, my arms take turns pushing and pulling to give my legs a break, and I burn big calories in a short amount of time! 

My goal is to begin building back up to where I can do both. I want to do elliptical for 20 minutes and then run for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week. I'm slowly starting. Three to four times a week I am on the EM. Once a week, I get off the EM and get on the treadmill for about 5-10 minutes. I am very careful to watch my ankles and if I feel any inkling of pressure, I'm off that treadmill like it's on fire!  Of course, I prefer running outdoors.  Running on the earth is friendlier and feels better than treadmill running, but with my limited time schedule, right now, I take what I can get.

Stay tuned!!