stumbling off course to secretly catch a cab home but I also know when to stop and rest so that’s just what I did.Since I have absolutely zero chance ever of winning the marathon (any marathon, let alone the Boston Marathon), and, honestly, even less desire to do so (unless it was wicked easy and the prize was never having to work at anything ever again, duh) I didn’t much mind taking some time off. Maybe if four days turned into ten days and I even had pain just sitting still, which is so annoying, then I would have worried. But this injury didn’t worry me, and thusly (positive psychology works, remember that) it healed with speed. I stayed away from running for five days. I admit, I used the elliptical trainer once. I got a really cheesy book from the library about some girl moving to NYC to live with her French prince boyfriend for some inane reason and in the end she makes out with and wakes up next to his best friend and oh, dear, the drama. So at least that was entertaining for me while I droned away in the stupid gym.
I also took three days straight-up off from using my legs at all. I could really get used to this “marathon training” thing! From the library, I also procured some information on the IT band, icing leg injuries, and the like. I walked around for three days with a little lunch-pack ice bag Ace bandaged to my knee, bulging out from my leg like a Discovery Channel tumor; I started to think it felt good though. A couple times, I took off the ice pack and my skin was white and numb. Naturally, I like to poke it with various objects to test myself when this happens. Ahh, my good friend, Frostbite! Have you ever frostbitten something on purpose? Well, in ski group we used to steal latex gloves from the bathroom supply closet, fill them with water, leave them out for a few hours, and then play with the frozen hands we so geniusly made—that has nothing to do with frostbite unless you then put that frozen hand down your pants or something.
Which you didn’t, so nevermind. The point is, I kind of frostbit my knee on purpose a few times. I really started to like how my knee felt in that almost frozen state, making me limp around the apartment, and allowing me to get free stuff, like a drink from the kitchen, or control of the remote, from Law School BF while I laid, necessarily of course, on the couch.Resting a knee is boring, but the library (and my brain) told me to do it. So I missed an 8 mile run and a 4 mile run. Then, I postponed a 16 mile run and when I did it it became just 11miles. Haha, just 11. Like that’s not long. My first run “back” I was pretty wary of my knee starting to bug me again so we did little loops around home; if I needed to bail out I wouldn’t be far away. Total wimp style, I know. Luckily for me, all the stretching and icing and whining and sitting still and reading trashy books (that must have played a part) and planning my first route back paid off. Four miles this loop, ok, five miles this loop, ok, two miles this loop, better not push it= 11 miles. Obvious equation.
I’m pretty proud of myself for my self-rehabbing, but if I think too much I just get nervous about how much training I haven’t done and start to sweat in the armpits. Sweating just sitting there is gross. So, I’ll stop.
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