Stage One: Denial. Stage Two: Acceptance.

Another pic from Saturday's 5K.
Accepting my 3rd place AG award.
Thanks, Amanda!

I'm making up stages for this process, but I need to accept the fact that I might possibly be injured. However minor, I shouldn't be stubbon and ignore this. If something doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't.

A couple weeks ago, I noticed my right ankle felt ... tender. Just the right one, so I suspected it wasn't just soreness, and I usually don't feel soreness in my ankles anyway. I noticed it the most when I was getting in and out of the driver's seat, because you have to put all your weight on your right foot while you do.

I tried wrapping it here and there, but I didn't change my training. The pain (although I don't know if it was truly painful) wasn't getting worse, but it was still noticeable, especially when I put weight on it. But I figured if it wasn't getting worse, I shouldn't worry.

I was talking to BFF Ultra Vera last week (while I had a meatloaf in the oven! I cooked!). She is actually injured. Like, for real, saw doctors and everything. I mentioned my ankle to her, and she told me to start with the R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and not ignore it.

I had been doing the compression and some elevation, and resting or cross-training on my planned rest days (even when I wanted to run), but she told me to start icing. So I did. I've been icing on and off for the past few days (and still running), and the feeling isn't going away.

I raced a 5K yesterday and decided to skip doing a long run this weekend because of my ankle. But, dare I say, it might be getting just a touch painful. Maybe. Slightly. And while before it felt like it might be in the front of my ankle, or if might be the side, now it definitely feels like the outside, behind the ankle bone, and possibly traveling a little bit up my leg.

So ... perhaps it's time to add more R to the equation, meaning more rest. I don't like this idea. It means actually admitting that I might actually maybe possibly have an injury. And, of course, it means less running. Less running when the temps are supposed to get up into the 60-70s all week. And of course we just had the time change and now I have more daylight after work. #FirstWorldRunnerProblems

BUT, the alternative to not resting is that I make it worse, and that's not a good idea when I've already spent ... well I don't want to tell you how much I've spent on upcoming races in 2012. But it's probably more than I've spent on (non-running) clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. So I've replaced one bad spending habit with another it seems.

My next race is the Shamrock Shuffle in 12 days, and I have a half marathon in 19 days. Smart Maggie is telling me to stick to resting, swimming and biking this week, and hopefully my ankle will feel back to normal and I can race those races and resume running as usual.

So I guess I'll do that. I won't like it though.

(Seriously? When did I become the person who is upset that she can't go running? I sure have changed.)