Trail Gremlins

I'd been looking forward to a nice long trail run at Wyco for a week or two but heavy rains last week and the race at the weekend delayed my trip until now. Although I knew it probably wouldn't be 'perfect' trail conditions (I'm starting to wonder if that unlikely situation is as elusive as Sasquatch), I was tired of waiting, so filled up my new $19 Wal-Mart special backpack water hydration device (you can just say 'bladder' -ed) and headed out.

The trail was actually quite runnable, but there were still some very stodgy mud pits. It was also quite different from the last time I'd done it because of all the foliage and Spring growth. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have too long to enjoy it. About 2 miles in, my right leg got caught in the mud, my ankle turned and I heard/felt some clicks and I knew my day on the trails was destined to end early.

I was kind of in the middle of nowhere, so had little option but to limp on for a while and even started back up with a slow, careful jog. As it started to feel better, I even thought about continuing around the loop, but after another 2 miles, the jog was becoming more of a skip, common sense finally prevailed and I headed for the comfort of asphalt and a slow, somewhat painful walk back to my car.

My guess is it's sprained. It's pretty bruised and swollen this morning, and there's considerable pain when I move it certain ways, but I can more or less walk on it, and I've done the "classic" tests for broken ankles, and I don't think it's that.

So, a forced absence from running, my first since Arizonagate. Hopefully it will be a week to ten days; no more. Frustrating as that will be, I will take the occasional minor acute injury over a chronic complaint like shin splints or plantar fasc any day. Plus, with no races coming up and, as mentioned, a house to paint, hopefully it will be no (lasting) harm, no foul.