Last summer it seems like I wrote recaps about racing almost every weekend. For obvious reasons this summer has been the complete opposite. I guess one good thing about being injured during the pandemic is that I don’t feel bad about skipping races since none of them are happening. I had registered for a bunch of races and the last couple that were still hanging on were finally canceled in the past couple weeks. Fortunately most of them gave the option to defer to next year. Next year is basically going to be a redo of what this year should have been.

Rochester Hills placed a bunch of inspiring signs around local trails during the pandemic

It’s hard to believe that I’ve managed to cope without running for three months. I had no idea that doing a long run on a banked dirt road would lead to such a drastic layoff. I still assume that my peroneal tendon has been the issue, all triggered by running on too much of an angle for one long run. At this point it seems like it would have been easier to bounce back from a stress fracture! I still really want to get back to running but have kept myself occupied in other ways. Biking, walking, weights, and a few swims have helped fill the void.

I’ve probably spent more time than ever on the bike these last few months. I typically want to “save my legs” for running and squeeze biking in when I can. I usually do just enough of it to help me prepare for the bike segment of triathlons. While I’ve ridden 50 miles a few times in past summers, that’s become my big goal workout most weekends this summer. I even rode 60 miles one day – the longest ride I’ve ever done.

My ankle has been improving and walking has felt fine. I try to get out most evenings for a walk and tend to see a lot of wildlife. That finally inspired me to bring my camera equipment for some of the walks. I suppose that’s one more good thing that has come from this injury. I take plenty of nature pictures with my phone when I’m out running or biking but walking makes it much easier to lug the fancy gear around. I always seem to find deer, but it’s been fun spotting turkeys, ducks, and turtles as well.

I’ve ventured out to some parks that I haven’t been to in order to keep things fresh. Since there aren’t many things to do during a pandemic, exploring the outdoors has provided some form of adventure.

Independence Oaks County Park

Independence Oaks County Park

I started a new job in June and have developed a habit of walking a mile or more during most of my lunch breaks. I’m working in the second largest building in America behind the Pentagon so it’s easy to get some good distance. One part of the building has three floors of office space that are great for walking. They even have maps that measure certain routes to encourage people to get moving. That part of the building is basically deserted since most people are working from home. There’s a skylight and it kind of feels like I’m mall walking! I make it more of a workout by adding flights of stairs into the mix. On nice days I’ve taken advantage of a little path outside as well.

I’m thankful that I have everything I need for a solid strength/weights workout in the basement at home. I’ve been doing those workouts three times a week. I started doing a specific pull-up workout 11 weeks ago and I’ve made great progress. I’d already been doing pull-ups regularly but this has helped me improve. I maxed out at eight pull-ups when I first started the routine and now I’m up to a max of 11 or 12…depending on how hard I’m willing to strain at the end. The first week I did a total of 110 pull-ups specifically for that 5-day routine and after 10 weeks I was up to 177 for the week! Since I can’t achieve any running goals right now this is one way to aim for something.

Gyms are still closed so I haven’t had access to a pool. I’ve been swimming in a lake at Stony Creek Metropark most weekends which has been nice. The park gets too busy later in the day so I avoid it during the week, but at least swimming once each weekend is something.

In recent weeks I have gradually tried to reintroduce running. At first I mixed moments of jogging into some of my walks. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it bothered my ankle and I’d stop. I’ve started having better luck though and have truly run four times now. Unfortunately, part of my ankle was sore to the touch after the last run. I tried again a few days ago and could tell right away that it wasn’t going to work so I stopped. It’s been tough because I’ve lost all of my running fitness and it feels like my body has to relearn how to run. At the same time, it was so nice to finally do it again. I want to think I’m ready to make a comeback, but I’m being cautious and know I’m still in testing mode to see if my body will cooperate.

This weekend I added a new injury to the mix so my ankle will get a little extra rest. This is 2020 after all – it’s not really a surprise when another crappy thing happens. While walking in the dark a couple nights ago, I managed to bash my toe into the leg of the bed frame. It was enough for me to swear up a storm but it took a couple minutes to realize it was worse than a typical toe-stubbing incident. When I finally turned on a light I saw that I had tracked enough blood around the carpet to make it look like a murder scene. I’ve done this once before and know from experience that I’m going to have to get the toenail removed. Cringe-worthy, I know. So, that’s really going to suck and will also keep me from swimming in a lake for at least a couple weeks as it heals.

This year is a true test of endurance. Pushing myself physically makes me feel empowered and strong. It’s not lost on me that I probably work out so much for the sake of trying to feel good when so many aspects of life are a mess. I’m glad I have some kind of outlet. All I can do is keep carrying on and do my best to keep focusing on the positive things. I’m glad I can bike and walk and appreciate the outdoors while doing so. Hopefully I’m getting close to adding running back to the mix.

Janet

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