Can I run yet?
This is a long overdue post, but I guess it’s time for me to describe how my rehabilitation is going so far.
The first goal of rehabilitation is to get full movement back in the ankle, as well as strengthening the lower leg. To regain the flexibility in my ankle, I’ve been cycling, and a few simple exercises. This has gone very well, and within 3 weeks of getting my cast off, I had full motion back. For the lower leg strengthening, there are balancing exercises, (Proprioception) and calve raises. My physio had me doing other exercises, which involves pieces of rubber tube, but I’ll delve into that some other time.
So stage 1 is essentially complete, and my progress has gone very well. Humility is still important, else I deviate from the path and it could effect me in the long term. However, my ankle is now as strong as it was before the operation, but far more stable.
The second stage involves getting the ankle used to the pounding of running, specifically on tar. As Tim Noakes says, “humans are designed to run, just not on tar.” Last week, I started field exercises, which consisted of the following exercises, each for 5 minutes:
- Large figure of 8s – The size of a football field.
- Zig-Zags – at a 30 degree angle.
- Large circles, clockwise and anti-clockwise
- Running forward-backwards-forwards
This stage has not gone as smoothly as I would have hoped. After each run, my ankle has been feeling rather stiff, but this it just it getting used to the effect of pounding. So I’m reducing the amount of running from twice a week, to once a week, and will continue cycling and continue strengthening the ankle.
Patience is key here, and my goal is to be able run in the long term, not to be able to complete a half marathon in a month time.
