R.I.C.E.

I guess I should start by explaining the acronym before I get sent to sensitivity training. The RICE acronym means Rest Ice Compression and Elevation. You're wondering why I'm explaing some medical term, and the reason is simple. I sprained my ankle and as a result I've been off the bike since last weekend. I did go to the doctor just to be sure that there wasn't anything real bad, and my guess was correct. There were no breaks, just a lot of swelling.

This is a big wrench thrown into the works, because I've just increased my distance, and I've been doing a good job loosing weight, and now I can't do anything active until I'm all better. The doc says I have to rest and take it easy for 10 days now. This means that the soonest I can get back on the bike is Monday, the 21st. And I plan on it. I need to get back to my 8 miles so that I can condition myself and eventualy push even harder.

So, maybe I'm pushing myself too hard? No, this injury was caused by everyday walking. I was walking through a patch of grass and it was dark out, and of the four of us, I was the one to find the only hole in the patch. My right foot went in on an angle and my body tried to compensate by acting as a counter balance. I heard a pop and I felt pain. I knew what had happened, because I had injured that same ankle in my college days while playing volleyball. This was not even close to the college injury. With the college injury, I had actualy torn a ligament in my foot to the point of being bound to crutches and a cast. I believe that it was the Calcaneal Fibular. That injury weakened the joint, and I was told that I would be prone to more injuries in my future. The doctor told me that I should be wearing an ankle support whenever I do anything active, and not to wear low cut shoes.

Since the injury happened so long ago I thought that I had healed it completely. That was not the case, obviously. Now I am taped up tight and I am able to walk. Still hurts a little, but I can deal with the pain. I've always been able to deal with pain. When this originaly happened, I probably should have taken care of it with ice and tape, but I chose to ignore it in favor of having a good time with some friends. I am paying for that decision now, but at the time it seemed like the better choice.

"We can be sure that the greatest hope for maintaining equilibrium in the face of any situation rests within ourselves." -Francis J. Braceland