Monday: Waking up the morning after was not entirely fun. As a matter of fact, just rolling over in bed was a chore. I had the expected muscle soreness in my thighs along with pain in both of my ankles. I was not able to walk without limping, and going down stairs was virtually impossible.
I went to NEPA Fit Club just to keep moving. I contemplated cancelling but Mike was able to decrease his expectations to my ability level (except for the request for me to do rear-foot-elevated split squats.
I did go to work for 1/2 a day but was not very mobile or productive. I was exhausted by 7:00. Despite wearing compression sock for the day, both of my ankles and feet were swollen. My right achilles was super swollen and painful. My appetite remains off and I have been experiencing some stomach discomfort.
Tuesday: My thighs are still sore but by the afternoon I was able to walk down a flight of stairs without holding on to the railing for dear life. Both of my ankles are still pretty swollen. On a positive note, my stomach feels back to normal and I am starving.
Wednesday: Gradually improving with my ability to walk and navigate stairs. My left ankle is less swollen but my right achilles and ankle remain markedly swollen. I treated myself with some dry needling, mobility with compression, and ice with compression. I also put the compression sock back on.
Thursday: Ican walk down the stairs without holding on! My resting heart rate remains elevated compared to pre-race levels.
Friday: Back to NEPA Fit Club. They actually let me pick up some weight today.
Saturday and Sunday: My achillles is still swollen and tender to touch, but I have no pain with activity. My left ankle is no longer swollen but I have occasional pain with walking.
Monday: My resting heart rate is back to normal. It only took a week!
Tuesday: I went back to the YMCA and was able to play basketball pain free. Imagine that: I can sprint and jump without pain but jogging in a straight line was excuisitely painful. I guess that’s a sign… I either need to run in basketball sneakers, or JUST STOP RUNNING. I guess time will tell.
Stay tuned for what I learned from doing my first (and only?) marathon…..