Recovering from ankle sprain/running?

[thea77]

Hi,

I need some advice from all the runners out there! I just ran my first half marathon in Chicago last weekend and it was amazing. I even beat my goal! Unfortunately, when I got home that night, I rolled my ankle and ended up with a sprain! I was immediately upset, as I am hoping to continue my training and hope to run the Rock n' Roll marathon in Arizona on January 14th! I need some advice on getting back on track, how long to wait before I run, etc. I am terrified of getting far behind on my long runs! I am taking this entire week off and am hoping to get back into things next week? Maybe just start with some walking/biking? I have been doing ice, rest, compression and elevation. The swelling is just about gone. The bruises are still there. I have a little stiffness and soreness, but the range of motion is nearly normal and it doesn't hurt when I walk on it. Any advice? Thanks in advance for any thoughts you have on this!x( x( x(

-Thea

 

[Mckmain]

Congrats on beating your goal Thea!!! Taking it easy, icing and resting for a few days is the best idea. A week is even better. If it is still sore I really would consider getting it looked at, even X-rayed. If you want to run a marathon in January you need to be safe now....

 

[kimyenchu]

Hello Thea,

I see that you have some range of motion so swimming would be good as this will keep your fitness up, so when you get back to running you could continue pretty much where you left off. Biking is a good idea too, but I would not walk on it though.

I had a broken ankle a few years ago and I find swimming is the best exercise for a recovering foot.

Yen

 

[thea77]

Thanks for the advice! I did have it looked at Monday--no broken bones. Doc said it was probably a mild, maybe moderate sprain. I don't have access to a pool which is unfortunate. I think I will keep resting it until Monday and then get on the bike and see how it goes. I have talked to several people and get more confused! Some runners tell me I'll be back in a week or two, but other people say it will be longer. I am so frustrated and hate just sitting and doing nothing! Why is it you always want to do what you can't do!? I'll keep you posted. I'd love to hear anyone else's experiences, advice, etc as well. Thanks again to those who posted!

 

[lioness]

On April 1 of this year I sprained my ankle doing a step workout. I could put my weight on it but it got very swollen and bruised on both the inside and outside of my ankle. I was so upset because I had just signed up for a boot camp class that was due to start on April 24. I stayed off of it for 2 straight days, went to work for 3 days and then stayed off of it (for the most part) for another 3 days. After 2 weeks I started doing upper body workouts and was able to start boot camp on the 24th as planned without any problems. I wore an elastic brace on my ankle for support for the entire 4 weeks of boot camp and that seemed to help. Your sprain sounds less severe so I would rest it and then go back slowly. I was surprised that I was able to go back to working out after only 3 weeks but I really rested my ankle as much as possible.

I know that it's hard not to work out when you have made such progress but everything happens for a reason and you will come back much stronger once your ankle has healed.

Good Luck!

 

[thea77]

Thanks! Your story is encouraging!!!