Going through withdrawals

I wish I was posting more adventures in running, but I haven't really had any lately.

As I mentioned previously, I injured my right ankle back in November. Started having a burning sensation in the back of my ankle, but not on the bottom of my foot. I took a week or so off of running, and it started feeling a little better, so gradually eased back into running. In December I went and saw a Sports Medicine Specialist who told me that my Achilles tendon insertion was inflamed, so to stretch, ice, and put on a topical anti-inflammatory. He also said I could keep running on it as long as I took it easy.

By January I was only running 3 or 4 days a week. Once the ankle warmed up, I could run with no problems, but the first few miles were pretty painful. Come February, I would have to force myself to run and every time I got up after sitting a while, I would limp for about 10 minutes until the pain eased and the ankle loosened up. While running in Georgia, I started thinking that maybe it wasn't the Achilles after all and that maybe I should see a podiatrist or someone else about the foot.

Two weeks ago, I got an appointment with a podiatrist. This doctor did some xrays and a lot of manipulation of my foot and as he was feeling for sore areas in the Achilles, he happened to brush his hand along the inner ankle bone and I about shot through the ceiling. After more tests, the doctor decided that my posterior tibialis tendon was inflamed. Because of the number of months I had been injured and the pain I was in, the doctor decided to put me in a knee high boot to try and let the ankle heal. He also said that I actually needed to be on anti-inflammatories to let the inflammation go down.

Two weeks later, I have worn the boot except when bathing and sleeping. The pain is gradually subsiding and I am now finding that as the 'burning' in the ankle goes away I can pinpoint the pain better. I think the anterior tibialis tendon on the outside of the ankle is also inflamed because that area is now more painful.

I was also given a brace that would support my arch and told to try running after two weeks. I wore that yesterday and was surprised how much my calf muscle has deteriorated in just two weeks. After less than two miles of alternating running and walking, I have decided that I will have to miss the Buffalo Run next weekend for the first time since it started.