Progress of sorts..

My cast eventually came off last week so at least now I can walk, well...limp actually, and life is beginning to return to normal again. There's no pain in the joint which is a good sign but I only have about 60% of the normal rotation and no strength in my calf muscle so no standing on my toes just yet.

The next phase will involve lots of physio and it look like it will still be a couple of months before I can get back out for a run. At least no one has said that I won't be able to run again and others who have had similar surgery have shown that running afterwards is possible!!

The other fascinating thing for me is the advent of digital x-ray technology. Historically, it was like asking for state secrets if you wanted to keep a copy of your x-rays. Now it a simple matter of paying €10.16 for a CD of all the x-rays you want (assuming that they're yours of course!!).

So here are the before and after shots...

The damage...

And afterwards...

It's amazing how much orthopedic surgery is just like structural engineering.... just don't tell the doctors... something tells me they think it's much more complex!!

Happy running to all ... I'm there with you in spirit.

One month on..

Today is one month to the day since my encounter with the ice. In some respects it doesn't seem that long ago but in other ways it feels like an eternity!!

I've less than 2 more weeks to go in the cast and my leg is slowly beginning to feel a bit more normal. I still can't put weight through the joint but I can at least use it for balance if required.

Frustration has well an truly set in!! Frustration that I can't run/exercise but more significantly frustration that I can't pull my weight at home. My poor wife has essentially been a single parent or four (3 kids and me) for the past month. Poor girl!! Family and friends have been great though. Thanks.

The ironic thing about this whole affair (i.e. busting my right ankle) is that my left abductors / calf / achilles have been niggling to varying degrees following my runs over the past couple of months. I'd decided over the Christmas break to start some drills/exercises to strengthen my left leg but I hadn't planned on hopping around on it for six weeks solid!! Maybe this is a good thing??

So far I've missed two of the four 10 mile races that I'd planned. Well done to those who competed in Dungarvan and Mallow. Both races appear to have been very well organised and enjoyed by all. Some quick times were posted so it appears that ye're training wasn't overly affected by the vagaries of the recent Irish weather.

There also appears to be a debate on barefoot running on going in various blogs recently. Some good and sensible views have been posted. This is a debate to which I'd hoped to be contributing to but I think I'll wait until I'm back pounding the roads/fields before I race to any conclusions!! :)

Till next time....