It’s been a little over a year since I sprained my ankle and I’m happy to report that I’m still running and things are going pretty good! This post is a little about that but you can read here to see how I rehabbed quickly and then ran my best half marathon time 6.5 weeks after the fall. A few months after that, I went on to run a full marathon faster than my previous best time. There is life after rolled ankles!
Slowing down can be good
While my running is going great, I’ve become a slow poke going down stairs. But even that became a surprise blessing a few weeks ago. A couple friends and I took a trip where we did a little hiking and as I was picking my way down some rocky steps, a lady caught up to me. I told her she could go by me but she slowed down and even gave us tips on where to go after the hike.
After the hike, we had planned to drive back the way we came as we’d heard the road was sketchy the other direction. This lady was a resident and said the road was bad for 7 miles but thereafter, it would be worth those 7 miles of pot holes and one-lane hairpin turns. And you know what? She was right. After the bad stretch, we were rewarded with a smooth road and some of the most brilliant views and tremendous memories. It wasn’t lost on me that had it not been for my ankle slowing us down, we would not have had that great experience.
Lessons through healing
The rough part of that road was bad but didn’t last long compared to the 10 plus hours of driving we did that day. It was a lot like the time when my injury was fresh and I wasn’t sure how that would work out. The fantastic views after, though, reminded me of the the healing process and how things were continuing to work out sweeter than I planned or imagined.
It also reminds me that God really does work all things together for good to those that love Him. Nobody wants a sprained ankle or other set back but the unexpected blessings that can happen during healing remind me that I am still loved and not to fret when there is a new upset. Overcoming setbacks is a big part of any sport and while a sprained ankle during training is not the worst that can happen, God still cares about what you care about. If you found your way to this post because of a sprained ankle or other injury, it doesn’t have to take you out of training or reset your goals. And, who knows, unexpected good things might continue to happen because of the injury.
Happy Running!
Yep, this really is my photo on the drive back from the hike!