Putting the brakes on a bad wheel

So, what’s wrong with my leg?

My normal doctor, who has run many marathons himself, was not in today so I had to see his partner. And the news didn’t get any better after that, though, it could have been worse.

After getting poked and prodded and questioned like I was Eliot Spitzer - (Ooops, he didn't stick around to answer any questions!), the doc came up with this prognosis: Gastrocnemius muscle strain (calf); Achilles tendinitis, and a slight case of plantar fasciitis.

He gave me a script to take a cortisol pill once a day for five days, and said I should not resume running for three weeks, though he added that I could start stretching my calf after I finish taking the pills. So, maybe that means I can actually start running in five days instead of three weeks.

I’m going to make this promise to myself: I will not run until I am pain free.

I’ve got an appointment with my normal doctor on April 2. So for the next three weeks, I’ll try to stay sane by drinking wine (I know I promised myself not to drink during the week _ but hey, what am I to do when I can’t run?), playing with my 7-month-old son, who I am absolutely in love with, and blogging.

I may even, gulp, get on an exercise bike just to keep up my cardio fitness.

Speaking of Spitzer, the guy who is going to take his place as Governor of New York, David Paterson, is a runner. In 1999, he ran the New York City Marathon in 6:06:00. But don’t smirk at that time, folks. Paterson is legally blind.

Go here to see a previous post on marathon times of famous people. Credit: Wikipedia.