Sprained ankle...how long before I can bike?

[abejita]

I'm sure it doesn't help that I drive stick and have to use my left leg if I want to shift.

I drive a manual too...but I just switched car with hubs Although moving my foot sideways between the gas and brake was probably just as challenging

[zoom-zoom]

I drive a manual too...but I just switched car with hubs Although moving my foot sideways between the gas and brake was probably just as challenging

I can't even switch cars. We haven't had a car with automatic transmission since '97.

[Blueberry]

I can't even switch cars. We haven't had a car with automatic transmission since '97.

I thought we were the only ones I love my manual transmissions Of course, I didn't love it quite so much when I threw out my SI joint, or when I screwed up my knee or when I messed up my right shoulder (and that's just in the last year!).

[zoom-zoom]

I thought we were the only ones I love my manual transmissions Of course, I didn't love it quite so much when I threw out my SI joint, or when I screwed up my knee or when I messed up my right shoulder (and that's just in the last year!).

Ha! When I had breast reduction surgery I had to wait longer to drive, too, because of the shifting movement.

[BikingNurse]

Sorry you injured your ankle. Sprains HURT. They can take up to 4-6 weeks to feel better. Again I've been a podiatry nurse for 2 years. We see lots of sprains. Wrap it. ICE, elevate!! Do range of motion excercises. and remember to be patient.

[zoom-zoom]

Sorry you injured your ankle. Sprains HURT. They can take up to 4-6 weeks to feel better. Again I've been a podiatry nurse for 2 years. We see lots of sprains. Wrap it. ICE, elevate!! Do range of motion excercises. and remember to be patient.

Thanks so much for your input! This is pretty much what I am reading everywhere. I'm hoping I'm closer to 4 weeks for recovery. But at least I have no races on the agenda until late Aug., and that is just a fun 5k mud run. Everything else I wanted to do is biking and no real pressure, just want to build up my miles.

So far my pain is very minimal. Every day my ankle feels better...it's mostly just stiff and feels pretty weak.

[zoom-zoom]

And tomorrow I am planning to go have it x-rayed--mostly to appease everyone who is telling me to rule-out fracture. I'm hoping the doctor can give me a good idea of what I should be able to do and when.

[zoom-zoom]

X-rays good...no fracture. Doc did give me a brace, though. Cleared me to ride, but only with platform pedals for a while. I'm guessing I won't want to put the clipless on before July. Didn't really say when I can run, again, but everything I have read says I need to be able to do several hops on the injured foot before I can. I'm just happy that I can do SOMETHING.

The urgent care doc couldn't believe that I ran nearly 10 more miles on the sprain and haven't been in a lot of pain. She looked equally shocked and irritated. No one ever said I was rational or wise.

[indigoiis]

Yes - the range of motion exercizes - making circles with your feet, writing the alphabet - those are very helpful. Also at four weeks I did a routine where I put a sofa pillow on the floor over a big book and balanced on the "bad" ankle.

[zoom-zoom]

Ooh, I like the pillow/book idea. I have thought about looking at a wobble board, too. I've seen lots of suggestions of PT exercises involving one of those. Wouldn't be a bad idea to do ankle-strengthening exercises on a regular basis.

[zoom-zoom]

That was fun...did just over 11 miles at EASY pace. Pedaling felt better than walking, so I will be riding as much as possible as I recuperate. Tonite I had those plastic half-clips and an old pair of running shoes, but I already had DH put my SPDs back on and will be going back to wearing my road shoes, since I found it was actually harder to get going with the platforms and felt I was more at risk of a fall with those. And it really doesn't take THAT much twisting motion to disengage my pedals, anyhow. I already keep them at the lowest resistance.

SO glad that it looks like biking will be fine for me. I already miss running, but I love biking, too, so it's not really a loss. I will hopefully not even lose a huge amount of fitness.

The only downside...wow, my left calf/ankle area is so weak. I had 0 pain while riding, just noticeable weakness compared to my right side.

[indigoiis]

After all of this advice I gave.... and Sunday I went out mountain biking and was going up a grade, went to clip out like a wimp, and it wouldn't go, and I started to fall, the foot came out, bent backwards, *SNAP!*

Thought it was a sprain.
Nope. I broke it in two places.

Zoom, I'll join you on the bench. I am bummed.

[OakLeaf]

Owwwwww. Indigo, you heal up quick too!

[zoom-zoom]

Oh no oh no oh no...ack, I am so sorry! I hope you are not in too much pain. How long will your recovery be? Are you in a cast? Were you alone?

And I hope it's not catching. I'm doing a group ride tomorrow night with my clipless pedals.

[indigoiis]

I see the Orthopedic Specialist today to determine if this will require surgery (aaack!) or not... he is a sports medicine specialist (I love my general phys - she runs and rides, too, so she made sure to recommend someone who can get me back to training.)

I wasn't alone but was with DH. We rode from home up to Big River (about four miles on dirt road), entered the woods on the Southeast corner, and I did fine for the first half hour. I have little confidence in myself until I've been on the trail awhile. I'm scared of sand and screechy about stumps. Because of that, I developed the bad habit of riding with one foot always ready to clip out. Anyhow, we got about three or four miles in and turned off a main trail onto a twisty turny up and down trail of my choosing. I was all confidence because there were like, no rocks or logs, just roots and pine needles. I was all clipped in no problem. I then saw ahead of me a big dipsy doo and went down the one side and as I came up the other, my wimpy side decided I wouldn't make it and attempted to clip out. Clip held. I started to go over from not pedaling, wrestled with my foot, and fell just as my foot came out of the clip and *tried* touching down. Bike and me came on top of that and I heard (and knew just because of the angle that this was bad) *snap!* I rolled out from under the bike and waited in that single minute before the howling starts, thinking, moveyourtoesmoveyourtoesgetyourshoe off. Then, I howled. DH circled back and found me on the ground, took my shoe off, looked for blood. LOL. Anyhow, at that point we weren't *exactly* sure where we were, just had a general idea, and Big River is Big, with a lot of unmarked trails. We were on one of them. It was sunny and hot and humid out. I had my cell but knew I had to walk. So we splinted it with my headband and two sticks. I was able to walk - it was when my foot even remotely pointed inward that I was completely disabled with pain. My DH went ahead and came back and said the fire road was about a mile out. So we walked it. We got out to the fire road and I coasted and walked. He offered to go home and get the truck, but I knew that would take a long time and I just didn't want to wait in the heat / humidity and I figured if we could just get out to route 3 I would be okay on the road. Well, so after a couple of miles we came out on route 3 which is about 10 miles from my house. So we took that with a headwind going maybe 8 mph all the way home, my left ankle resting on the pedal. I looked a sight.

What's funny is, Sunday and yesterday I could walk on the thing. Limpy walking, but I could bear weight. Yesterday my gen. phys. gave me crutches. I got home and it got very swollen and ached all night and kept me up. Today I can't put any weight on it. So I am glad I have an appointment with the orth. doc because maybe I will then get a boot. This crutches thing is no fun.

I want to find out from him when I can ride again, and then, when I can run again. Although I know I will not be able to run the full in October, I could shoot for a half in February in Hyannis.

Plus I have biking stuff booked for this year - we're doing the Kanc in August and the Seacoast Century in September. So those I don't want to miss.