Hey all, I hurt my ankle a week or so ago on a night run (never doing one of those again - at least not on a dirt path). Anyhow, I sprained my "bad" ankle and it still gives me a problem after a run or sometimes at random times during the day. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for rehabilitating my ankle without resting and getting out of shape. I would really appreciate your input. Thanks.
Oh yeah, I'm sorry I haven't been to practice for the past week, but I didn't realize how "injured" I really was. I hope to be back sometime next week. Keep on runnin'
I don't know anything about ankles, but you can take a break from running without getting out of shape. I took up biking last winter without losing too much in terms of running ability. If you can find an indoor pool, swimming is always a great exercise. Gregory has stationary bikes and stairclimbers, etc... they look a little too easy since you always see the girls wearing makeup using them, but if you set it at a high enough level, those are just as hard as running.
If you need someone to look at the ankle, I think the University has a sports injury division in its Health Services department that will take a look at you for free. And RunTex used to have this guy named Dr. Spears come in each Friday and take a look at you for free. I'm not sure if that still happens or not. But you might want to look into it.
I, too, don't know much about ankle injuries, but Peter's right in that there are alternatives to sitting out. I've found that the elliptical trainer provides the most similar workout to running if you adjust the resistance correctly. The muscle movement is about the same, but without the impact.
The ones in Gregory and Rec Sports have heart rate monitors. If you know about what your heart rate is while running, just adjust the resistance up until you're there. A little boring, but better than no workout at all; or worse, REALLY injuring yourself and having to sit out of the marathon.