I spent the last few months injury stacking, to use wellness language.
Things changed quickly after my last post. I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in two metatarsals. Rather than gearing up for fall races, I was booted, waiting for the pain to subside. A week after I was released from the boot, I sprained the shit out of my ankle on the same leg. I’ve only had a few meltdowns over it this fall.
I like to think I did learn something from my time fighting for endometriosis care. At my first stress fracture follow up, the orthopedist spent two minutes with me. Without any imaging, he said he knew I had a stress fracture and to stay in the boot. I asked about an MRI and he doubled-down. Why image when he knows?
Reader, he didn’t know. I have written about this kind of egotistical doctor already. There was no fracture in my initial image! It is standard to keep imaging a stress fracture to monitor the healing process. I immediately told my physical therapist about him and she emailed an orthopedist she often works with to get me an appointment.
I loved this woman. She is sharp, kind, thoughtful. Her work is driven by the core belief that you can and should get back to movement you love. I told her I was willing to get an MRI (read: PAY) for clarity. I’m so glad I did. She was able to see beautiful bones at the 5 week mark, so I could transition out of the boot.
I had brief, sweet freedom, biking around Baltimore cheering during the Baltimore Running Festival. Shortly after is when I fell down the stairs (nothing cool) and sprained my ankle, which has been a more difficult recovery. Or maybe both combined, healing my ligaments AND loading my foot bones, has made things more complicated.
To paraphrase Melissa Febos, I am examining consequences. Without running, I had more time to reflect on writing and creative dreams. I would love more time. Ha! This means that despite having a stack of poems I’m calling a manuscript, my focus is on applying to residencies for 2026. Sitting, playing, thinking, leads to creative discovery. I need uninterrupted time for this. I did have a chance to reflect on this playful aspect some with Malissa Rodenburg in Writers Who Run, which went live a few weeks ago, before I started run / walking.
What else is on the horizon for 2026, a year that has already been filled with horrors?
- I am going to take a Stop the Bleed training, for another way to be a better bystander. I was recertified in CPR a few years ago, and I was a trained lifeguard back in the day. Those are still in me and despite being an anxious person the training has taught me to be calm in a crisis. This is an up-to-date way to be helpful if I…encounter horrors firsthand.
- Read a book of poetry a week. I buy books when poets are on tour to support them, but have been terrible at keeping up with my pace. A weekly goal is a little easier for me than the Sealey Challenge (maybe I will go for that again in August!), and I will be supporting friends and peers.
- Ride in a cyclocross race in the fall. Biking while I can’t run has brought me a lot of joy. I can cover even more ground than a long trail run! I can eat solid food and not vomit in my mouth! I love the heckling and crowd support at cross races. It’s time to give it a go.
This four month break from running has been a chance to see how much I miss it while digging into different hobbies. So as always, stay sweaty and glittery. None of us are free until all of us are free.
Books I’m thinking about / recently read:
- Sapello Son by Alejandro Lucero
- Sugarblood by Liz Bowen
- Walden or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
#poetsthatsweat 