An ankle twist, a lucky break

It’s a runner’s worst nightmare: A misplaced footfall, a twisted ankle, a bruised and swollen foot.

I’ve had this sickening sensation three times in as many years. The first time came after a friend’s wedding in 2007 (lesson: When you’ve got a glass of wine in one hand, your high-heeled shoes should be in the other). That sprain led to my still-pesky hip problems. The second time came while running in Rock Creek Park in December 2008. That sprain led to my still-pesky peroneal tendonitis.

The third twist came at the end of an exhausting and ego-busting group run Tuesday night, when my right foot — the one with the aforementioned tendonitis — just landed the wrong way. My ankle twisted, hard. Given my history, I expected the worst. I jogged the last block or two back to Pacers, sniffling and cursing more out of self-pity than pain.

My preferred ankle-icing method: A bucket full of ice water.

I basked in the sympathy of my running buddies. I dunked my foot in ice back home, popped a couple prescription-strength anti-inflammatory pills, propped my foot up at a height that required a ridiculous position on the couch … and watched it swell and bruise up anyway.

Here’s the amazing thing, though: When I woke up yesterday morning, it was better rather than worse!

I was cautiously optimistic as I headed to my 10 a.m. physical therapy appointment. I told the therapist who’d be leading me through my workout about the twist, the swelling, the surprising turn for the better overnight. I took a deep breath as he pressed and prodded, and didn’t exhale until he proclaimed I’d be “fine” after a few days of rest.

Even better: His definition of “rest” meant an hour and a half-long workout that included 60 Turkish getups with an 8 kg. kettle bell, along with other amped-up exercises from my basic PT lineup. Yeowch!

I’ll miss a group run tonight and a ski trip over the weekend, which is too bad. Still, the fact that I’m dealing in days of missed activity rather than weeks, or even months, makes me deeply grateful for catching such a lucky break.