Update

First off, a HUGE “thank you” to my running friends! After about 24 hours in the abyss of self-pity, my running friends came to the rescue with emails and comments on dailymile.

Here's my “thank you” list -

Ariana – I haven't visited a doctor and don't plan to. My self-diagnosis is a Grade I calf strain (or tear). Estimated time off – approximately two weeks. (I'm not a doctor but I “play one on tv” … ha!)

Greg – Appreciate your reminder to rest properly and long enough. I'm already chomping at the bit for a run again and there's clearly going to be a tendency to come back too soon (and probably attempt to make up for lost time). I know this is a bad idea but I definitely need to be reminded!

Jeff – Your assessment that I have good fitness built from a solid base was squarely on point. It's not like my fitness is spiraling down the drain in a few days … it just seemed that way. As for the elliptical, I've never been on one. It's a good tip but I'm not sure my calf can take it right now. I'll keep it in mind as I work my way back.

Kristin – With the panic of injury, I apparently forgot the little I know about training, injury, recovery, etc. Your suggestion of water running was like a light bulb going off over my head. I've never done water running before but I have two training partners who are intimately familiar with it.

Alex – The encouragement and perspective you offered was invaluable.

Ange – I appreciate your thoughts and encouragement. This is very meaningful, coming from someone who is in the process of returning from injury herself.

Kathleen – Your tips on compression socks were fantastically on point. I've elevated you to running gear aficionado and guru.

Jonathan – I appreciate your quick response and ideas about water running. The perspective you shared has been very helpful.

Josh – You should write professionally. The personalized writeup you sent on water running and subsequent followups have been a tremendous help. I probably wouldn't have found my way to the pool without them.

So what have I been up to? Well, the short run down is I've resolved to play the hand I've been dealt. Once I came to grips with the situation, it has made the path forward clearer and easier. Each morning since Monday, I've done 30-40 minutes of resistance training for legs and core. I've used the exercises my physical therapist gave me a couple years ago for my IT band problem. I've also mixed in Matt Fitzgerald's exercises from Brain Training for Runners. Truth be known, I probably should have regularly been doing some form of these anyway.

In addition to the resistance training, I've been on the stationary bike each of the last three mornings and one of the evenings.

This morning I ventured to the gym for my first experience with water running. I spent 60 minutes in the pool. I'm still not convinced I'm “doing it right” because it doesn't feel the same as running. I had prepared myself for the absolute worst, mind-numbing experience but it wasn't all that bad. I need to read up more to figure out if there's something I can improve with my form. If I'm going to spend the time, I want to get all the benefits!

One thing being in the pool made abundantly clear was that I'm not ready to be back on the roads. I had harbored the idea that I might try a test run over the weekend. Based on how my calf felt in the pool, I'm convinced that isn't a good idea yet.

The injury seems to be squarely in the center of my calf and deep inside the tissue. The good news is that after being painful and stiff Monday through Wednesday, there was a change in how my calf felt yesterday. I've upgraded the sensation to a dull ache. It can still get intense if I put weight on it “wrong” and it still stiffens up with inactivity but it seems to be improving; slowly. The restorative properties of the human body are quite amazing.

I don't have a formal game plan going forward. It's just day-to-day but I plan to mix resistance, spinning and water running to try to maintain strength and cardio conditioning. Once I'm back on the road, I'll assess where I'm at and hopefully just pick up the training schedule at wherever I'm supposed to be at that point.

Once again, “thank you” to those who have supported me. “Keep the cards and letters coming.” They're helpful as I learn from your knowledge and experiences. They also provide wonderful encouragement.

Now back to playing this hand ….