Out of Commission

Tuesday evening I went swimming. I swam a mile in 45 minutes. I was so proud of myself. Too proud perhaps. When I pushed off the bottom of the pool to sit on the side, my left calf cramped to the degree of me leaning over in agony, wanting to howl but not wanting to scare the few others who were enjoying the pool. Hubby tried to massage the pain away, but the muscle had turned to rock. For what seemed like a very long time, though I know it was most likely less than two minutes, I endured what was the most painful experience of my life. And that's saying something after having given birth naturally to a 10 pound 9 ounce baby. Today, the calf still hurts to the degree that running is definitely out; walking alone is an ordeal. Swimming is out since every time I flex my calf in the way I would while swimming, it wants to cramp up all over again. I'm  not sure about cycling--I think I could do that though there would be pain with each revolution. In general, it appears I'm out of commission for the next few days.

A couple of things I understand much better now after suffering through this cramp are these:

1. Why a person swimming in an open water situation would drown due to a muscle cramp. I used to think it strange that this happened, but now, I totally get it. I couldn't focus at all when my calf cramped. The pain was that intense. For someone in open water, where the bottom is more than four feet down, this could mean a catastrophe.

2. Why a person becomes depressed upon getting injured. I used to think suck it up and continue on with life. Now I'm the one bumming over not being able to run (and I hate to run), not being able to swim, not being able to participate in the sprint tri this Sunday. I've been looking forward to this particular tri as it is the anniversary of my first sprint tri, and now I'm going to be the one on the sidelines.

I know the pain will pass. I know I'll be back at it most likely within a week. My comfort zone is working out almost every single day, and I guess I've just become so used to doing all the things I do that not being able to do them is out of my norm. I'm having to practice a certain kind of patience which doesn't come easy for me.

Comments

John Romeo Alpha said…
I get leg muscle cramps sometimes, too, and haven't been able to find much definitive info on why they happen or how to prevent them, except for the generic hydration, electrolytes, and bananas. Oh, and stretching. All of those seem to help some, yet still don't prevent them. When my hamstring goes berserk, there's not much that I have experienced that hurts more than that.
April 30, 2011 at 10:37 AM
JK said…
I've read a lot about muscle cramps and have found the same thing as you: hydration, electrolytes, and bananas. I do think I was dehydrated the night of my swim, and pushing it like in the pool didn't do me any favors. Lesson learned!
May 1, 2011 at 7:58 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Marigolds

Image
The smell of marigolds isn't completely pleasant. It's not completely offensive either. It's somewhere in between. It's a smell all its own. Hours after my hands have moved their long stems, cupped the blooms in wonder, I have to pause what I'm doing -- making the bed, vacuuming the house, hanging up clothes that had been unceremoniously dropped on the bedroom floor -- when the faint whiff of marigold drifts up to remind me of my time with them. Marigolds are just lovely. Whenever I see a marigold or smell a marigold, I'm taken back to my childhood. To a movie that for some reason became a part of who I am. I was only eight when the movie came out, but I remember having a very strong reaction to it, and every summer when I plant marigolds, I think of that movie: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds. I try to watch it at least once a year, and since the marigolds I planted this summer are blooming, I thought the time is perfect to watch the movie
Read more

Profoundly Sad Today and I Don't Know Why

Image
I'm right at the edge today, fearing I might step off if the just-right reason shows up. What the just-right reason is, I don't know, but I guess if I end up dissolving into the tears that seem to be threatening, I'll know then. I'm trying to be analytical about the feeling pressing against the back of my eyes and through my nasal passages, hoping that analysis will help the feeling go away. It's not really working. Sleep eluded me most of the night. Once or twice a month I have a night sleep just won't come. I go to bed tired, but after an hour or two of sleep, I'm wide awake. Tossing, mostly onto my back and my left side. I don't sleep on my right side since my vertigo incident. I actually prefer my right but I'm afraid I'll trigger another bout of dizziness. Sleep laughed at me and slithered off to bathe someone else in dreamland. I'm pretty sure lack of sleep is part of today's slipping into sadness. That and thoughts of Ado. I miss h
Read more

Night Sky

Image
I had dinner with friends last evening. In their screened-in patio overlooking a wooded backyard leading to a creek. The air cooled significantly as the sky darkened, and at one moment we all enjoyed watching an owl that had taken perch on a tree limb near the creek. While a movie played, we chatted and ate ice pops. I'm pretty sure mine was grapefruit. At least that's what I'm going with.  Not long after the movie ended, I made my way home, which wasn't far. Just a couple of blocks. Cicada, cricket, and frog song drifted on the cool air, and when I looked up, I saw a clear sky full of stars. We've not had a clear night in some time. I stopped in the middle of the street to take in the scene. When I finally arrived home I decided to try and get some night sky photos, something I've never done before. I had no idea what I was doing. I spent twenty minutes or so on the front porch, swaying in my hammock swing as I read an article about astrophotography. What lens
Read more