March was an interesting month as it began with a case of cellulitis of my right ankle and foot. Cellulitis is a skin infection that creates redness, swelling, warmth, and pain. Bacteria enters the body through a small cut or scrape of the skin. Even though I am highly susceptible to skin and blood infections, I have never had cellulitis before, so this was all new to me.
After seeing my doctor and having an ultrasound to be certain that it was not a blood clot, I was sent home to have 10-day regime of antibiotics. I thought I was going to feel no pain after the 10-day cycle of antibiotics, but the tissue damage still remained. The doctor said it could take 4-6 weeks for the underlying tissue to heal completely. Even now, I still cannot tie my shoe as tightly as before. As you can imagine, little changes in my foot plant and push off can alter the way my body runs. I have continued my coaching and training throughout the treatment, but had to back off a bit recently when I experienced some swelling in my right knee due to the changes in my landing. The body is an incredible mechanism as even the slightest alteration can lead to major consequences. The body adapts to compensate for the change and can lead to other problems.
This is our fifth event in the last five years, so we are no strangers to the twists and turns that can take place during a training period or racing schedule. It is all part of The Isles Mile Challenge preparation and learning. It made for an unusual first month of training, but we will keep you updated every week as we get ready for our first race in Greece on July 1st.
I am just recovering from a random case of cellulitis in my left foot. I finished my antibiotics a few days ago, the swelling is almost completely gone, and I don’t have any more pain. However, my heart rate running is super high for me and I don’t feel that good. Did you experience this? I was down about a week and expected to come back stronger from the rest. I’m not sure what to think. I’d love to know if this is typical in recovering from cellulitis.
Thanks for your comment Laurie. Sorry to hear about your bout with cellulitis. Gld to hear that your infection is gone and that you are back running. I still cannot tie my shoes as tightly as before, but I did not experience an elevated heart rate on my return. Hope this answers your question. If you have any more questions, feel free to conatct me.