I feel for you, Talus. That really blows. Can you bike or swim for the cardio at least? Give it all the attention you can stand - exercises, massaging, arnica gel, etc. One good exercise is to imagine you are holding a crayon between your toes and by rotating only your ankle, draw the alphabet in the air. It can be done sitting or standing and gets the joint to move in every possible direction. My cursive is not so good yet but block letters are a cinch!

Two week ago I strongly rolled/lightly sprained an ankle and it is still not 100%. I am doing a trail race on Saturday so I have been doing all I can to get it back in working order. I am so glad I did not do worse damage but I could so easily be in your shoes (or your support bandage?) now. My contingency plan if it ever happens is to make sure I still get to the gym, do upper body stuff, bike/swim for cardio or I too will be morosely standing on the scale.

Keep us posted on how you are doing and be positive knowing that it will heal day by day.

It's boring as hell, but aqua-jogging (not THAT kind of jogging ) can help maintain run fitness when you have a bum ankle.

I did a few sessions last summer, but thankfully it got well enough that I could ride the bike again after less than 2 weeks, and another week later I started doing VERY short and VERY easy runs on grass and smooth trails.

I'm taking swim lessons from a local (NYC) swim guru named Doug Stern.
He also does aqua-running classes, and there is info on his website about what it is and how to do it,
here

click on the deep water running link for your info.

(warning, there's a large pic of him that pops up, it's kinda scary. He's actually a really cool dude, but damn that's some pic. )


Did you look into A.R.T.? Since you are still at only 50%, my guess is no.

hey Murph

what is A.R.T.? if it has anything to do w/ French impressionist i'm in especially Degas.

it's still on the mend. Saturday i biked about 30 miles did a couple laps in Lake awosting which opened Saturday for swimming, then in late afternoon started climbing till about midnight. just have to be careful with my ankle though, can't go thrashin my body around how i like to.

also been using this gel that feels very cold when i rub it in. i think it's called bio freeze.

Yow! You do all that when you are recovering? What on earth do you do when in full health? Sounds like you are on the way to recovery.
I gambled on my ankle being ok to race on and it was. Only rolled each ankle once, which is excellent for me.

about the same, just climb harder though. my ankle is hurt not my energy.

I hear you.
Climbing can tweak and twist injured ankles in ways they shouldn't go. Although at least in an indoor gym it does push one harder to boulder or climb withou using the sore foot at all.
Not intending to insult you by mentioning indoor/plastic climbing but it worked for me a few weeks ago.
Besides we woke up late and figured the rock would be wet. Nothing like being lame to generate lame excuses!

no offense i pull on plastic during the winter. ScottR was surpised when he saw me at the NJRG

There seems to be a consensus that a higher bed leads to less stability, which I agree with completely, but can't figure out why it would be true.

I have messed up ankles but I have to run with orthodics, so I need a shoe with an especially low bed. But I'm an old fart so I need lots of cushioning too. Any super shoe able to meet all those requirements? I run trail and pavement so I'm interested in recommendations for both. Thanks.

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There seems to be a consensus that a higher bed leads to less stability, which I agree with completely, but can't figure out why it would be true.

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Increasing foot bed height increases leverage and the forces required to keep your foot “in position” It also slightly increases the height of your center of gravity making it easier to loose your balance.

The one thing I will note the shoe that can absorb the maximum amount of energy should just about bottom out cushioning wise with you stride on the surface you are running, Absorbing the maximum amount of energy means that to run on cement you should use shoes with harder – and perhaps seemingly less cushion! It is not less. You can use softer shoes on softer trails. Rocks and Talus don’t count. You run differently - under more precise control on them

I too use orthotics (flattening arches) and have to remove trail shoe footbeds so as to sit as deeply into the shoe as possible.

For trails I do not think cushioning is as important as on road. I would rather be sitting securely in the shoe on trail and risk taking a pounding on the rocky or paved sections.

I would think for road shoes the comination of insole and orthotic should not be a problem given the even surface of paved roads.

All you can do is try on as many shoes as possible and see how you sit inside them with your orthotics. I love Montrail's Masais with their extremely stable heel but alas they are now discontinued. They might still be available in online inventories.