Back to Soccer again.........

Don't have any photo's of my soccer injury. I thought I would post a photo that David took last week at the Squaliqum HS vs Sehome HS Soccer team. OUCH!!! Soccer is brutal.

Some people may not know this about me I played Soccer in high school. I made the varsity team my freshmen year. Now don’t get the wrong impression that I was this incredible soccer player. My freshmen year was the first year Ferndale had a girl’s soccer team, so the competition was not that tough. I loved being part of the team. I made a lot of good friends while I played.

When David and I first got married and moved to Arizona I talked him into joining a co-ed soccer team. It wasn’t what I expected. Playing with boys or men was a different ball game….no pun intended. lol I really didn’t like playing anymore. The men on our team were way too competitive for my taste. I liked to have fun win or lose. After I became pregnant with Jordan I just never went back. David caught the soccer bug. He has been playing ever since. He has also been begging….bugging etc to get me play again. The combination of not enjoying playing with men and being extremely out of shape I did not join again.

Well then I decided to run a marathon………yes you read right a marathon. I am going to run with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Both Leukemia and Lymphoma have touched me very personally. Last January David suggested that I play on his soccer team to help with my training. I hesitated because like I said I really don’t like playing with men because they can be so competitive. David promised me that the guys on his team are nothing like our team in AZ. I thought what the heck I will give it a try.

Now mind you I didn’t just go out on the field and start playing. I had been working out three –four days a week at the gym for a couple months by the time the session started. I did ok the first couple of games. I was still very sore after each game. After each game it required a long soak in our hot tub and a lot of Ibuprofen for several days after the games. But I was out there doing it and don’t tell David I am having fun. I am very very slow, but still have a little taste of the same skills I had in high school.

At all our games I was playing the same position I played in high school full back, which is a defensive position. Then during my last game I moved up to forward position. I don’t know why this makes a difference; maybe I am just trying to put the pieces together. At one point during the game I had the ball. I turned around and kicked it a little too hard. When I started to run to get it I felt something like a hit me on the back of my ankle, my Achilles tendon area. Then of course in all my grace I tripped and fell. The rest of the game I limped around. Each time I tried to take off in a run the pain would keep me back.

I went home and my wonderful loving husband took care of me. I then proceeded to limp around for several days. By Wednesday I was still limping and getting frustrated, so I went to see my DR. She of course confirmed that I had pulled my Achilles tendon, with a possible tear. Her instructions were to stay off my leg as much as possible and no working out for a while. I asked her if I could start again in a week. She said as long as I did it slow. She said that when I did start to work out to stop immediately if I felt any pain.

Last Monday I went to the gym to do my first work out. Did the stretches the Dr told me to do. I got on the Elliptical, no resistance no incline just simple easy workout, didn’t even push as hard as I always do. I put the timer on for an hour. Figured that I would just try for the whole hour, but if there was any pain I would stop. I went the whole hour and nothing. Until I got off the machine and total pain while I walked going down the stairs was like someone was pushing a nail through my ankle.

I made it home put my ankle up and iced it. Then I proceeded to limp around for the next couple of days. I didn’t work out for the rest of the week. I am no longer limping, but still feel pain when I move certain way or if I move too quick. It is really frustrating. I want to get back to soccer. I also want to get back to the gym. I love the way I feel when I work out. If anyone has any suggestions or knows how long it takes for this to heal please let me know. I want to get back on track to getting into shape. I will try again this week. Wish me luck.