As I went to bed last night, I noticed with some clarity that my foot had swollen quite a bit and was turning a nice purplie color along side my sole. Some would be quite discouraged by this and get completely off their feet (elevated, of course), seek medical professional help or just cry like a baby until the pain subsided.
Me? Well, I got up this morning and did side steps, as per my usual aerobic workout, and pushed through the swelling, the pain and the discomfort. And the results? After a full workout (steps, strength training, no yoga on Wii-Fit this morning), I felt great. The swelling had nearly dissipated and the pain had greatly subsided. I wish I could physiologically describe why this exertion caused the logically opposite effect on my foot but this is not the first time for me.
The precedent setting experience was 2 years ago when I sprained an ankle (could be the same side but I don't recall). After mercilessly waiting on my butt for 3 days I just couldn't take it any longer and I went for a 4 mile run. Felt better and kept running after that. Of course I haven't played basketball since (which was how I rolled it) and really lost any drive to play again.
This injury is different, however, in that the sporting cause of the injury is a life long passion; one that I do not intend to give up. Soccer has become a balm to me when I'm stressed or in need of an inner exertion release. While the comradeship is pleasant (if they keep their language clean), the sport itself is my companion. To bend the ball to my will through power, finesse, skill and physical tenacity is a delight in its own. While the injury is recent and likely will be painful tomorrow night, there is just something luring me to play and feel good about it. Will I be timid? Certainly? Top game? Likely not. More importantly, will my playing fulfill an inner desire expressible only on the short field? Definitely!
Injury or no injury, I'm there tomorrow night!
