My exercise class injury

This January I decided to finally lose the 10...ok 15...FINE 20 pounds of extra weight I put on when Ben and Jerry were helping me deal with my mother's death. So I have been running, I have 3 racing bibs so far. I love running, my nikeplus system makes it fun and motivating. For the last few weeks my friend has been telling me about this great exercise class she goes too. So last week I finally went with her.

We start out warming up with a simple grapevine step, I am so uncoordinated, I can barely master this when the instructor takes it up a notch and adds a turn. Ahh, I am lost but muddle through. Oh why does this exercise room have windows to the strength room, everyone can see me look like a fool. I finally (sort of) get it and it is time to move on to the obstacle course.

Put our toes on paper plates and drag yourself across the room with the strength in your arms....Are you kidding me?

Jump side to side over several yard sticks. This I can do.

Jump from BOSU ball to BOSU ball, there are 5 of them. What is this instructor smoking?

Jump onto and back off of a raised aerobic step. Seriously girl..put the crack pipe down.

So rather than listen to my inner wimp saying "run, run far away from here." I decide to try the obstacle course. We start with the paper plates and move through the circuit. My first injury starts with the BOSU balls. I step on one and attempt a jump to the next, lose my balance (big surprise) and roll my left ankle. I walk it off, try to look tough and head to the aerobic step. I jump up, oops not high enough and roll the left ankle again.

This time I see stars, feel like vomitting and hear that crack. No, not from the pipe, from the ankle. I try to make it to the bench outside the room. I indicate that, hell yes I need help, and I am instantly surrounded by 8-10 YMCA employees watching the crazy mom on the bench almost pass out from an exercise class injury.

"We need real ice," one staffer shouts. "Is there anyone we can call for you," another asks. I am just mortified and vow never to return until my hair is a different color and much shorter. My friend just repeats the mantra, "Laura, I am so sorry, I am so sorry." Its not her fault, I now know for sure I am completely uncoordinated and should not be let out of the house.

My 10 year old son helps me hobble to my car where I sit and cry for ten minutes before attempting the drive home. Luckily I have an automatic. We arrive home just before the cub scout meeting starts in my living room. I try to hobble upstairs undetected. Carter makes himself my nurse and fetches ice, ibuprofen and a glass of wine. What a kid!

At the Doctor's office the next day, the nurse and doctor both cringe when they see it. Wow, that makes me feel better. I am sent for an MRI. It turns out I have a avulsion fracture. http://orthopedics.about.com/od/brokenbones/a/avulsion.htm
Apparently I broke part of the bone off my ankle. So now I have been referred to a Physical Therapist. This injury happened on February 5th. I can walk on it, but it is painful if I turn my ankle the wrong way. I haven't been able to start PT yet so I can't run on it anytime soon. I am forced to scratch the next two events off my racing calendar. What a bummer.

Maybe next time I try an exercise class I can participate for longer than 7 minutes.....Who am I kidding, I am never doing one of those again.