JJ: Farewell, Cruel Mistress

Cruel Mistress
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

Dear Ankle:

I'm afraid I can't stay in this relationship any longer. As much as it pains me to type these words, I'm breaking up with you. Surely you can't be surprised, ankle.

I admit we've shared thousands of miles of wonderful running and cycling workouts together over the past 15 years. There's no doubt the great times have been ... well, really great.

But if you're being honest with yourself, ankle, you'll admit you haven't really been there for me--emotionally or physically--since the fall of 2001. Your sporadic and irrational bouts of tendonitis since forcing me to sit out the Chicago Marathon that year have caused me to miss countless races and training dates and to lose overall fitness. Ankle, I've treated you with massages, rest, ice, compression, elevation, the best shoes money can buy, and enough ibuprofen to kill a mule. To understand the root of our problems, I even sat through a three-hour MRI.

Despite all I've done for you, ankle, you continue to torture me by flaring up with this tendonitis at the worst possible times. Ankle, I hate to say it, but you're an inconsolable diva. Worse, you're a tease.

Ankle, I realize that part of the problem rests with me. My standards are high and I don't want you to blame yourself entirely. When you're at your best, you are an agile, robust ankle. I'm sure there will be many other more patient athletes who will be dying to snap you up now that you're a free agent.

I just can't do this any more, ankle. Have a nice life. - John