Happy feet.
“Before you come back next time, go for a short run. We need to see where that leg is at,” said Dr. Terry Andrus, my physical therapist.
Wait, did I hear that correctly? Did he just clear me to go for a run? *Big smile*
I guess he was reading my mind because he added, “Don’t make it a half marathon or anything. Easy and short. 20-25 minutes.”
“Okay,” I replied, laughing. “I know. I know.”
I was excited, but also a little bit fearful. The last time I had tried to run was February 2nd. I ran only 10 minutes before the pain in my leg started. I was scared, that after almost 4 weeks of no running, I might feel that pain again. I was afraid of what that pain would mean for my ability to meet my goals this year. I need to start running again.
Because of the weather, I was relegated to the treadmill. I readied my mp3 player and hit “Quick Start” on the “dreadmill.” I decided to walk for about 15 minutes to make sure my leg was fully warmed up. Then, I stretched my legs a bit. It was time to speed things up a bit–but not too much.
Prior to this issue, my usual easy pace was about a 9 minute mile. But, I wanted to be even more conservative, so I put the treadmill on 6.4 mph (9:22 min/mile) and started to run. At first, it felt really odd – partly because I was on the treadmill, and partly because it had been SO long since I had run. It’s been probably 10 or more years since I’ve gone this long without any running.
About 7 minutes into the run, the Black Eyed Peas were singing, “I gotta feeling,” and I did have a feeling that this run was going to be a good one. No pain. Better yet, no hint of pain. My legs didn’t feel like they were in top running form, but they also didn’t feel injured. They simply felt like they needed to become reacquainted with this beautiful motion. Legs pumping and thumping in time… (Cake, “Going the Distance.”)
At the 14 minute mark, Lady GaGa was giving me her “Poker Face,” and I badly wanted to increase the speed. I didn’t. I knew that running fast would be a BAD mistake, no matter how much I wanted to feel that speed again. I just concentrated on running easy, with good form. I visualized running outside. I visualized being able to race again. And, then, I started grinning. Then, smiling. Then, giggling. I caught myself. After all, I was in the gym, and there were people lined up on the treadmills. The women next to me caught me. She looked away quickly when I caught her eyes and smiled. C’mon, ma’am, I’m having a GOOD time here. Join me!
But, I didn’t care who saw me and thought I was a lunatic. I was running again. My leg didn’t hurt. I hit the 25 minute mark and knew I needed to be smart and not go too far. PT said 20-25 minutes, and I listened to his advice. Even though the was short and I did it on the treadmill, it was the best 25 minutes I’ve had in a long time. The next run can’t come soon enough.
I’m so glad to be on the mend, but I think it’s important to be cautious and reflect upon what I learned from the experience. Perhaps some of you can relate, or will find these lessons useful.
If you are going to run an ultramarathon (or any race)–be prepared.
I wasn’t fully prepared for the elevation changes in the PHUNT 50k, and I paid a very dear price for it. Train for the distance, the weather, the terrain. The PHUNT was my first 50k, and I should have been more prepared. I will be next time.
Listen to your body.
Yes, I know, this is a running cliche. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not true. I should have listened to my body earlier. John and I were talking about the types of signs the body gives, and he said, “You know, if you were being *really* honest with yourself about what you were feeling, you would have taken it easier, right?” Exactly. There were signs that I had some weakness in the leg, but I pushed through some aggressive speedwork too soon after the 50k. Dumbass. It’s important to distinguish between the “normal” pain of training and the types of pain that signal something is wrong. At this point in my training, I do know the difference. But, I made bad decisions. One or two rest days before something becomes an issue can prevent four weeks of no running. I learned that one the HARD WAY.
Stay focused.
During the past 6 weeks, I did the best I could to stay focused on the long term goal of Lake Placid. I had to make certain that the training I was able to do (bike, swim, strength) was effective and helped to keep me in the game. However, I did lose focus for a few days, and it really affected the quality of those workouts, as well as my overall mental state. Luckily, I was able to re-group. Don’t give up – focus on what you CAN do, not on what you can’t.
Stay OFF Google.
It does the mental state no good to be searching your symptoms via Google. The search results will only lead to extreme fear as you read about all of the worst-case scenarios. One site I visited said that “hamstring tendonitis can take up to 6 months to heal.” Yikes! As soon as I stopped searching via Google, my head felt better.
Physical Therapy works.
I was a skeptic about PT. I didn’t think it would work, but I went because I figured it couldn’t hurt. Well, after the first visit I had with the PT, my leg felt better the very next day, and continued to feel better each successive day–with the happy result of being able to run after just one week of PT.
KT Tape works.
I used KT Tape off and on during the last several weeks, and it does help to manage the pain while training and post-workout. The staff are also super helpful. Because my issue didn’t fit exactly with the video instructions on their website, I emailed them. Within a few hours, they had responded with advice for how best to tape my leg. That’s service!
Take all the preventive measures you can to avoid injury.
I didn’t. I got hurt. I vow to use the foam roller, stretch and ice after each workout. When I trained for my first marathon, I did all of these things religiously because I was so fearful of the distance and the effect it might have on my body. During that training and after the race, I didn’t have any injuries. But, I got complacent. I thought, Well, I’m fine. Do I really need to ice after *every* run? Isn’t that overkill? I thought, No. I don’t need to do that. Guess what? I was wrong. Preventive care WORKS.
So, when I plan my training schedule, I will be sure to build in time for proper stretching, rolling & icing. It’s the only way to prevent injury.
Build a support system.
In addition to my doctors, it was helpful to have a support system that I could talk to about the injury, and what types of cross-training might be effective. This system helped with staying focused, and also kept my spirits up. John was a great source of strength for me, reminding me that this was a minor issue in a long journey. My friends and the twitter community were awesome as well. I am so blessed to have people in my life that have such depths of compassion and caring. Thank you so much to everyone who listened to me fret over the past several weeks. I appreciate each of you so very much. My coach, Jeff Kline, was also an important part of my support system. He didn’t give up on me. Quite the opposite! I’ve had challenging swim workouts (yikes! they’ve been HARD!) and bike rides that have kept my aerobic base in tact. His motivational emails and tweets kept my will strong.
Some injury prevention resources:
Not being able to run isn’t the worst thing that could happen to me, and it’s taught me some humbling lessons. But, let’s be perfectly clear: I’m glad to be on officially on the mend, and back in my running sneakers. Lake Placid, here I COME!
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Help me celebrate my return to running: Make a donation to the Iron Scholarship!
Your contribution will make a major difference in the lives of students, who struggle with financial challenges. The Iron Scholarship rewards academic endurance, and is a competitive award for college students based on extreme financial need, and solid academic performance. The scholarships will be applied to tuition and/or textbooks.
We hope to help as many students as we can, and we are counting on your support to help us. Any amount is greatly appreciated – whatever you can afford. We know these are difficult economic times, and they are especially tough on these students as well. My blog page has the details about how you can donate by check or online donation: http://www.runningalife.com/?page_id=374.
Your contribution is tax deductible, and ALL of the proceeds will benefit the award recipients.
The more money we raise, the more students we can help. Our ultimate goal is to raise $5,000 by July. To date, we’ve raised $440.60 toward this goal. With your help, I know we can reach that goal. With your help, we can change some lives for the better. For more information about how you can donate, visit http://www.runningalife.com/?page_id=374.
On Sunday, February 7, the Press of Atlantic City ran a column about John & I’s efforts. You can read it here: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/blogs/scott_cronick/article_7e39d4ca-1396-11df-825b-001cc4c002e0.html.
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