Thank you so much for all of the sweet comments of support on my return to running... it's been slow, but wonderful!
As runners, most of us have faced injuries that take threaten our training... and our sanity. I have had a lot of injuries in the past year, and in the crystal clarity that is hindsight, I see that I certainly could have done things differently.
December 2010: Started running again after a few month break that was nursing still-only-sleeping-three-hours twins. I started slowly, less than a mile the first run, and ran three days a week for a month or two before I was up to three miles, three times a week.
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| Foam rolling with help. |
February, March 2011: Cut my running down to one or two days a week due to shin splits... basically just suffering through one long run a week.
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| Oshkosh Half - the rufflebums got me through! |
April 2011: Hobbled through the Oshkosh Half Marathon. Finally went to see a sports medicine doctor, who took X-rays, and told me she didn't know what was wrong, but I needed to rest.
May 2011: Saw a physical therapist. Diagnosed me with Posterior Tibial Tendinitis, and mandated 6 weeks off running. Ultrasound therapy, stretches, strengthening with the PT twice a week.
June 2011: Running again! Very little to no pain on most runs. YAHOO!!!
July 2011: Still running, up to 15 miles/week. At the end of July, experienced a terrible run with tremendous quad pain. Took two weeks off... and...
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| Hey dumbass, you broke your leg! |
September, October, November 2011: Heavy drinking. Lots of crying. No running.
I don't think I'll ever know if running through all of those "minor" issues at the beginning of the year caused my stress fractures, but I do know I made three HUGE mistakes.
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| What being stupid does to your legs. |
#2) Training for a half marathon with shin splints/tendinitis/stress fractures in six weeks with virtually no running base.
#3) Running a half marathon when I suspected I had a femoral stress fracture. Super not smart.
So there you have it. I'm an idiot. So that's why I'm being extra smart about my recovery... with a few idiot moves thrown in... but overall I'm being very cautious.
I'm going to detail my plan here tomorrow, and hopefully these posts will help someone out there not be such an idiot.
But if you do choose to be an idiot and run through an injury, I'll buy you a beer and we can ice/stretch/foam roll and drown our sorrows together. :)
Thanks - Great post! I just wrote about how I'm stuggling with an injury. It's SO HARD to rest! ARGH!
ReplyDeleteYou know you have been injured a long time - look how young the boys are in the first picture! Yikes! HEAL BABY, HEAL!
ReplyDeleteCool it with the bone breaks, mama! I think you're plan to come back super slow is a good one and yeah you may have practiced some idiocy this year... but you're soooo much wiser now. PANTY RAIDERS!
ReplyDeleteHey girl- I understand the stupidity. I ran my first ever half marathon even though I knew I had severe pain in my foot with every step. Turned out I had grown a cyst the size of a finger in there and was under a surgeon's knife soon after. I don't know if quitting when I felt pain could have prevented surgery, but I can't help but think that the fact I ignored it for so long led to some of the permanent nerve damage I get to deal with now.
ReplyDeletehaha. okay. this really isnt funny. but i can relate. its like how many times can i go through pain or an injury before i just get over my stubbornness and actually STOP running for a bit?!? i KNOW deep down that things would be better in the long run but in the moment i cant imagine not just doing this ONE race, etc etc etc. that was totally my story last spring. and it took till september to feel normal again. awesome. hang in there! love that you are running again!
ReplyDeleteWe have all made these same mistakes girl do not beat yourself up about it.
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you for being smart about coming back to running. We could all learn from your example.
I can so relate to this! INJURIES suck! I've been dealing with PF for a few months now, and it's so frustrating. I definitely pushed through some runs that I shouldn't have...hang in there!
ReplyDeleteWe all make mistakes, the key is to learn from them! :)
ReplyDeletebest part of this blog? right here: "... drank beer. (The last one is critical for recovery... the alcohol... it... ahhhh.. relaxes the inter...connectal......)
ReplyDeletemy inter...connectal is very relaxed. best wishes as you get back out there this winter!
Well, you've certainly had a year, haven't you? Take it easy on yourself - and that means not beating yourself up about what you should have done or could've done differently. File it under "now you know" and ease back into it - you can do it!
ReplyDeleteOh man that is not a good year. I need to stop my crying because you have had it sooooo much worse! I am glad you are being smart. I started running again this week and I am trying to be smart...which is pretty easy because I am slow and out of shape now.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I do not learn anything until I've made a mistake and suffered the consequences. So, now you know! And it will never happen again. :)
ReplyDeleteUgh! You're stubborn like me. Thank goodness for alcohol :) I'm glad you're on the road to recovery.
ReplyDeleteI KNOW not to be dumb about running through injuries, but somehow still do it. Ahhh...one day I will learn.
ReplyDeleteOh wow. What a year. It's so hard to know what the right thing to do is in the moment. When you're not even sure what your dx is. Live and learn, I guess. You are so not the only one in this boat. Hey speaking of boat, ARGHH Matey! May we all be healed up and ready to rumble by June!
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