The Reality Of Injuries

It was a great run! I felt like I could have gone on forever and fueled by a great pace the runner’s high was in overdrive. Until…. the next day when that nagging tender spot above my ankle swelled and hurt. With the race just one month away I did what any runner would do I rested for 10 days and raced (and PR’d) but I paid the price. Lots of swelling and pain again. I knew but was in serious denial so I laid out a plan to keep running despite what in my heart was reality.

The plan was to have 4 1-2 miles runs a week for one month and then keep my mileage low for the year at 2-4 about 4-5 times a week. As January approached I felt good! Pain was gone and so I thought I was on the mend and headed into the new year with a new goal. This would be the year I would be injury free AND I was going to run 750 miles. And then…..

Reality…..

About two or so weeks in the pain in my leg returned. But, this time it was burning and coming on faster than before. With each run I tried to tell myself it wasn’t that. No, it was just… yes, it was. I knew it! So on that 20 degree day as I walked my kiddo to school with the burning pain in my leg it became clear I need to stop running ASAP and see a doctor.

Now, friends have been telling me for months to go but I’m not one for doctors or bad news so I put it off. Reality is I should have been seen back many months before after that amazing run. Why? Because I ran on a stress fracture for about two months. That y’all is not a good thing!

Deep down after that run I knew something was really wrong but I just couldn’t bring myself to admit it. Runners do this and often. We spend lots of money on our free sport for races and time training so backing out becomes very difficult. However, this often leaves runners with terrible injuries that side line us for months. Like me…. right now.

I did stop running right away and when I finally got into the doctor and he dropped the news I already knew and I cried. I cried out of frustration and anger at myself for letting this happen. I cried because I’ve been running for over 20 years without an injury this severe. After severe tendonihsits as a young teen I thought I learned and took care of my body. Was I ever wrong!

While there is no way to pin point why or how the fracture accord I do know I waited way too long to see my doctor and heal my leg. So, now I can not run for two months and it could be longer depending on how I feel when I do start again.

The reality is injuries can go from mild to severe in no time if you don’t listen to your body. Runners say it all the time to each but rarely do we take our own advice. A lesson learned the hard way for me coupled with a good smack of reality is that I could potentially not reach that 750 mile goal.

Moral of the story runners…. Always listen to your body and your own advice. Always see a doctor when pain persists longer than a week. Better to be on the road to recover sooner than later.