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To Run/Race or Not Illness, Injury, or Just an Ache |
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See the Index for more topics, information, hints and tips.
First let's consider illness. If you have any of the following: stomach issues (not butterflies, but vomiting), diarrhea, chest pain, asthma, or fever don't run or race. Your body is already under stress, adding the extra stress of a race or long run could really set you back.
Injuries are the most difficult thing to advise people on. If you are in doubt, it is best to seek professional medical attention. Hopefully, your goal is to be a lifelong runner. So taking a few days or weeks off to prevent a more serious problem is a much better option than having to rehab for months.
Studies show that as many as 50% to 80% of runners get injured each year!
I know you don't want to stop running. You have a goal race you are really looking forward to or been training hard for. Runners are the worst patients because they don't want to stop running. It's an addiction, but a healthy one! But an injury can side line you for a long time. The sooner you get it taken care of the better. This often means a trip to see a doctor or physical therapist. When in doubt, see a doctor.
Be honest to yourself about a pain. If it is an injury, then fix it. Putting it off can do more damage and will delay your return to running the way you want to.
If you have to take medicine to relieve pain for more than a couple of days in order to run, then something is wrong and you need to get it fixed so it doesn’t get any worse and cause you to miss a LOT more training.
Don’t try to be tough and run through a real problem – intense pain or something that causes you to change your gait. The sooner you get the issue identified and corrected, the sooner you can get back to running. However, if you try to run through the problem you risk hurting yourself even more severely and this will cause you to miss even more time. It’s not easy to stop and take time off from running. Runners are notoriously bad patients because they are impatient and want to get back to running. But taking the time off and allowing your body to heal will be worth it in the long run.
Think of your car. If you get a flat tire, you don’t continue driving on it hoping that it will fix itself. No, you get it fixed right away. The same goes for your body. If you have an injury, something caused it to happen (fall, muscle weakness or imbalance, poor form, wrong shoes, …). Get to the root cause of the problem and fix that. Otherwise if you just lay off running until it heals and start running again, then you are very likely to encounter the same problem.
If any of the following apply to you, then seek medical attention:
First try the old standard Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Take a few days off and see how it feels. Resting may be the hardest thing for runners, but if you try to run with an injury it could very well make it even worse. Ice reduces inflammation and pain. Apply ice (wrapped inside a towel) 15 minutes per hour for the first 24-48 hours. Compression helps reduce swelling. Use an elastic bandage and start wrapping from the farthest point from your heart. Elevation above the level of your heart also helps reduce swelling. A doctor cannot properly evaluate an injury until some of the swelling goes down so they can determine the range of motion and where it is hurting. This helps them establish if it is a muscle, tendon, or ligament.
Don’t just try to fix the symptom, try to get to the root of the problem. For example, an IT Band issue could be caused by a foot or hip problem.
Start by trying to identify anything that has changed recently. Did you recently get new shoes? Do the shoes you are using have a lot of miles on them? Did you recently increase the distance or intensity of your training or the surface you run on?
During a run you may occasionally have a little ache or pain that comes and goes. Many of these can be eliminated with some good stretching or weight training to strengthen the affected area. Often we keep running with these and they may get better over time.
If the pain causes you to change your stride at all, then stop running and seek medical attention. Changing your stride to compensate for a problem in one area is likely to cause another issues in another area, compounding the problem. So get the first problem taken care of before it starts to spread.
The first thing you are probably going to do is talk with your running buddies about it to see if anyone has had a similar problem. Their advice is free, but it is only based on their experience and may or may not be helpful. Remember you sometimes get what you paid for.
The next thing you will probably do is an Internet search for it. Sometimes you may come up with a good diagnosis and what you can do to fix it. But there is a lot of good and bad information out on the web, so consider the source. Maybe try anything and see what seems to help you the most.
If the problem persists for a week or so then definitely seek a professional opinion. Now this is the time to get advice from fellow runners. You want to go to a doctor or physical therapist that understands running and running injuries. Look for ones who advertise that they are knowledgeable about sports medicine or even better ARE runners. They will be able to relate to you and understand your desires, wants, and need better.
For example, let’s say you got into a special race through a qualifying time or lottery. You did all the training, made all the travel arrangements, and then sprained your ankle two weeks before the event. Many doctors or physical therapists would say don’t run. A doctor or physical therapist who runs will appreciate the amount of time you’ve spent preparing and may be able to help you participate in it not for a good time, but just to complete it without doing more damage to your body.
Look for a physical therapist who is OCS or SCS certified.
An injury may cause you to miss weeks or months of running. But not taking that time off and letting your body heal could cause you to miss even more time or keep you from running permanently. So just make up your mind to take the time off and follow the doctor's orders, rather than taking more time off later. Better to miss a few weeks now than a few months later.
The biggest causes of injury are over training and shoes. Avoiding over training takes self-disciple and self-control. It's not easy running 80% of the time at a slow conversational pace (see Workout Types). You should have a Training Plan developed specifically for you by a certified running coach. Believe in the training plan and follow it as closely as possible.
Since shoes are the impact point with the Earth, may problems with your feet, ankles, knees, hips, ... start from your shoes. Maybe it's a new pair of shoes that force you to change your gait ever so slightly. Or maybe it's an old pair of shoes that have lost their cushion. For almost any small nagging issue, first try changing your shoes to see if that makes a difference.
Most of all you have to be patient. I know that is hard for a runner to do. All you want to do is go back out there and get running again. But take it easy and follow the doctor's orders. Be careful when you start coming back. Pushing too hard could send you right back to the couch. Listen to your doctor, physical therapist and your body. Be sure to ask about what you can do while not running like bicycling and weightlifting to make good use of your time off.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like Motrin™ and ibuprofen should NOT be used by runners. They may make your body feel better, but this prevents your body from growing stronger. They also mask pain signals, slow your recovery, and increase your risk of stomach, kidney, and liver issues. You may be interested in reading more about Recovery after a run or race.
If a friend had your symptoms and asked you for advice, what would you tell them to do?
If you run/race and get injured what would the consequences be? If you could really do bad damage to your body you may not be able to run for weeks or months and you may need an operation. Would you miss other races, family events, vacation, work? Is it worth it?
If you decide to seek professional help, perhaps the best place to start is a physical therapist. They know the body and how it works, what causes problems, and how to fix them. The physical therapists best for runners are PT,OCS or PT,SCS. A physical therapist who is a runner will be able to relate more to you and be more understanding of your situation and your desire to run.
I learned that at least in the Dallas, Texas area that Baylor Physical Therapy clinics will give you a free consultation. This may only require you calling them and providing information over the phone or going to a clinic. They can identify the problem and help you determine if you need to see a doctor, a physical therapist, or can do what is needed (probably what you are already doing) by yourself.
As you recover consider the things you might do to prevent it or other injuries from happening like strength training, take it easier (See Workout Types for more information), more rest, and cross training.
While you can’t run, talk with your doctor or physical therapist about what you can do. Swimming and biking are possibilities because they are low impact. And take it easy when you start back running. You will have to start building your base again. Coming back too soon or too fast means you are going to have to take more time off.
Here is a webpage that you may find helpful: Running Injuries 101: What to Do About the 5 Most Common Ailments.
