RunningAHEAD - Topic: Injuries Suck

Hoping to Run Again :-(

posted: 7/28/2008 at 11:05 PM

I don't know your story Mark, but I'm with ya all the way. I had a torn soleus last year that made even walking impossible and I was out for 10 weeks. Now I'm scared of speedwork and creeping along. Injuries are eeeeeeeeevil! Take care and heal well.

~ Fly ~
Only as much as I dream can I be.
veggies on the run

Log Stalker

posted: 7/29/2008 at 2:38 AM
modified: 7/29/2008 at 2:39 AM

Thanks!

What matters more than the pain of injury is the lost cardiovascular health and the gained weight as a result of the injury.

I was at the point where I would run almost any distance I want. A few PT approved sessions on the treadmill only verify the loss of fitness.

Just having a down day...

Glad to hear that you're back on your feet and running again after injury.

Runs With Snowplows

posted: 7/29/2008 at 2:48 AM

They do suck, Mark. I have been battling a chronic knee thing for 10 weeks, now. Mostly just bothers me during my longest runs, but it's there...taunting me...reminding me that I'm not unbreakable. Saw the doc today and he said he isn't finding anything structurally wrong or any signs of instability...so I'm scaling back my marathon training regimen and likely going to have a gander at some different shoes and seeing if maybe my gait is not right for my current shoes (or maybe they just aren't enough shoe for my longest runs).

I hope you are on the road to being...well, back on the road. Smile

Kirsten

• Ladies Locker Room •

.: 2008 Goals :.
• Run 1500 miles
• October 5 - ~~1st marathon~~ - Milwaukee Lakefront - in my home state of WI
• PRs: 5k ~ ~~15k~~ ~ ~~25k~~
• 1st trail race

Log Stalker

posted: 7/29/2008 at 12:47 PM

Thanks Zoomie,

Did the Dr. refer you to a PT? Mine couldn't find anything and referred me. The PT found it. My Dr. did say that I should be re-evaluated for shoes and that weight loss can change your gait. (That didn't make much sense to me, but what do I know...) Besides, I know how much you like shoe shopping... Big grin

I hope that you find out what's wrong. I've heard one too many horror stories about niggling injuries that turned into something worse.

Runs With Snowplows

posted: 7/29/2008 at 12:58 PM

You know, he said he would refer me to a PT if I wanted to do so. I'm still mulling it over. I *think* our ins. will cover it. I'm going to try the shoe thing, first...see if it's something simple like that. My shoes are a very lightweight stability trainer...some people can do high mileage on them, but maybe I'm just not one of them.

If it's not a shoe issue, then PT would definitely be my next move. Right now I'm regularly doing all the sorts of quad-strengthening exercises that *should* (in theory) help stabilize the kneecap and treat run-of-the-mill runner's knee issues. So maybe it's not a quad problem. In that case a PT is probably exactly the person to get to the bottom of things.

3rd line of treatment/diagnosis would be MRI, but I really don't think it will come to that point.

lph53

posted: 7/29/2008 at 1:25 PM

Hang in there Mark, being down almost month myself, I know how you feel and I found myself a bit depressed at times to the point, that I was not even doing my stretching and other activities like strength training (minus lower body workouts) and my eating habits went pretty much to the dark side.

Don't know how long you've been running, but as you can see, injuries are pretty common in our world and most of them are brought on by ourselves. Some injuries can be big set-backs, but you've got to bear with them and in some cases even change plans for races etc. The most important thing is the race, it's about healing and getting back out there again and running because as you already know, you're much healthier in body and mind when you're running. (Electronic Engineers like us especially have to clear that mind)

As I don't understand what the Soleus muscle is, (I think it's between the knee and the ankle) can you do things like bike ride or stationary bike, this would help keep the cardio up a bit. How about walking, can you walk okay? If so walk a couple of miles or 30 mins a day and see if that helps.

Either way, be strong and hang in there, sometimes, the best thing is just to rest it like I finally had to give in and do. (Knock on wood) I feel pretty good, but still holding back hard training or hill training and I need to hit the hills as I've got a 5M on Aug 10th and a 5K on the 17th which were my target races for the year to PR.

Larry

LPH

Log Stalker

posted: 7/29/2008 at 2:22 PM

Quote from zoom-zoom on 7/29/2008 at 12:58 PM:

You know, he said he would refer me to a PT if I wanted to do so. I'm still mulling it over. I *think* our ins. will cover it.

It might be worth at least one visit to the PT, even if you have to pay full freight. In 15 minutes, she found the exact muscle that I injured. The "semiteninosis" (one of the hamstrings) - it goes from the base of your hip and wraps around to the outside of your tibia, just below the knee. The pain sensation is very similar to ITBS. This is what she called an "e-stability muscle". The Dr. didn't think I had any stability issues, when she had me do a squat with my feet a shoulder width apart, the pain was so bad I almost saw stars. No other motion caused the pain.

Besides, a PT consult is about the same cost as a pair of shoes... Big grin

oh and yes, I'm only telling you this because I want someone to suffer the PT (that's "Physical Torture") as much as I am...

mamaofthree

posted: 7/29/2008 at 4:22 PM

I second the encouragement to see a PT. I may be strange, but I love PT -- it's like a personal trainer that insurance pays for! I've found that the quality varies widely. Some seem to do a much more superficial assessment than others, and have a set response to a given problem, whether they're dealing with a runner or someone who's more sedentary. Some, though, do a really thorough assessment. I saw a PT who works with runners a lot, including college athletes, and they asked me a lot about my training and running goals, then watched me run on a treadmill in addition to doing the usual analysis. It was great. The $30 a session i had to pay added up, but it was worth it for me. It's worth asking around to find the right person.

Runs With Snowplows

posted: 7/29/2008 at 7:13 PM

Quote from mamaofthree on 7/29/2008 at 4:22 PM:

It's worth asking around to find the right person.

That's one thing I wondered about...seeing if anyone else near me has seen a PT for sports-injury issues and who they might recommend, then seeing if my doc would refer me to that person/office.

Log Stalker

posted: 7/29/2008 at 7:30 PM

Quote from zoom-zoom on 7/29/2008 at 7:13 PM:

That's one thing I wondered about...seeing if anyone else near me has seen a PT for sports-injury issues and who they might recommend, then seeing if my doc would refer me to that person/office.

My Dr sent me to a sports PT. Turns out it was a small gym that hired a couple of PTs on the side. My PT is a kickboxer. (And I thought I could HTFU...)

Runs With Snowplows

posted: 7/29/2008 at 8:00 PM

Quote from girmann on 7/29/2008 at 7:30 PM:

My Dr sent me to a sports PT. Turns out it was a small gym that hired a couple of PTs on the side. My PT is a kickboxer. (And I thought I could HTFU...)

Oh, that's cool! Yeah, kickboxing is WAY intense. I have a couple of kickboxing DVDs that I did before I started running. Holy moly did those babies make me HURT! I think the Wii Fit has a kickboxing thing, too. I'm really looking forward to getting that system and using it for cross-training during the Winter months. Smile

Log Stalker

posted: 7/30/2008 at 2:45 AM

Quote from lph53 on 7/29/2008 at 1:25 PM:

Larry,

Thanks for the encouragement. I sure can use it.

I've been running seriously since my log starts here on RA (2/28/08-). ALthough I had run in several 5ks previous to that. I agree that I feel so much better running than not. Both in mind and body.

It was Maplefly's soleus that's giving her trouble. It's my Semiteninosis. I can bike, and that's helping, sort of. Walking is just fine, but I want to run, dammit!

Thanks for help and encouragement!

Mark

Get Gone

posted: 7/31/2008 at 2:00 PM

It's shocking how much my disposition is tied to my running. I'm usually a moody SOB according to those that know me but when I started running that kind of evened out my temperament. Now that I've been sidelined with a knee problem, I can tell I'm going into one of those funks.

Maplefly