Running injuries happen even when taking all the right measures to prevent them. Some websites claim that as much as 75% of runners get injured annually. The types of running injuries varies but the most common are:
- Runner’s Knee
- Stress Fractures
- Achilles Tendinopathy*
- Muscle Pulls*
- Ankle Sprains*
- Plantar Fasciitis*
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome*
The starred items are the injuries that I have personally experienced over the years. Yes, I am injury prone. For this reason, I started with a run/walk program and gradually built it up to running as I mentioned in my last post. I was not overdoing it. I also included strength training and stretching. I may have been running too many hills, but I wasn’t feeling any soreness or tightness in my calves where my subsequent injury occurred (left leg).
What I did have was a very tight ITB on the right leg. I had this evaluated by PT because I knew that it would only get worse. The PT was awesome; she fixed it! No more problems! But, she told me that I needed to strengthen my calves. I thought that was odd being that I run hills on almost all of my runs and I wasn’t having any calf problems at all.
Anyway, she gave me calf strengthening exercises to do which went fine. And since they went so well, she decided that I needed to increase the load by taking these same exercises (walking on my tiptoes carrying 30-pound weights – gradual increase to 30 pounds) up and down stairs. So, I did that too. But, that is when I started feeling a little tightness in my left calf muscle. Plus, as I was doing the exercises, I kept thinking that these don’t feel right, and I don’t think I should do them. They weren’t painful or anything like that. I just didn’t feel good about them.
A similar situation happened a few years ago when PT prescribed running at a 10% incline on a treadmill for a different injury. When I transitioned outside, I ended up with bilateral knee pain. I had not experienced any kind of knee pain prior to that. Since then, I have been diagnosed with bilateral knee osteoarthritis. This was the beginning of not being able to run hardly at all these past few years. Of note, when I was running on the treadmill, I also had the same instinctual feeling that this did not feel right. I eventually stopped but it was a little too late.
Now, I am not blaming the PT. The prescribed treatments could have been what I needed, but I could have been using poor form or doing something wrong that I wasn’t aware of that created even more problems. At any rate, I am a little annoyed that my running was going fine except for the ITB issue until I went to the PT. Now, I am not running at all. Fortunately, my calf tear is a grade 1 and will probably heal in 4-6 weeks. Wednesday will be three weeks. The moral of the story is to listen to your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, then something isn’t right. And of course, always listen to your body. Even if it is just a tight muscle, it needs to be monitored closely. Paying attention to even small clues could be the difference between taking a few days off vs weeks!
So the injury update: I am still doing strengthening exercises and I can walk without any pain or tightness. So, on Tuesday of this past week, I thought I would try running. The plan was to get in a good warm-up which I did and then a nice easy jog for about 10 minutes. It lasted 6 minutes. First, I felt my left Achilles tighten up, so I stopped running. As I was walking back to my truck, my Achilles relaxed a bit, but my calf became tight and painful. Obviously, that was too soon. Within a couple of days, it felt fine again.
Currently, I am just continuing with the walking and strengthening exercises. I do have a PT appointment today. I am hoping to get back to running soon. This injury is definitely a setback, but it is not a major tear and just needs a little more time to heal.
Family Fun
In other news, we just got back from Idaho after attending our niece’s graduation. Amazingly, her graduating class was only 22 students! We were worried that it was going to rain being that it had been raining all week and the forecast called for an 80% chance but it ended up being a very nice outdoor ceremony. Congrats to Grace!! Pictures are of her, her parents and grandparents, and her brother. We did get pictures taken with her too but they are on someone else’s camera. We will have to find them.
The drive back to the cabin (the Yancey family has a cabin on Lake Pend d Oreille) was just amazing. The sunset was awesome!!
Rob and Krista (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), who also attended the graduation, got a new puppy while in Idaho. Talk about perfect timing being that the graduation was happening at the same time that their puppy was ready for them. He is a bernedoodle and the most adorable little puppy I have ever seen. I just loved him. I wanted to steal him haha. I don’t think that would have gone over very well. So cute.
We had a great time in Idaho and even though we left sunny and warm Alaska, it was nice in Idaho. Yes, there were thunderstorms and lots of rain but there were also very pleasant and warm moments in-between. I only got soaked from the rain on one of my walks and that just happened to be the day that Scott decided to go with me. I could have stayed in Idaho a little longer though because, in Alaska, my allergies are so bad. I didn’t have any problems in Idaho. When we returned to Alaska the cotton from the cottonwood trees was blowing all over the place. It looked like snowfall in June. And my allergies are back in full swing. Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to Fall. At least I won’t be as miserable.
Back to Alaska
We will be back in Idaho soon…looking forward to it.
Until next time…
Happy Running!
Leave a Reply