I would like to begin this post by thanking the running gods, and knocking on all surrounding wood-like surfaces that I have never suffered from an injury I couldn't roll, massage, shuffle, or "vitamin-i[buprofen]" my way through, and I am truly thankful for that.
However, I would like to dedicate this post to the multitudinous tricks of the trade I've learned throughout my years of running and competing that have allowed me to get through those minor (potentially major) injuries, and keep me putting in the miles day after day.
As a college athlete at a small Division III state school we had very few resources at our disposal. There was ONE athletic trainer for over 300 student athletes, and as you can imagine, getting much more than an ice cup and a slap on the back was like waiting in line at a Chipotle during the lunch hour. It was a daily battle to squeeze as many people into the singular metal ice bath that we could, and small distance runners always got squished in the middle of the tub while the hockey players stuffed their bulky masses in every remaining gap possible.
It didn't take long for me to realize that if I wanted to train with the consistency I needed to reach the next level I needed to start learning how to self diagnose and self treat the smorgasbord of overuse injuries that crop up with a year round cycle of collegiate training and racing.
Thus began what I believe to be the biggest research project of my college education. I realized that if I spent enough time Google searching symptoms, causes, and treatments, that this complex and interconnected story slowly began to form. Everything was connected. The pain in my heel was connected to the sciatic pain in my lower back. The pain in my shoulders was connected to the pain in my hamstring, which was caused by running on slanted roads in the winter. The lingering IT band ache I'd had on and off for months was likely caused by running 50 left handed turns on the track multiple times a season, and was further exacerbated by fluctuating humidity and temperatures of the changing seasons.
These little aches and pains started to reveal more elaborate stories as to the things in my life that were the cause, and the things that could be changed.
I knew I could change the story, but the question was HOW?
However, I would like to dedicate this post to the multitudinous tricks of the trade I've learned throughout my years of running and competing that have allowed me to get through those minor (potentially major) injuries, and keep me putting in the miles day after day.
As a college athlete at a small Division III state school we had very few resources at our disposal. There was ONE athletic trainer for over 300 student athletes, and as you can imagine, getting much more than an ice cup and a slap on the back was like waiting in line at a Chipotle during the lunch hour. It was a daily battle to squeeze as many people into the singular metal ice bath that we could, and small distance runners always got squished in the middle of the tub while the hockey players stuffed their bulky masses in every remaining gap possible.
It didn't take long for me to realize that if I wanted to train with the consistency I needed to reach the next level I needed to start learning how to self diagnose and self treat the smorgasbord of overuse injuries that crop up with a year round cycle of collegiate training and racing.
Thus began what I believe to be the biggest research project of my college education. I realized that if I spent enough time Google searching symptoms, causes, and treatments, that this complex and interconnected story slowly began to form. Everything was connected. The pain in my heel was connected to the sciatic pain in my lower back. The pain in my shoulders was connected to the pain in my hamstring, which was caused by running on slanted roads in the winter. The lingering IT band ache I'd had on and off for months was likely caused by running 50 left handed turns on the track multiple times a season, and was further exacerbated by fluctuating humidity and temperatures of the changing seasons.
These little aches and pains started to reveal more elaborate stories as to the things in my life that were the cause, and the things that could be changed.
I knew I could change the story, but the question was HOW?
Here are some tricks that I discovered:
1.) Don't turn left unless you absolutely have to (i.e. During a race).
If you're left side is riddled with tendonitis, muscle knots, tightness, and pain you're likely experiencing some imbalance from running on the track, primarily in one direction. There is nothing wrong with doing a workout in the opposite direction, you can still run just as fast. It's also never a bad idea to take some time away from turning left and do harder efforts on the road or the treadmill until the pain subsides.
It's also important to remember that whatever imbalances may become apparent through training should be addressed with appropriate physical therapy exercises to help correct them. For example, if you notice that one leg is lagging behind the other in your stride it's a good idea to focus on the muscles and mechanisms that power the movement of your leg forward. Focus on strengthening your glutes and hips, and make sure your core is balanced and strong.
2.) Become best friends with a lacrosse ball.
I have about 10 different lacrosse balls in my current possession. Two in my car, one in my office, a couple in my gym bag, a few behind the couch... Lacrosse balls are the "lets get sh*t done" massage tool of the 21st century.
If you're anything like me you don't have nearly enough patience to roll back and forth on a foam roller, nor does it get into your painful nooks and crannies in exactly the way you'd like. This is where the lacrosse ball comes in. It's the perfect tool to hold against that painful knot in your hamstring during a car ride or work out tightness in your shoulder blades by applying pressure between your back and the seat. It's a great foot massager for underneath the desk at work, and does wonders for releasing your hips if you place it in just the right spot between you and a wall.
1.) Don't turn left unless you absolutely have to (i.e. During a race).
If you're left side is riddled with tendonitis, muscle knots, tightness, and pain you're likely experiencing some imbalance from running on the track, primarily in one direction. There is nothing wrong with doing a workout in the opposite direction, you can still run just as fast. It's also never a bad idea to take some time away from turning left and do harder efforts on the road or the treadmill until the pain subsides.
It's also important to remember that whatever imbalances may become apparent through training should be addressed with appropriate physical therapy exercises to help correct them. For example, if you notice that one leg is lagging behind the other in your stride it's a good idea to focus on the muscles and mechanisms that power the movement of your leg forward. Focus on strengthening your glutes and hips, and make sure your core is balanced and strong.
2.) Become best friends with a lacrosse ball.
I have about 10 different lacrosse balls in my current possession. Two in my car, one in my office, a couple in my gym bag, a few behind the couch... Lacrosse balls are the "lets get sh*t done" massage tool of the 21st century.
If you're anything like me you don't have nearly enough patience to roll back and forth on a foam roller, nor does it get into your painful nooks and crannies in exactly the way you'd like. This is where the lacrosse ball comes in. It's the perfect tool to hold against that painful knot in your hamstring during a car ride or work out tightness in your shoulder blades by applying pressure between your back and the seat. It's a great foot massager for underneath the desk at work, and does wonders for releasing your hips if you place it in just the right spot between you and a wall.
3.) Treat your calves like new born babies.
The nicer you are to your calves, the less lower leg injuries you will suffer- period. The calves are like the underground hatch in Lost where that alarm keeps going off, and unless your press the button the island will get flipped and chaos will ensue.
In other words (for non-Lost fans), its a part of your body that if neglected can cause a whole host of problems. Tight calves can cause achilles tendonitis, stress fractures, strains and other overuse injuries. The propulsive motion of running makes your calves the workout heroes and therefore requires you to take extra care of them to ensure they don't cause trouble elsewhere.
Massage those babies out daily. Pay attention to knots and scar tissue buildup. Stretch your feet, toes, and hamstrings to help blood flow. Wear compression socks if you're going to be on your feet a lot, or running on hard surfaces.
4.) Run on grass.
Grass is awesome. When I lived in Arizona my roommates would make fun of me because I would go to the elementary school down the street from our house and run miles and miles barefoot around a small grass field no longer than 300 meters. Growing up in the land of grass that is upstate New York I learned from early on that running on grass makes my feet and legs feel a lot nicer than running on the roads everyday.
Make a point of running on soft surfaces any chance you can get. Trails, grass, dirt paths- will give your body a much softer landing that it will greatly appreciate.
5.) YouTube Yoga
If something's tight and you can't figure out how to stretch it- it's time for YouTube Yoga. I love yoga because it teaches me ways in which to move my body into a stretch, and target certain areas, that I never would have thought were possible. If something's tight and I can't quite figure out what's the best way to stretch it I go to YouTube, search for the body part and the yoga move that accompanies it.
Over the years I've incorporated many yoga moves into my daily warmup routine and it has helped immensely.
6.) Stop and Stretch
It's okay to stop and stretch during a run. Sometimes with tendonitis your body won't necessarily like the starting and stopping patterns, but for the sake of loosening up your hips, or stretching your calves, by all means take 5 minutes and do it on the side of the road. If it means that the rest of your run is going to feel that much better, there's no need to push through just for the sake of making it a continuous uninterrupted (yet miserable) effort.
7.) TGFG: Thank God for Google
If you couldn't tell by now, Google and I are real close. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything, but I will also be the first to admit that with the help of Google I very well might someday. While my days as a treat-it-yourself athlete continue it's important to remember to never stop asking questions. Why do injuries happen? What can you do to fix them? When is it necessary to stop training, and when is it okay to train through? No question is too big or too small for the mighty Google, and I'm not too proud to ask.
Of course, it's important to remember to be choosy about the sources you rely on for information. I try and find scientifically sound and well-known sources. Wikipedia isn't always the best option as their content is largely produced by the general public. I have found great luck with the following sites:
http://emedicine.medscape.com
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.livestrong.com
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net
as well as this fabulous book:
The nicer you are to your calves, the less lower leg injuries you will suffer- period. The calves are like the underground hatch in Lost where that alarm keeps going off, and unless your press the button the island will get flipped and chaos will ensue.
In other words (for non-Lost fans), its a part of your body that if neglected can cause a whole host of problems. Tight calves can cause achilles tendonitis, stress fractures, strains and other overuse injuries. The propulsive motion of running makes your calves the workout heroes and therefore requires you to take extra care of them to ensure they don't cause trouble elsewhere.
Massage those babies out daily. Pay attention to knots and scar tissue buildup. Stretch your feet, toes, and hamstrings to help blood flow. Wear compression socks if you're going to be on your feet a lot, or running on hard surfaces.
4.) Run on grass.
Grass is awesome. When I lived in Arizona my roommates would make fun of me because I would go to the elementary school down the street from our house and run miles and miles barefoot around a small grass field no longer than 300 meters. Growing up in the land of grass that is upstate New York I learned from early on that running on grass makes my feet and legs feel a lot nicer than running on the roads everyday.
Make a point of running on soft surfaces any chance you can get. Trails, grass, dirt paths- will give your body a much softer landing that it will greatly appreciate.
5.) YouTube Yoga
If something's tight and you can't figure out how to stretch it- it's time for YouTube Yoga. I love yoga because it teaches me ways in which to move my body into a stretch, and target certain areas, that I never would have thought were possible. If something's tight and I can't quite figure out what's the best way to stretch it I go to YouTube, search for the body part and the yoga move that accompanies it.
Over the years I've incorporated many yoga moves into my daily warmup routine and it has helped immensely.
6.) Stop and Stretch
It's okay to stop and stretch during a run. Sometimes with tendonitis your body won't necessarily like the starting and stopping patterns, but for the sake of loosening up your hips, or stretching your calves, by all means take 5 minutes and do it on the side of the road. If it means that the rest of your run is going to feel that much better, there's no need to push through just for the sake of making it a continuous uninterrupted (yet miserable) effort.
7.) TGFG: Thank God for Google
If you couldn't tell by now, Google and I are real close. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything, but I will also be the first to admit that with the help of Google I very well might someday. While my days as a treat-it-yourself athlete continue it's important to remember to never stop asking questions. Why do injuries happen? What can you do to fix them? When is it necessary to stop training, and when is it okay to train through? No question is too big or too small for the mighty Google, and I'm not too proud to ask.
Of course, it's important to remember to be choosy about the sources you rely on for information. I try and find scientifically sound and well-known sources. Wikipedia isn't always the best option as their content is largely produced by the general public. I have found great luck with the following sites:
http://emedicine.medscape.com
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.livestrong.com
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net
as well as this fabulous book:
8.) Don't stop moving
For certain injuries like stress fractures immobilization is a necessary evil. However for a lot of less serious aches and pains, immobility can actually make matters worse. IT Band Syndrome for example can actually become worse with time off which decreases mobility and ultimately causes decreased blood flow. Sometimes the best option for soft tissue injuries that do not affect your form and stride is to keep on keeping on. Obviously there is a fine line that you must respect if the pain escalates beyond a certain level. At that point it can be necessary to take some time off and seek professional medical attention. However, the dull ache of a minor sprain or tendonitis can oftentimes be helped by pre-habbing, re-habbing, and continuing to move forward.
For certain injuries like stress fractures immobilization is a necessary evil. However for a lot of less serious aches and pains, immobility can actually make matters worse. IT Band Syndrome for example can actually become worse with time off which decreases mobility and ultimately causes decreased blood flow. Sometimes the best option for soft tissue injuries that do not affect your form and stride is to keep on keeping on. Obviously there is a fine line that you must respect if the pain escalates beyond a certain level. At that point it can be necessary to take some time off and seek professional medical attention. However, the dull ache of a minor sprain or tendonitis can oftentimes be helped by pre-habbing, re-habbing, and continuing to move forward.
Just keep running, just keep running...
I wanted to include a quick warning that the injuries and associated pain I am specifically talking about above is in reference to soft-tissue damage, most often caused by frequent use. If you are experiencing localized pain on bone it is important that you seek medical help as soon as possible. Fractures, stress-induced or not, aren't something to mess around with, and should be diagnosed and treated by a regular physician.