-When it rains, it pours.
The biggest risk to illness is not the initial illness that besets us - it is the secondary illness that is more dangerous, as our bodies are in a weakened state and less resistant to new attacks. Three weeks ago, my wife and I both caught the flu. It wasn't the normal 2-day flu where a person takes up residency in the bathroom either. It was the 14 day, full-on, all-out, feeling like the losing MMA fighter after 10 rounds-type flu. I was lucky though, as I was sick only for 7 days. Unfortunately, I developed an upper-respiratory infection immediately afterwards.
What is the up-side to being sick? Rest. Rest is the up-side. I was having a slight pain in my Achilles tendon at the insertion point on the heel. So, with my body wrecked from the flu and infection, I was able to rest. I didn't run for a week (a new record).
When I felt I was feeling well enough to go to work, I was well enough to run. I left the house at my normal time of 4:00 am for a morning run of 5 miles, just to shake out the cobwebs. Less than a mile into my run, my Achilles started to hurt. And as I continued, it hurt more. And more. Crap ass.
I had been resting my body, and any pain left over from my last race should have been completely gone. But here I was, many days post-race and I was still having Achilles pain, even with a solid week in bed. It made zero sense. So I did what any runner would do...I went running again.
I am a college graduate with a Master's degree. I have a house, a job, a family...I don't have the option or excuse to be stupid. Yet, somehow, I make stupid decisions. I took another week off running, just to say "Sorry."
A week later, I went back to running. And you know what?! Achilles pain. So I called Dr. TJ Hackler, a sports physician and chiropractor who travels with the Chiefs and the University of Kansas Track and Field team. He performed some active release therapy (ART), which made a world of difference. His instructions were to not run until the next Wednesday, and then only run no more than 3 miles.
I ran 6.5 miles. And it hurt.
So back to TJ I went. I have Achilles tendinitis, and two more appointments scheduled for next Monday and Wednesday. And I cannot run until the following Monday. This time I am going to listen to him.
Taking time of for an injury is an exercise in and of itself. Running is a major part of my life that I can only think about now, rather than do. It is hard. Fortunately, I am cleared to ride the bike, which I have done nearly every day on the trainer. It provides some solace to my malady, but it's not the same. Running is freedom, a friend that I always have with me, a welcome obsession. And I miss it.
Another downside is I have races scheduled in the very near future that are no highly unlikely to happen. I could run them as fun runs, which might be the best thing for me, but what a change that will be. I hate paying money for a race, and then having to miss it. Maybe running for fun will make it more valuable, who knows. But for now, I will be staring at the wall, while my legs pedal around and around on the indoor bike trainer, going nowhere.
Let the empathy flow.
M
No comments:
Post a Comment