There is a reason why running is one of the high injury sports. At some point in time, every runner goes through some kind of injury. Newbies usually injury really quick and often until we get the basics of running correct.

I am slowly recovering from my first running injury, these are things I learned out of this experience. This blog is more like a note to myself for the next time :) . Other experienced runners, please feel free to add your experiences.

1) Understand the basic reasons why we get injured.

a) Bio-mechanical issues:

Before putting in a lot of miles, make sure you are wearing the right kind of shoes. A good running store would help you immensely here. Identifying your foot type and pronation, you should wear the correct type of shoes. I ran my first 60 miles on a cross trainer sneaker. I ran my next 40 miles on a running shoe which was the wrong size and was of the wrong type for my flat feet. My mistake was to pick my own running shoe with the help of an ‘expert’ in Sportmart. Big mistake. Before I realized my folly and went to Running Revolution, it was too late.

b) Strength issues:

Running strengthens your calf muscles and your hamstrings, but doesn’t help your quadriceps. Your quads are the only ones that save your knee from injury. If you have weak quads, try to shore up your quads before you put in the miles. I didn’t. I suffered.

c) Over-training:

What is normal training to others may not be the same for you. I am over-weight, I have flat feet and have strength issues. Running 16 miles a week was over-training to me, at this point in my running life. All the books I read suggested that 16 miles was perfectly doable. My body disagreed. I should have listened to it.

d) Improper / Inadequate stretching:

No matter how much stretching you do, you do not realize how inadequate it was until you get ITB :) . Learn stretching and spend time on it before and after each run.

e) Improper form:

Should running be learned? Aren’t we all born to walk and run? Turns out, running absolutely has to be learned. No one taught us the basics of running and there are not many training programs on how to run. Improper form will injure you sooner than later. Learn about proper running form. Learn about different techniques of running such as Pose running or Chi running, pick one and try to stabilize your running form.

2) Understanding the difference between pain and soreness

You can run with soreness and discomfort, but never with pain. I didn’t follow it. At first, I did not realize the difference between pain and soreness. And then, I rejected pain and ran with it. Once the adrenalin flows, pain subsides. Watch out for pain, back off at the first instance of pain.

3) Understand the basics of injury

Understand the basics of the various types of injury you can get. Galloway’s book on running has two very good chapters that talk about injury. I read the chapters, tried to apply my pains to what I read to figure out what the heck I had. It was clear as mud. I had too many things going on at the same time, I had more than one injury that stuck me at the same time. Until it was clear what all I was going through, life was very difficult, which leads me to the next point.

4) Get a good doctor

I had to see three different general doctors to even get my pain under control. My first doctor told me 3 days of rest is all I needed. My second doctor told me to stop running and choose the elliptical. My third doctor told me I had weak quads and need help. She also knew about the types of running shoes. But the first two doctors were way off the mark. Looks like most general physicians aren’t really tuned towards treating sports related injuries.

I was finally referred to a Physical Therapist who analyzed my pains and muscles and told me very clearly what was going on with me in less than ten minutes. I had more pain relief in the 30 minutes I spent with the P.T than with all the ibuprofen I took for a week.

5) Figure out before-hand which pain medication works for you

After a week of taking 1800mg of Ibuprofen only to see the pain gradually go up each day, my third doctor figured out that Ibuprofen doesn’t work for me and moved me to a different pain medication which worked like magic. Figure out before-hand what works for you :( .

6) Set realistic goals

This is directly related to over-training. If there is one thing I could change about my running so far, it would be not to push forward too aggressively. The marathons and half-marathons will always be there in the future. There isn’t a real hurry. Once the adrenalin is flowing, one feels like going for the extra two miles or pushing a little bit faster. As I said, you could be over-training even without you knowing about it.

7) Enjoy running

At some point in time, running stops being a fun exercise and starts to become much more than that, to prove a point to yourself (or others), to try to achieve the impossible. Injury downtime puts things back in perspective. Go back and restart running for the sheer joy of it. Once you are ready for the big races, you will know.

I ran my first two miles after the injury today, feels good to start again. Hope this stretch lasts longer :)

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