Running "through" injury

This brings up a memory from decades ago. I had trouble with my achilles. It hurt like crazy and was so swollen that it hurt to wear shoes. I actually had cut the back of an old shoe and wore it so that mothing would touh that achilles. I wouldn't stop running though, so every day I'd go out and shuffle for 15-20 minutes.

After about 10 days of this, I got sick of not running and decided I would just ignore the achilles and run. So I got a pair of shoes that had the back still there and forced them on, wincing like crazy while I did. Then I started off on a limping, shuffling run. But after a few steps like that I decided that I was not really ignoring the injury, so I forced myself to run normally. For about two minutes, I saw God, but then the pain went away.

Were you ever worried about doing irreparable damage? I think that's a lot of what holds me back. That and I'm so psychologically "tuned" to the pain that I think I probably overreact to what I feel.

Yeah, I actually got achilles tendinitis whil getting ready for ironman (this sunday the 9th) I dealt with it for threee months and iced religiously However, I finally started seeing daylight after about 4 sessions of ART which seems to have helped, we'll see on sunday, wish me luck!!!

Sort of. But, and I know this will sound nuts, I just decided that it WAS going to get better RIGHT AWAY. I've done this sort of thing a number of times over the years with both illnesses and injuries. It's generally worked, but not always.

In this particular case, it was a bit of a gamble because I knew the possibility of rupturing the tendon was there. I just decided not to rupture it. Whether this was really good luck or some sort of brilliant mind/body intuitive thing is beyond me. I'm inclined to believe the latter explanation, but the fact that I can't always do it is puzzling.

HRE wrote:

Sort of. But, and I know this will sound nuts, I just decided that it WAS going to get better RIGHT AWAY. I've done this sort of thing a number of times over the years with both illnesses and injuries. It's generally worked, but not always.

In this particular case, it was a bit of a gamble because I knew the possibility of rupturing the tendon was there. I just decided not to rupture it. Whether this was really good luck or some sort of brilliant mind/body intuitive thing is beyond me. I'm inclined to believe the latter explanation, but the fact that I can't always do it is puzzling.

coo-coo! coo-coo! coo-coo! coo-coo! coo-coo! coo-coo!

It's not hard to run through an injury. But there's one important stipulation: it can't be an overuse injury.

I've occasionally taken a bad step during a run and partially sprained an ankle. I take a hop, skip, and a jump, curse, then, if I haven't totally f--ked it, complete the run. I ice it for a while after I get home.

The next day, it may hurt. But I've learned that this is the kind of injury that I can run through. The running motion itself isn't directly stressing the injured portion of the ankle.

A tibial stress fracture brought on by too much running on hard surfaces, for example, isn't something you can run through. A real stress fracture vividly makes its presence known. Running through it is equivalent to sandpapering an open sore. It's not going to heal.

Excellent point but probably 95% of running injuries are somewhat related to over use.

The danger here with HRE's approach is that most runners are rigid about their training and reaching their goals and tend to go into denial about injuries. We are quick to think this is wont be so bad, or that we can just will it away.

Very very risky behavior, but all too common.

dude just bite the bullet and take some time off, you'll thank yourself later

Again, I'm not really recommending this. But I have found that resting only prolongs injuries. I've had very few problems with them in my 39 years and I think part of that is due to the fact that I am rigid and don't "give in" to them. But you really do have to know yourself.

Yeah dude, just take some time off.

I've already taken time off..... LOTS. And every time I come back it's great for a day or too (and I'm not coming back too quickly -- we're talking 1-2 miles here). That doens't seem (although I could be wrong) to be doing anything.

What I'm saying is that right now it doens't feel "right". Not necessarily painful, just something is definitely there. Does anybody know what I'm trying to get at? Yeah, maybe once or twice it'll flare up for an instant, but otherwise it's just this constant feeling of "being there".

Is this "being injured" or am I over the hump and whatever it is that's wrong with me is just sorting itself out (i.e. maybe the area's weak?). Or not?

dude, 2 weeks is not necessarily enough time to recover from an injury. massage has always helped me get through them, but i've never been sidelined for more than a week. just lucky i guess

I'll give you my example now. I have to have surgery to remove some bone spurs in my feet. They aren't really painful, and most of the time I don't notice them. I can go run 10 miles right now no problem. But something just isn't "right". I just want my shat sorted out so then I can get on with it and train hard, know what I mean? I also agree with 2 weeks not being a lot of time. Running isn't fun when you cant go 100 percent.

I've had a fair amount of injuries the past few years, and in the begining I decided that i wouldnt run if my injury was bothering me. So i would take time off, days/weeks at a time, and then come back. Most often times the injury was still there, maybe not as intense, but still there.

So after skipping an entire xc season because of a calf strain I started back trying to rrun indoor, the calf flared up again, after some 5-6 weeks of rest. This was a turning point, i went and saw a family friend who was is a very good running speacialist, and he started treating it. After a week or so it was feeling a little better, until a few weeks later it was 100%, with no time off at all.

From that point on i have learned to maintain training through all my injuries. I feel that the muscles need to go through the range of motion, and loosen up so i can stretch and ice them. And yes most of the injuries i have had have been overuse, but i work through them. Ive even been able to clear shin splints up just by increased stretching for a period of time, absolutely no time off from running.

There are certainly times when rest is needed, but i remember this past summer, amidst 60 mile weeks i strained my achilles. Thinking the worst i decided i would take 5-7 days off. I saw a running speacialist, and he insisted i run the next day, be it short, but run and loosen the tendon, then ice it afterwards. 6 days after barely being able to walk across a room i was doing 5x3min at race pace.

Rest is not always the answer, every injury i work through gives me confidence that the next time something flares up i will be able to work through it.

Hope this helps with ur delema, injuries suck so bad, but working through them is possible. Once you getting it feeling a little better u will mentally respond and things will start improving at a faster rate. Set backs happen, but recovery is ALWAYS possible.

I found with ITBS that once I could run, after the initial rest period, that it hurt less if I ran everyday.

The days after rest days were painful so I stopped having rest Days.

Note that I was only running 40 to 50 miles a week and it was all on flat dirt trails.

sorry to bump this thread up but I am dealing with some peroneal muscle tenderness. Not really on my foot but more above the ankle, to about half way up the leg. I'm just coming off of time off and it doesn't seem to get any better by resting it. The chiro I am seeing just started doing some ART therapy on it and insists that I can run through it. But it hurts to walk so I am kinda weary. He insists though, that resting it won't make it heal any faster than if I were to run on it and receive the ART treatments. Now this is exactly what I WANT to hear, but I just want to see if anyone can verify this...

bump

great thread. I'm going to try running through a sprained ankle. I'm sick of not running and resting is not working. Wish me luck.

i might try this. just too depressed now to not run. nothing else works