The injured runner!

Injuries come and go. It doesn't matter if you are an elite athlete, a serious athlete or a weekend warrior. Sometime in our lives we all get injuries. Some people struggle with chronic injuries and some acute. Some people get recurring injuries every few yrs or so while other people get totally new ones.

For myself since I started running in 1999 I've had a lot and I've learnt a lot about how to win the battle against them not only physically but also mentally. Half the battle is the mental one!

The first injury I can remember getting was an achilles issue sometime in 1999. It put me out of action for about 4 or 5wks. I had no clue what to do. I didn't even have the internet back then so it was looking through old runners world magazines to see what this pain was. I was reading stuff about surgery and was freaking out! I was also stressing out that I couldn't run. I hated it! Then after about a month I was back out pounding the pavement again. I've had achilles issues twice since then. Once in 2009 after running hard out at Palmdale which took about 2 weeks to heal and I had issues with it again late last yr but with that one I had no pain just a puffy achilles so I took 4 weeks off to let it settle.

I've have the dreaded ITB. First time was back in 2000 when I was training for my first marathon which is now called the Blackmores marathon. I had no idea what this sharp stabbing pain in my knee was. All I knew was after about 20min of running it HURT! I remember thinking I had a knee injury and thought I was going to need knee surgery or something stupid like that. That one lasted about 6 weeks then came good only to haunt me again in 2009 when it came on all of a sudden running stairs in Bouddi National Park. The second time around I was out of action for 2 weeks then I back into it again.

I've had a strained quad and calf that's put me out of running for about a week

I've done cartilage damage to my ribs falling between two rocks after surfing and I was out of running action for 3 weeks and couldn't lie on my stomach for 9 months

I've dislocated my right shoulder about 8 times since I was 16yrs old and the last time was 5yrs ago ocean swimming out at Terrigal. That put me out of running for 2 weeks.

In 2010 I suffered with High hamstring tendinopathy and got it again in 2012

In 2011 I had a very nasty groin injury on both legs. That was awful and I couldn't run for 5 months between January and May.

In June 2011 I pinched a nerve in my L5-S1 and that was absolutely painful!!! Took 8 weeks to settle

Then last yr in 2013 I got my very first stress fracture in my right fibula but other than running I had no pain at all.

And now in 2014 I got a stress reaction in my tibia after doing C2K a 240km race which took 6 weeks to heal but this one only hurt if I pushed on the bone

Other things I've had peroneus brevis tendon pain in my foot which took 2 weeks to heal.

Had a sore knee for 1 week after running Narrabeen Allnighter race for 12hrs on concrete turning at a witches cone every 1 mile

Got a sore foot that put me out of action for about 2 weeks...No idea what that one was

Had morton's neuroma once which felt like I had a stone in my foot. That went away in about 3 weeks but didn't stop me running.

And right now I've pulled my iliolumbar ligament in my back.

So in 15yrs of running I've had a few injuries and I know if I let those injuries heal they will get better. Most get better in 2-4wks. Some are a little more stubborn though

Believe it or not I don't actually mind if I get an injury because if I never got an injury I'd just keep training hard all yr round without a break and I believe I would burn out.

Things I've learnt from injuries is never train through them. Just about all my injuries have just come on without much warning. My stress fracture last yr I had plenty of warning but ignored it but the rest came without much warning. The warning signs are probably there but I didn't recognise them.

I've done 2 ocean swim races that I loved that if it wasn't for running injuries I would never had done

I've learnt to enjoy swimming, bike riding and general cross training more. I've learnt that I enjoy running and training more than competing. That's why if I get injured I swim, and ride lot's and if I can't do a race then so be it.
I did get a little pissed that I got injured 2 weeks out from TNF100km race this yr though but at the end of the day I've done 3 ultras already this yr.

I've learnt that resting with an injury is a chance for me to recover and let my body heal.


So when my back gets better and if my injury history is anything to go by I should be back in 2 or 3 weeks I will then get back into it again train like a demon for 6-12 months until I get another niggle then take a few weeks off for recovery then train like a demon again which at the end of the day suits me fine :-)