Stubborn creatures

As a runner, I have to say, I am not addicted to it.

Yes I run quite often, three times a week at least, and when it’s intense training period I will run up to 4/5 times a week. But I am not addicted.

Sometimes I see those memes and jokes, comparing runners high to drugs and how if we are addicted to running we shouldn’t even considering trying heroin. Well first good thing is I never considered that, second good thing is I am just not that addicted.

When I don’t go for a run for a week or so I guess I will get a little down. But this is not because I am crashing for not injecting some runners high into me, that is just from me not being active. So this post actually brings me to point out, if I am injured, I am not really bothered if I don’t go running.

The above video was shown to me by Joe, a sport masseur that I have been visiting lately at BodyCure, thanks for Claire’s and Alex’s recommendation. 

I often speak to and surround myself with fellow runners and I don’t think I have ever experienced a time where none of us are injured all at once. How odd. We weren’t newbies, we have all been running for awhile yet it seems like we are constantly injuring ourselves doing an activity that we seem to love the most. But, as we know from articles and people’s words, running will F up your knees and legs and its a super damaging sport.

Well, speaking from my own experience I have had one very serious (well, comparing to only my own injuries) problem about 3 years ago and it was my ITB. I have been running casually for about 6 months at that point and one sunny day, in Regent’s Park, whilst running I suddenly felt this sharp pain on the side of my knee and caused me to have to stop immediately. I didn’t know what was happening. Prior to this I never had problems before so I never researched regarding runners injury. I only remember being in a panic state as I have Bupa10k in 6 weeks time and I was so eagerly hoping for a PB. So I did a quick search on the internet and found the closest physio to my flat, Tatami Health and swiftly booked my first appointment, hoping to cure my knee as soon as possible.

Little did I know, this was not just a random injury that you might get, like if you kick your little toe on the side of some furniture, or fall down a flight of stairs and badly bruising your body. This was the result of a long process, mostly because there were other factors lacking in my running habits, i.e. stretching (oh how important it is to stretch) and strengthening (oh how important it is to strengthen). 

ITB = I have weak glutes. I was over compensating by running with a strange form and angle which courses other muscles to tighten and in a result straining it, leading to the pain I felt on the side of my knee. I made several more appointments with the physic, did the exercise and was able to be back on the road within a week. This is also probably because it was early stage of the injury, so instead of it actually being severely injured, it was a yellow light signal letting me know what is going on in my legs.

Fast forward three years, I have now changed my running postures and style, I am a lot more aware of my gait and my choice of footwear (though I still wear a lot of Nikes, I can’t help it if they look so pretty on my feet) and I listen to my body. I have also done a lot more research in terms of other type of running injuries, its causes, symptoms and treatments. Our body is one big machine, one little hiccup in the turning wheel in an insignificant area can lead to the biggest damage to its system down the line. 

Because of this little experience I have had 3 years ago, I realise a lot more how important it is to mix up your training, to work out parts of your body that is not worked when running, to strengthen the base foundation muscle groups to enable better efficiency, and to understand different scenarios you put your body through.

I guess this is why when I am injured, or stressed or am feeling fatigued I never over push myself. Yes I get fidgety when I don’t exercise, but I do not overwork my body, especially because I am afraid on missing out. Missing out on the fun, missing out on the opportunity to get fitter and missing out on the discipline I am putting my body through. When I feel pain, I know this is a sign my body is telling me it needs a rest. Or certain part of it needs to rest, so I switch things up. I go swimming, I do weights, I work on my core.

This is something I feel many people I know do not necessarily do and sometimes it worries me. I spoke to a girl before and she was having pain in her legs whilst running on a soft surface. I asked her what it was and may be she should stop. She told me she can’t because she needed to do 5 miles today and another 6 tomorrow. I just looked at her. I didn’t know what else to say to her apart from ‘you’re going to hurt yourself’ but I know even if I did say that to her, she wouldn’t listen because in her mind, she had it set that if she doesn’t follow the training plan, if she doesn’t do as she should, she will lose her fitness, she would have failed and she needed to prove that she can still do it, even with pain in her legs, in the part of her body that she needs the most whilst running.

It is commendable when you try your best at everything you do, but I personally do not agree in pushing yourself past the limit that you can actually withhold, just to prove a point that, actually, only you, yourself is going to care. But in the process of proving to yourself, you have also damaged yourself to a point that might cause you to lose all your motivation and interest for the future.

So sometimes you just have to ask yourself, do you want to do this for the next 3 months, or the next 3 decades.

Other friends have expressed that they have been in this limbo before, being injured and unable to run but only running can help relieve stress. So it becomes a vicious cycle. I guess this is a stage where most runners will have to go through, and there is nothing you can really do about it. No matter how much you speak at them, try to persuade them or even have an intervention, they won’t really change their mindset because in case you haven’t heard, runners are normally quite the stubborn species. Now that is one observation people make about us that I can agree on.