The Gift of Injury

Going through some papers, I came across this piece I wrote 21 years ago, about midway through my running career. I am not sure what I did with this and if anyone else ever read it, but it reminded me how critical a juncture this was. The injury was patellar tendinitis, reportedly the 5th most common running injury. I did not run for over three months. But upon returning, I did so progressively with a commitment to avoid this going forward. Thus began my consistent use and tracking of running equivalents, mostly water running and Stairmaster and by incorporating REQs an adherence to daily workouts. It also marked the start of taping my knees with Leukotape right below the kneecap to take pressure off the patella tendon. The physical therapist used this during rehab and I just kept doing it. I buy Leukotape in bulk and don’t leave home without it. I tried the Cho-Pat, but find tape works much better. Also at this time, I began a regimen of weight exercises for my legs and knees four to five times a week. Specifically for the knees I use the quad machine, but rather than isotonic (up and down) reps I choose a weight that I can hold straight out with each leg for a count of 10, lower it slowly, then do the other leg. I call these isometric “holds” and do 10 to 15 per leg. Over time, this has built the quads above my knee, helping to keep the patella tracked.

There can be a silver lining in the cloud of injury, and I certainly found that with this bout of patellar tendonitis. Along with ITB syndrome and patellofemoral pain (runner’s knee), sore knees comprise three of the top five running injuries. So it behooves us to strengthen this vital part of our kinetic chain!

The Gift of Injury
(From November 22, 1995 – Thanksgiving Day)

I have been running for 18 years, typically 1,800 to 2,000 miles a year, five to six days a week. Fortunate to avoid a major injury, I have rarely been off my feet for more than a week. It’s been a large part of my life. In fact, I have wondered (without much interest in finding out!) what life without running would be like.

So, I was not elated to hear my doctor prescribe a likely two-month layoff to recover from persistent knee pain. And even that might not do it. It was not good news. But I had been dealing with this for over a year and it was affecting training, race times, and my enthusiasm for running. Running was still a tonic—something to look forward to and organize the day around, a way to stay fit, a social link, and stress releaser. The timing of this was bad. I was heading into a busy work cycle and was several pounds above normal weight. So with some trepidation, I agreed to the prescription of rest from running and rehab.

That evening, I thought about how to constructively approach this. There was a lot I could do: swim, pool running, bike, lift weights, some StairMaster – anything limiting direct pounding on the knee. But none of these seemed to be the elixir to replace a brisk seven to 10 mile run.

First, I decided it was a good opportunity to really learn to swim. I had been working on my stroke off and on during the past year, but it was still a mess. And lingering memories of nearly drowning as a kid kept me from relaxing and exerting myself in the water. It was time to get beyond that!  Second, I vowed to work out every day. Because of work that meant early morning workouts. Third, I knew it would be tough to keep from gaining weight. But instead of aiming to hold steady, I challenged myself to lose the extra weight, so when I was ready to run again, I would tread lightly.

So how has it gone these past two months? Swimming, surprisingly and pleasantly, is coming around with the help of a swim video, lifeguard tips, a pull buoy, and consistent training – at least four times a week. To vary the workout, I even started doing flip turns (my first were a real joke!) I discovered that as with running, going faster has benefits. With swimming, it leads to a sensation of gliding through the water and with proper rotation and reach, better stroke efficiency and reduced drag. My times are approaching 30 minutes for a mile (I figure about a 7:00 minute/mile running pace equivalent), which for “real” swimmers is not great shakes. But it’s all relative. A year ago, 40 minutes for a mile was a dream. Most notable though I’ve begun to look forward to the pool workouts, which with water running last about an hour. I’m not sure why this is, but swimming typically leaves me more refreshed than running. I’ve stuck to the schedule and have missed only one day since going on this program. On non-swimming days, I find a combination of StairMaster, stationary bike, weights, and stretching works well.

The extra weight went away, at least in part due to the early-to-early schedule. Late night cravings for pretzels, etc., have been largely displaced by early bedtimes. Also, I cannot eat thinking I will work it off doing a long run the next day. The fact is these activities do not burn calories the way running does. So I am more aware of what I eat throughout the day.

I do miss running! Especially the racing, although this is gratefully the off-season. I have no doubt that when I return, the fire will burn again. However, I think this pause has shown me I’ve been “chained” (I had to run!) to running, and I feel those shackles have been loosed. As with gaining a new friend while old ones are away, running will now compete with swimming for my time. It’s a dilemma I never expected but welcome.

So what I thought was going to be a hardship has turned out to be a gift. It answered the question of what life would be without running. As for all you injured runners, maybe I’ll see you at the pool!