If setting out for a run and ending up walking home from the far side of the park with bad IT band pain in the rain isn’t enough to get me down, the prospect of not running for a while surely seals the deal.
Which is why I’m feeling like a whiney, crankypants brat.
Injuries suck, yo.
I truly believe we runners go through specific stages when injured, and have definitely “been there, done that.” Here’s how I think this injury is going to go down.
1. Denial – the IT band pain I felt during the last few miles of the marathon was just fatigue! It will be fiiiiinnne in a week. And I just ran my first marathon and it was awesome WOOOHOOOO! I can’t wait to run again and I’m setting MASSIVE goals for the rest of the year and 2011 NOW!
2. False positivity – the first run since the race on Sunday was oooook, just a leeetle tightness. But it’s ok! I really dodged a bullet, phew!
3. Reality – oh shiz, 2 miles into a run and there’s that familiar ITB pain I know so well that takes MONTHS to go away. And hey, I get to walk home from Central Park and watch tons of other runners zoom by me.
4. Depression – if this injury is anything like the past two IT band experiences, I won’t run normally again for months. How am I going to capitalize on that post-marathon fitness? Or get that last “9+1” race in for 2010 so I can run NYCM next year? I’m going to feel sorry for myself now. Whyyyyy meeeeee??
5. Resent and hatred – projected onto healthy happy runners, frolicking for 7 miles in the sunshine without a care or pain in the world. I don’t want to talk about running. I don’t want to hear about running. I don’t want to write about running because DAMMIT I can’t do it and it SUCKS.
6. Improvement – oh heeey, I can run for 20 minutes and it feels ok! I’m ok! I’m getting better! There is HOPE!
7. Setbacks – wait, why does it hurt when I’m walking down the stairs? How come that pain came back after just 5 minutes of running? I THOUGHT I WAS BETTER. MAKE UP YOUR MIND IT BAND, YOU LITTLE BITCH.
8. More improvement – consistent bouts of short runs with no pain. Slooooow increases of mileage result in no pain. And yay to almost feeling like a runner again!
9. Injury prevention – lots of cross training and slow mileage increases with stretching and physical therapy to keep the IT band comfortable and happy, that little bugger
Even though I’m just settling into the depression phase, I will say that I’m glad the injury happened during the last part of the marathon rather than during training or at the beginning of the race, because it truly was an experience of a lifetime and I’m really thankful I got to enjoy it.
Now I’m going to go back to feeling sorry for myself.
Dear running: please come back soon. I miss you already. XOXO, Kelly.
Question: any phases you would like to add?
oh geeze, now you’ve got me all worried with your crazy post-marathon running. DON’T RUN. do yoga with me instead. ya hear??
well at least you’re at #4 on the list instead of #1. right? 😉 hope that you start to make some improvements PRONTO girl.
wow i think you have this phase thing covered!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 you could write a book even 🙂 how about some cross training??? yoga? do those things make it feel better?
I don’t have anything to add, because you said it perfectly. I am right there with ya. Ugh.
INJURIES DO SUCK! Thank you for this post because it is nice to know I am not the only crazy person and that others experience those stages. I think you hit all the stages perfectly….just to add to the anger stage, I sometimes see happy runners out and wanna go trip them or something because I am so jealous. Seriously, awesome post.
haha, yes I’ve had the urge to trip or punch smiling, happy runners too. Because I want to be one of them again ARRGHHH!!
Aw girl, I know how you feel! I was in the same boat after my last marathon. The important thing is to get yourself out of that denial stage STAT. The more proactive you are about rest and strengthening NOW, the shorter your recovery will be. And think of the positives – 1) you just finished your first marathon (sub 4:00, woo!!), 2) the days are shorter so running conditions kind of suck anyway, and 3) I bet it’s crunch time with school work. All good reasons that this IT band crap is happening now and not back in the summer. It will get better, I promise!
In the meantime, let’s do some yoga?
You are such a voice of reason, thank you Megan!! 🙂 Definitely down to channel the inner Yogi…
Hang in there Kelly!! You’re a smart girl and you know what you need to do… I know that doesn’t help with the stage you’re in right now but it will soon enough! And don’t fret over losing that marathon fitness, any time I’ve been set back with a nagging injury I’ve gone stronger b/c of it – you can do the same!
Groupon & GILT City have had recent deals for unlimited yoga sessions around NYC – I’ll let you know if I see another pop up.
Thanks Maria!! I think I’m going to finally sign up for Groupon… 🙂
My friend nyflygirl refers to it as the shIT band.
hang in there. you won’t lose everything you gained from the training. better to take time now (offseason). I agree with the commenters above:) Sending healing vibes!
I am going to call it the shIT band now too. That is a bummer, this thing is going around like a virus! I love how you classified the stages of grief. I am kind of in denial about telling myself it will go away, maybe it was a fluke. And driving by a popular running trail knowing it would hurt if I take a few steps is rough. I am trying cupping tomorrow. Caitlin wrote about IT Band pain today at http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/2010/11/it-band-woes.html
It is a good thing it happened now instead of on your last long run, like me. Gge$T$@ you stupid muscle.
Oh no – sadness. I’m so sorry this IT band issue is lingering around. But you are right, very lucky that it happened at the end of your race rather than right before. But still it really sucks. I had IT band issues during my last training and it was HARD. You know what you gotta do – so just roll it out, stretch it out and rest it. 😦
I would definitely add the call your mom crying phase. Moms give the best pep talks
Uggggh. I hope things are looking up for you by now, but if they’re not, take some (small?) comfort in knowing that most of us have all been there, crankypantsed and whined, and come out more or less unscathed. Just remember that these things heal MUCH MUCH MUCH QUICKER WHEN YOU DON’T PUSH THEM. I am sorry to yell that. But if someone had taken a sledgehammer and conked me out every time I tried to work out with my injury, I would have been much better off.
Oi, Kelly, I’m so sorry. ITBS is the WORST, because it tricks you into thinking it’s gone and you go out for a run and then get screwed! Hope you feel better soon 🙂
Haha, this is funny – I can relate! My knee randomly started hurting this week, a full week after the marathon. I’m hanging out on the elliptical for now – no need to abuse it running! Hang in there, and foam roll!
Kelly!!! Rest and Physical Therapy. I love PT- you just gotta find one that specializes in marathon runners. They will help you out. I felt pain yesterday in my hip flexor on my run so I’m only running 1-2 times a week and lots of cross training. Spinning??
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