Marathon Training Blog

September 25, 2008

Injury Prone

I'm a bit of a klutz. I've sprained both ankles multiple times and never while doing anything heroic or athletic. Earlier this summer, I rolled my right ankle while stepping off a curb in platform heels. So I treated it with R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and went back to running after a couple weeks. My training was going just fine until last Friday when less than a mile into my run I had to stop due to a throbbing pain in my ankle. I was really worried about what this would mean for the marathon. Not wanting to take any chances, I made an appointment with a sports medicine doctor first thing this week and vowed not to run until I got his diagnosis.

I haven't always been so quick to see a doctor. I had hip pain for two years—two years too long—before seeking a medical opinion. I had rationalized that the pain was just a normal side effect of exercising. But the truth is, I was worried the doctor would give me bad news and tell me I had to stop running. Well, the doctor did have bad news for me: I had to have surgery! But after recuperating and doing physical therapy, I was able to resume my normal exercise routine and within a couple months, I was running races again.

Having learned my lesson not to run through the pain, I didn't hesitate to see a doctor this time and he had good news for me. I need to do some ankle strengthening exercises, but can resume training. Phew! My advice is, don't ignore persistent aches and pains. It's important to listen to your body—especially when you're asking so much from it.