The interesting thing about running – you do it to keep fit but invariably, especially if you step up the workload, injuries can occur. Particularly in Masters Athletics. You go to a meet, ask how your fellow competitors are travelling, and you hear about hamstring, achilles, calf, glutes, quads. More like an anatomy discussion!
That doesn’t diminish the enjoyment of hitting the track or trying to improve your times. It’s something that goes with the territory. And of course any discussion of niggles or injuries wouldn’t be complete with information about how your fellow runners are dealing with the issues. Physio, stretches, exercises, creams, ice, heat…you name it. They say that my little profession of economics is an inexact science, but treatment of running injuries has to be up there also.
Over time I’ve had the usual complaints, especially for those of us who have chosen the shorter sprinting events – distances up to 400m or 800m. Shin splints, hamstring tears, ankle, heel & achilles complaints, abductors strains. Nothing major. As I said before, things that go with the territory.
Why the injuries? Invariably they occur if you push the envelope. Train a little harder or longer than you normally do. Perhaps, cut some corners in warming up. Perhaps, an uneven running surface. Perhaps, a change in the weather, especially moving from hot to colder weather. As Tony Abbott has previously said – and I’m paraphrasing – stuff happens!
Easter hopping
At present I’m feeling a little sore. OK a lot sore. And how did this happen? I experimented with some ‘step hurdles’ or mini hurdles. It looked like fun. Set up six hurdles on a small grassed area and jump and hop over the hurdles. (Actually hopping now seems quite appropriate, given that it was just after Easter!)
All seemed good. But the next day there were a few sore muscles. Thought nothing of it. And actually decided to follow my son and daughter to a grass running track and do some sprints.
But last night I paid for the activity. All manner of muscles hurt – stomach, arms, legs. Nothing major, no injuries. But I hadn’t really felt like that since I played soccer (‘football’ of course now) a bit over 20 years ago.
As I said, nothing major, but interesting. I didn’t feel I needed to warm up before the hurdle hopping. I mean, it was just a bit of hopping and jumping. But clearly it was something new for many of my muscles.
Method to the madness
So what prompted me to try something a little different. Well, a couple of things. First, I’d done a few runs in the days before, some sprints and longer runs. And I’d done some weights. So I was looking for something a little different.
I get bored doing the same thing. I think all runners do. And you don’t want to overdo any particular activity but at the same time get some exercise in and perhaps challenge yourself in different ways.
And also up there in rationalising the decision to get hopping was that my longer-term niggle or injury was actually feeling a lot better. As I’ve previously mentioned, the right heel/ankle/achilles – whatever it is – has been causing some discomfort. I still am not totally sure what the issue is. Yes, perhaps a visit to the doctor could have isolated the cause or identified precisely what the issue is. But as I’ve found in the past, and after hearing of other ‘war stories’ either directly or indirectly, that is by no means certain.
Unfortunately everyone is different and a little can get lost in translation in explaining to the doctor what the issue is, where it hurts, when it starts hurting etc. And then the doctor may refer you to other health specialists to more accurately diagnose or treat the problem.
Now as I’ve said previously, this rationalisation is just mine. I’m not advocating not checking out these things. In fact I urge you to do the smart thing and seek out the best medical advice. I just thought that my particular issue wasn’t major. Just a niggle. Something that goes with being a Masters runner.
Doing the research
But that doesn’t mean I’ve being doing nothing. I’ve done my ‘research’ Yes, that means Googling. But that isn’t something that should be derided. There is so much good information on the internet – by health professionals as well as others. Five or 10 years ago that wasn’t the case. But the hard part is working out what information you should trust.
For my niggle, all the research has pointed to the fact that I have a heel spur. Painful heel, especially when putting your feet on the ground after getting up in the morning. And gradually the pain eases as you get moving. Apparently something that comes with age, especially my age.
So what is the best treatment? Well, rest.
Now for a runner, that isn’t what you want to hear. Rubbing in a cream, getting some form of injection, perhaps physio – all these are preferable, because you are doing something about it and then getting back to training.
I once told a pharmacist what I had, and he ended up finishing my sentences. Apparently he had the same issue. I asked whether certain creams, insoles etc could help, and he said no, rest was the answer, perhaps taking some anti-inflammatories…and just living with it.
Now that’s not really my way. So I asked others, did more research. And I got one piece of advice from my work colleague – Alfredson’s heel drops. Seemed like a reasonable concept. Effectively stretching and strengthening the area including achilles, heel and calf. But apparently it didn’t involve just a few exercises and the problem was fixed. Rather it involved a high number of repetitions – up to 180 a day over a couple of months. And it may involve some pain before the issue is resolved.
So let me get this right? Exercising or stretching an area that may actually cause some pain, to ease the pain? OK, worth a go.
And I have started doing the exercises – not to the extent recommended – but still doing the stretch or exercise. An indeed, the heel area is feeling better.
I’ve also tried to strengthen the area by standing on one leg. And that has being going OK.
And the hurdles? Well, that is part of my theory as well. I need to get to a stage where the ankle/heel/achilles area is strong enough to support some jumping. One exercise or discipline that every good sprinter/middle distance runner should do is plyometric work – like hopping and jumping.
If I’m going to deal with the heel issue and eventually beat it, then I’m going to have to stretch and strengthen the area.
So we’ll see how we go.
The training
What about the training over the past fortnight – that is, up to ANZAC Day? Well there has been a couple of weights sessions as well as a light weight/high repetitions session. And a session using large elastic bands. There’s been two Bay Runs – a run of around 7km – still not completing the distance, but I’ll get there! There’s been a couple of sessions on the jogging trampoline – one with sand weights and 2 minute sprints. And there have also been two sprint sessions on grass. Not super fast but one session of 12 x 120m and another of 8 x 150m.
In fact the last session was just yesterday – and remarkably that was the first time I’ve gone on a training run to an athletic track in…I don’t know how long.
So the goal of improving my running times, getting more competitive, and staying fit, healthy and keeping my weight down, is still on track. The past few weeks have involved less travelling at work, and a feeling that I’m on top of things. But a busy month lies ahead. Whether the discipline can continue – both exercise as well as diet – remains to be seen.
Craigjamesoz 