Dealing with Running Injuries
Running injuries, they can be tough to deal with. How do you know when to stop and when to keep going? How do you handle the time off and how do you get back into running again?
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These are the tough questions that a runner must deal with sometimes, but what's that saying, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?
Here are some tips for answering those big questions and learning how to avoid injury in the future.
When is it ok to keep going and when do you need to stop before the injury becomes worse?
Before you worry to much, make sure that your running shoes are not the cause of your injury. I have been relieved so many times when I thought I had an injury coming on to find out it was just my shoes.
That being said if your shoes are old and worn, you should lay off the running and stick to cross training until you get a new pair. You can hurt yourself running in a pair of messed up shoes.
If every time you run, you feel sore in a different place, that is probably a good thing. It is more likely that you are suffering from an injury if you feel pain in the same place every time you run and it gets worse as you run.
If a running injury seems to persist in the same place, it is best to take some time off and do some cross training. Better to take a few days off early on, then to keep going and make it worse. That will only lead to more time off.
Generally, if the problem persists after two weeks of rest or cross training, you should probably have the problem checked out with your doctor.
How do you handle the time off from running?
If you're like a lot of us running moms and running is your therapy, the time off can feel a bit like withdrawal. To get through it, 1) try some cross training.
There are many low-impact activities that you can do to get that runners' high. If you have access to a pool, swimming or under water running are really great. If you don't have access to anything else, walking is good.
Just keep reminding yourself that this healing time is important and if you rush or or start running again prematurely, you will only prolong your time off.
Think of how great it will feel to get back out there once your body heals, and try to stay healthy, so you don't have to work over-time when you get back into running.
How do you start running again after you've taken time off to recover from an injury?
Take it slow. Don't try to make up for lost time all at once, you don't want to get injured again.
It can be hard to get back into your groove. Here are some tips on starting running again.
How do you avoid running injuries in the future?
Probably your number one question, is how do you avoid these running injuries from happening again in the future. Here are some tips on avoiding injuries.
