To the injured runners out there, encouragement please

[Boobyslims]

i was at the end of a half marathon training block, to be my first half and was enjoying it all. I had goals, Plans, I was eyeing up the possibility of the full marathon in my city in the latter half of the year…

And then i got foot pain on a longer run. It was very mild but slightly worse next run (a sensation like you’ve done your laces up just a bit too tight, just enough to make you aware). This developed rapidly and now I’ve not ran in five weeks. My MRI is this Friday. It hurts any time I weight bear.

I saw a GP, a physio, an urgent care small fracture doctor and a private sports consultant. I was given different advice and because of how the system works here, I had to get X-ray done first to rule out a big obvious fracture. Just system delays all round with admin errors - wrong phone number, wrong foot marked on the first mri request so it was rejected etc

my frustration is, this is taking forever to get a diagnosis, nevermind even begin rehab. My foot is not getting better with time. Improvement has stagnated.

Honestly I’m so despondent. I’m 51 and running gave me such a buzz and an outlet and a sense of achievement. I find myself eating crisps now and not caring (and not enjoying them either!)

I work full time and have two under 12, I am a single parent. Life is busy and this has affected my life outlook more than I would ever have expected. My drive for life is in the toilet.

I decided to do upper body workouts instead and I pulled something so badly I couldn’t move correctly for eight days while the spasm released itself. Lesson learned and physio has said just leave the hiit classes alone for now and chase the diagnosis.

feel so silly… it’s not like I was heading for the Olympics but my friends are not into running/sport in general so I am venting here I suppose. Sorry this has been so long. Also, I hate admitting I’m broken!!!!

I would love to hear post-injury happy stories of getting back into sport… please!

Found this thread because I am injured and just about out of my mind. Really. Flat foot...custom orthotics for years, all quite good until a couple of months ago. On and off tendonitis pain. Was better until last week when it got very very very bad after a long walk. I walk 20km walks regularly and do incline treadmill when I cant get out.

Anyway, couple of days bed rest, foot a bit better so trying a bit of cycling and then yesterday did arm bike and I can't believe it, I have pulled a muscle in my back. It is really bloody sore. I regularly go on the arm bike. Yesterday I just upped the duration and decreased intensity. I am so upset. A week ago I was working out 6 days a week. Now I can barely move. I am so worried about weight gain but also trying to make sure I keep eating enough protein. What a mess.

I would recommend you see a good sports injury therapist, not all physios specialise in sports injury. My sports injury guy told me that tendons need to be used and strengthened not rested and the strength training is as important as the running. I’ve had Achilles tendinitis and in the end shockwave treatment really helped.

My guy is a runner and his aim is to keep runners running if he can!

Thanks. My friend who is a physiotherapist recommended shockwave therapy as well. Will try anything. My back is so sore though now. Can't believe I injured it using an arm bike! Anyway, thank you.

Just coming back to this a couple of weeks later to say I am much improved. Ligament in foot still inflamed but I am able to go on long walks again. My pelvis was twisted but myofascial release really helped get it back in place. I lost a bit of condition over the couple of weeks I was struggling with injury and I am forcing myself to be a bit cautious heading back in to it all so that I don't damage myself again. Overall... strangely it might have been a good intervention. I was probably over exercising and this forced me to slow down a bit. Just posting this for anyone else who finds this thread feeling utterly despondent as I was a couple of weeks ago!

So true!! My tendon is still not right, iadded to that is a new stiffness, you know that feeling like a whole joint needs to pop or crack… I have that on my ankle all the time.

My general update is I am still not right. Next appt is in June and it will be six months by then with this injury. I am getting better though. I see the consultant every six weeks and have been getting injections into foot/tendon area.

about three or four weeks ago I was feeling consistently injury free, not a morsel of an injury niggle, I increased my little dog walks… decided feck it I’ll chance a run. Took it really handy, gentle 500m intervals and recover, I wanted to make sure I help my cadence nice and smooth and gentle. Felt great. Next day, niggle appeared. A week later it was fully back. taught me a lesson!!

So, back ‘on pause’ with running. Definitely frustrated now. Few lbs heavier too. Ah well. I hear it’ll melt off once I start running…. I wish….