Thag Hurts

So I was running the other day. Nothing unusual for me, an easy five miles on the treadmill because I had to work later that night. I wasn't running particularly hard, but all of a sudden I got a severe pain in my right knee. It lasted only a minute or two, then went away. I finished my run and went to work.

The next morning, I was a little sore, but not too bad. I decided to give it a rest day, and see how things went. I took a day off, then ran the next. The knee got sore again when I was running, but felt better when I stopped. OK, I thought, not too bad.


The trouble really started the day after that, when I decided to put in a fast three mile tempo workout, to "really test my knee." All hell broke loose, and afterward, I was unable to walk without limping. It was clear that my injury was not as minor as I was pretending it was.

The fact of the matter was that I was being stupid. That tends to happen to me from time to time, especially when injuries are concerned. If you are going to choose physical activity as a way of life, then injuries will be part of it. Even if you don't, you will still be susceptible to injury, perhaps even more than those who exercise, as your body will be weaker. I will assume since you are reading this blog that you either exercise, or want to do so.

If and when you get injured, here is what you do:

1. Don't be like me- do not stupidly try to ignore your injury. It may be minor or it may not, but at least pay attention to it.
2. Seek professional assistance- If you have an injury that seems like more than just muscle soreness, particularly if it involves a joint, go to a sports medicine specialist for an exam, and possibly some testing. Athletes can be prone to stress fractures and other odd injuries that generalists are not well versed in diagnosing, and which don't show up on regular X-Rays, like the one above.
3. Rest- This is the part that I have the most trouble with. You need to stop activity and let your body heal. The good news is that the body is fantastic at rebuilding itself, and can heal the vast majority of injuries, provided that you give it time. If you're like me, you just need to get your obsessive compulsive nature out of the way and let it heal
3.5 Find Other Activities- This is what I failed to do that is so important. Even though I could not run on my bum knee, I could bike, swim, weight train, or any of dozens of other exercises that will let me get in my cardio and strength training and calorie burn. Just because you can't do what you want to do, doesn't mean you can't do anything.
4. Remember, Injuries are a Part of Athletics- If you are going to pursue athletics, you will get injured from time to time. It's that simple. There is really no way around it. None of us is impervious to injury. Remember that you are not alone, and everyone else gets injured from time to time as well. If you stick to your recovery plan and listen to the doctor that you saw in step 2, then you will be back to your chosen sport sooner than you think.

In summation, don't be stupid, like your local blog author. Realize that you are injured, trust your instincts, and follow these steps to recovery!