Recovery Mode = Test of Patience

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As I’ve alluded to (or stated outright) in previous posts, I’m not a particularly sporty guy. At all. Running is that rare activity that has somehow captured my soul and given me the motivation to be – though I still feel the need to use quotation marks – an “athlete”.

But I can’t run right now. What’s a boy to do?

Indeed, I took the week after the marathon to relax. The first couple of days were enforced relaxation, to be sure, since I could barely walk. But by the following Saturday I was raring to go, and did a 15k Forerunners run.

It aggravated what I assumed had been caused by too-tight shoes:  a sharp pain on the top of my right foot. A visit to the physio assured me that it was not a stress fracture (how would I have dealt with that??), but very definitely tendonitis. The cure? Lots of icing, and “no running until you’re 10 days pain free”.

It’s been a week now, but I still had pain for a couple of days after my diagnosis, so I’m not there yet. I’m anxious and a bit cranky, and I’m not sleeping like I usually do. And although I’m avoiding any high impact movement, I did manage a few things:

3 days at the gym – 2 days of cycling, and a third day of cycling + strength work and stretching. I’ll admit, I find the stationary bike inordinately boring. Maybe I need a class. I similarly loathe the treadmill – something about all that forward movement, but no change of scenery and ultimately going nowhere – it’s truly a psychological struggle for me.

Flow yoga class at the YMCA – an absolutely delightful hour of movement and stretching. Lots of breathing. Very healing.

I’m an impatient patient. In general, I have no issues sitting still – but I hate that I have no choice but to do so this time. I can’t wait to get out there and run again. I recognize that I’m actually very fortunate – many runners have faced far more serious injuries, while all I’m dealing with is a minor setback. However, I’m forcing myself to consider the longer term impact of my behaviours. Because I want to run again soon.

So today I sit, I ice, and I blog.

5 Comments

  1. adrienne

    All the best with the recovery Brad! Just sit it out – you have to or you’ll risk going backwards. My tendonitis has taken a year to get better (still not perfect) as I kept doing too much. Love your page here!

  2. Be disciplined in letting your foot heal now with some time off and you’ll appreciate it later. I struggled with something similar for over a month this spring because I kept trying to run thinking I was almost better. Full rest was definitely needed.

  3. egercke

    Boo, sorry you’re dealing with this! Better to really rest like you’re doing than to “cheat” like so many others I know and run too early. Then you never heal! Keep taking it easy!

    • Ahh the hideous activities that leave you nowhere… treadmills and stationary bikes. No thank you. I have to agree I need the change of scenery too. Patience my friend. Time will heal.

  4. Pingback: Ambleside Mile: the race I almost didn’t run | Bradley on the Run

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