For those of us who are workout fanatics, there’s nothing that can knock us down like an injury. And I mean knock us down emotionally not just physically. We can deal with the physical pain. We are used to pushing through a lot but it’s the emotional pain that comes with the fact that we have to stop cold in our tracks and address this injury. It’s also difficult to come to terms with what went wrong. Why did this happen? Could it have been avoided? What can be done differently next time?
Some of you already know that I recently strained my gastrocnemius (calf muscle) while on my regular run. I was wearing new sneakers from a brand I normally don’t wear. I’d rather not mention what brand it was since that’s not the point. Let’s just say it was not my beloved Mizunos. Lesson learned. I will not let this happen again. The injury was pretty intense. It felt like something snapped in my calf and I had to limp back to the gym with tears in my eyes (mostly from frustration than pain). Emotional rollercoaster was starting to brew. But that was just the beginning.
I rely on my workouts (particularly my runs) as a stress reliever and a mind de-clutter, so not being able to work out for a few days after getting injured was extremely difficult. I had no idea how to cope and had to figure out how to relax and even enjoy my down time. One of the things that was difficult was dealing with all the pent up energy that normally gets used up during my workouts. I needed to find another channel and pronto since I was starting to feel really bad for myself. What ended up helping was learning about someone else’s injury that was even worse. I’m not sure why but it made me thankful that mine was not so bad by comparison.
The next few weeks were a learning experience since I have never been injured before so I had no idea what that entailed. I started going for physical therapy, which I highly recommend. Not only did the physical therapist help with massages and stretches but he ended up being my impromptu psychotherapist as well. It was absolutely awesome just to vent my frustrations to him and to hear him say that I will completely recover and be back to normal like nothing happened. I had to learn to be patient and to listen to all the recommendations he suggested. Once I started regaining my flexibility, I began strength training to make the weak injured muscle stronger. At the same time I was stretching it constantly. Soon I attempted my first run. It was very emotional and not completely free from discomfort, but the fact that I did it gave me hope that I will be back to normal soon enough. I continued physical therapy for a few weeks until he told me that my calf is back to normal.
So, this is about four weeks later and I can do everything now as if nothing happened. And now is the time for reflection. What lessons were learned from this injury? One, don’t just buy sneakers because they look soooo pretty. Make sure they are the right ones for you. Don’t fall for their marketing tricks. Go to a professional store and get your arches analyzed. Then stick to that type of sneaker and don’t deviate. Another lesson learned was not to let a setback determine how you feel but use it as a time to recover and recharge. And last, just because you got injured doesn’t mean you didn’t have an amazing experience for many years before. Reflect on all the good times. I have not been injured in my 25 years of running. I guess you can say I’ve had a good run! Now I’m back stronger and wiser.