I am running monthly challenges in 2021 to fundraise for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)

What can I learn from my running injuries? A challenge for April 2021. This is no small challenge and one that every runner inevitably eventually faces.

Why this challenge?

I have an injury, again! I have a wish to avoid these injuries altogether. To remain injury free is probably a dream and aspiration of every runner. On the other hand, if you haven’t been injured yet, you probably haven’t run enough yet!

Past injury challenges and what I learnt from them

I have been running for a long time (since 1983) and suffered various injuries. Most were very common runner’s injuries, often referred to as ‘overuse injuries’. I am not entirely sure about ‘overuse’. There is plenty of evidence that the human body can endure much higher volumes of ‘use’ than what brings on most ‘overuse’ injuries.

I made the following erroneous conclusions:

• ‘Too much’ running is bad, absolutely and categorically (yet who decides what is ‘too much’?).
• I damaged myself by running ‘too much’.
• The damage cannot be undone.

My running journey since 2015 proved these conclusions wrong. I have run further and faster than my younger self. I also suffered less injury. This did not happen without discovering new information.

Marathon distance running boomed since the 1980’s when I first ran a lot and suffered injuries. More knowledge about running and injuries is available and accessible. I was also lucky to make an expert friend in the yoga class I attended. She was an ultra runner, sports therapist and yogi with a master’s degree in sports and exercise medicine. At the time, she owned a hugely successful sports therapy clinic, but has moved on since then.

I learnt that all of my injuries were caused by imbalance, weakness, tight muscles, unsuitable footwear and poor form. These lessons have taught me to see every ‘injury’ as an opportunity to learn and grow as a runner.

There is plentiful good information freely available on the internet. In addition, there are many experts who can give good advice. Every runner can explore, experiment and discover how to condition their unique bodies to keep on running.

Stress fracture of fibula (bone in lower leg)

This happened when I was 12 years old. I ran twice most days, did not eat properly and suffered from insomnia. I was a lonely, insecure and unhappy pre-teen. Running to win became an obsession alongside an overwhelming fear to gain weight. Obviously, it is natural for 12 year old girls to gain weight. It is called growth and puberty.

It took 6 months and multiple experts (including Tim Noakes, the famous author of ‘The Lore of Running) to diagnose the stress fracture. During this time I started to feel a bit crazy for feeling pain for no apparent reason.

I could write a whole blog just about this episode.

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• Always run for enjoyment first.
• Never become obsessed with victory.
• Eat well.
• Throw the weighing scales out! I still don’t own a bathroom scale.

Achilles tendinopathy

This happened when I was 15 years old. I was running twice daily once again. I had almost accepted my heavier, slightly curvier self. It was still challenging. Sometimes I was tempted to attribute my poorer performances to being bigger than when I was 12! My training became a bit more obsessive as I racked up the mileage. Maybe I was craving a win.

It started as a discomfort above my heel. It felt as if there was something in my sock. At first I could warm it up. Then it got worse rather than better, with running. Eventually it was pain rather than discomfort.

The inflammation in my tendon sheath was so severe that I could hear the friction. Lumps were palpable. It was also thickened and red. In desperation to still compete, I had a steroid injection for symptom relief!

Today, this would be ill-advised. That was 1988. The outcome was not good. I was lucky not to suffer an Achilles tendon rupture, but also did not finish the race. I could not even walk without a limp for three months.

For almost 20 years I felt as though I never fully recovered. I still ran, but my efforts had a flavour of frustration and regret.

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• Always run for enjoyment first.
• Never become obsessed with victory.
• Never become obsessed with times and ‘achievement’ (as victory drifts out of reach).
• Don’t ignore a niggle.
• ‘Expert’ knowledge evolves over time.

Tight calves

This was the recurring limiting factor of all my running efforts between 1988 and 2015. Every time I went beyond jogging, my calves would seize up. I accepted this and made the most of my jogging life without realising just how much joy and freedom I was missing out on.

Even as I am writing this blog, I wonder what exactly changed in 2015. Of course, it was not one thing. It was the sum total of many big and apparently small things that happened around that time.

It was a time when I was moving on from many limiting ‘status quos’ in my life: an unhappy marriage, a confining Christian religion, renting someone else’s property and merely jogging when all I ever wanted to do was run!

The positive actions I took to ‘move on’ was: leave my marriage, question everything I’ve ever been told, buy a house and join a running club. In addition, I also started attending a regular yoga class, thinking it would be good for flexibility. Ignorantly, I considered yoga to be merely some more physical exercise.

Life suddenly and slowly turned into a delicious journey of exploration and discovery. A passion for trail running steadily emerged and remains a reliable source of vitality in my life.

I finally had enough of my tight calves! It took multiple visits to a very skilled massage therapist to get the tension out. Three hour long sports massage sessions per week over the course of two weeks brought about a step change. My evolving yoga practice enabled me to maintain the gains that were achieved by the massages and I could move beyond the limitation of having ‘tight calves’.

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• If you have to run, run!
• Never accept a status quo or a label that limits your dreams.
• Get expert help until it helps.
• Training is conditioning the body – when training leads to injury, something has to be adjusted.

Torn harmstring

This happened on a cold Friday afternoon towards the middle of April 2016. I was utterly stupid and foolish! Picture a bunch of middle aged women playing touch rugby on a cold Friday afternoon. Then watch as I turn up late, do no warm-up whatsoever and then sprint at top speed across the pitch.

In hindsight, a torn muscle was perfectly predictable. I wrote a little poem about this at the time. As a result, I missed out on the first running event that I had intentionally entered for over a decade… the Endurance Life Pembrokeshire half marathon.

Thankfully, I recovered my head almost immediately and sought expert help for my recovery. This turned the injury into an opportunity to learn just how important it is to do strength and conditioning work as part of my training.

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• Warm up!
• Keep your head on.
• Don’t get carried along in a crowd.
• Learn from mistakes.

Runner’s knee

I was still being swept along in the enthusiasm and pleasure of running socially. The unconventional local running club in my village, Darth Coastal Runners, put on a couple of events per year. The Darth in March 2016 was the first running event I had participated in for well over a decade. It was fantastic fun! It followed logically that I needed to enter the Marathon de Gwyr, a three day event that covers 58 miles of trail.

In hindsight, this might have been a little bit over ambitious. Nevertheless, I have no regrets. The ordeal was also a great adventure. I made new friends and learnt absolutely heaps from a very painful left knee. In fact, the event produced a left iliotibial band syndrome band of four. I was the only one who had a DNF (Did Not Finish) though.

Day one of the event finishes on a downhill section from the top of Harding’s down into the village of Llangennith. On my very first step downhill, it felt as though a sword was being driven into the side of my left knee. It was excrutiating! I limped the last 2 miles to the campsite, limped back from dinner and limped along on day 2.

Uphills and flats were fine, but downhill running was completely impossible. The best I could muster was a hobble, but I persisted with foolish determination! On the morning of day 3, I could barely walk. This was 9 July 2016. I did not run pain free again till the end of August 2016.

Recovery and Prevention

The only way to recover from this was through rest. To prevent recurrence required some strength and flexibility work to stabilise the hip and knee. A running buddy who is also a physiotherapist shared a very useful video with me. I don’t have the link anymore, unfortunately. I prefer to do strength, flexibility and bio mechanical balancing with yoga. Here is a very useful 10 minute practice. Yoga for IT band.

The book, ‘Unbreakable Runner’, by TJ Murphy and Brian MacKenzie was recommended to me. I devoured it, tested it and incorporated the principles of good form into my running technique. This involved shortening my stride to land under my centre of gravity rather than heels strike, increasing my running cadence and running with an upright posture.

I still get a bit of left knee pain, but only very rarely and only after very long distances. It also only happens when I fail to maintain flexibility, strength and balance by doing regular yoga practice. At least I know what to focus on when the knee pain emerges to haunt me!

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• Never ignore a niggle.
• Pain means something is not right, adjustment is necessary. You can’t tough it out!
• Be humble, stay humble.
• Rest and recovery is part of training.
• Strength and flexibility work is essential.
• Focus on form.
• A new treasure: yoga practice!

Forefoot pain

Another common runner’s ailment strikes before the end of 2016! I have been suffering with numb toes and forefoot discomfort for a while, but suddenly I couldn’t walk. There was a sharp, intense pain right under the pad of my right second toe on weight bearing. Walking barefoot on hard surfaces made it even worse. There was no tenderness, redness or swelling at all!

A metatarsal bursa was diagnosed with a quick ultrasound scan. There was nothing to do, except rest and hope for the best.

Altra to the rescue

Luckily, I had been reading ferociously and was looking for running shoes with certain specifications at this time. I wanted zero drop shoes, with wide toe boxes and at least moderate cushioning.

A conversation with another running nerd brought the answer: Altra shoes could offer me exactly that. Their idea of making foot-shaped shoes impressed me so much that I ordered a pair straight away! I also ordered the correct size for my feet for the very first time. It was never good for my size 9 (UK) feet to be squashed in size 7.5 (UK) shoes.

My new pair of shoes arrived just as the pain in my forefoot was starting to settle. I had not run for at least two weeks and simply had to try them out straight away. I will never forget this run. My feet literally felt as though they had been let out of prison. I could also feel my butt getting tired for the first time during a run! These shoes helped rather than hindered what I was trying to achieve in improving my running form.

Every time I try a different make of shoe, numb toes and forefoot pain return within 3 miles. This is a limitation I simply have to accept: my middle aged female foot with it’s bursa needs the combination of a wider toe box and a bit of cushioning. I am grateful these Altra shoes exist!

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• Wear the right size shoes.
• Wear shoes that work for YOUR body.
• Look after your feet.
• Footwear can help or hinder running form.

Lower back pain

I saw 2017 in with renewed running enthusiasm, new shoes and an appetite to explore new challenges. What would be more obvious than a big city marathon in the spring? On 9 April 2017 I finished Rotterdam marathon in 3hours 48minutes. Even though I was broken at the end, I was glad to already have another marathon entry in the bag. I absolutely had to apply the lessons I learnt and avoid running into the wall at 34km so spectacularly.

Two weeks after Rotterdam, my lower back seized up completely. We were on holiday in Israel and I was stuck in a fresh water spring in the Golan heights. It took three strong helpers to assist me from the campsite to the car. After a day of rest and Ibuprofen I could cautiously start to move again.

Yoga to the rescue

Yoga practice has been reconnecting me gradually with my own body. This enabled me to carefully feel and explore the tightness in and around my lower back. The pain was more to one side and it felt a bit tender over the sacro-iliac joint.

Hamstring stretches brought almost immediate relief. I gently and gradually worked the built up tension out of all the muscles around my hips. Expert input and treatment was not readily available whilst on a shoestring trip through Israel. I was immensely proud to have been able to rehabilitate myself from this injury.

Regular yoga practice has found a prized place in my life. I was about to complete my Foundation Course with the British Wheel of Yoga at this time. Two years later I enrolled in a Teacher Training Course with Aurolab Yoga and completed this in 2020.

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• It’s all connected.
• Find and maintain balance.
• Yoga, yoga, yoga.
• Tune into your own body, it will tell you what it needs.
• Study.
• Tune and fine tune.
• Practice.

Overtraining

The second half of 2017, 2018, 2019 and most of 2020 proceeded with little more than the occasional niggle here and there. I had learnt to take early action and seek help early on. This, on the other hand, created the perfect opportunity to overtrain. Big mistake!

This thing sort of creeps up on you: a bit of ambition, a slightly unrealistic goal, competitiveness, club running, strava segments, a training programme to follow.

I flew around Marahon de Gwyr in June 2017, then had a blast running Snowdonia marathon in October 2017. My sights were set on a championship place for London marathon in the spring of 2019. Laser focus followed. This was on running a marathon in less than 3hours 15minutes or a half marathon in less than 1hour 30minutes before January 2019.

I entered a lot of races in 2018 to give myself enough opportunity to achieve a qualifying time. I read more books (Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas; Run Faster from the 5k to the Marathon by Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald) and drew up a training plan for the inaugaral Newport marathon in South Wales on 28 April 2018.

My training went exceptionally well, as well as exceptionally badly. I followed the training plan meticulously, but lost touch with my body and how it responded to the training. Running at low intensity was simply not something I did enough of and fatigue started to build up.

Insomnia strikes!

In mid March I started to wake earlier in the morning. I also did not feel properly rested. I stood on the start line of Newport marathon completely exhausted. Nevertheless, I managed to run a PB of 3hours 18minutes. My core temperature subsequently dropped to 34 degrees Celcius and I spent an hour in the ambulance for monitoring and warming up.

That night I woke every 2 hours with a racing pulse and a pounding heart. This carried on for weeks and I became completely exhausted. Caffeine kicked me through my days at work.

It was rather frightening. I slept whenever I could and explored how I could use yoga breathing and postures to help my body get out of what felt like ‘overdrive’ or something like a chronic ‘fight or flight’ response. My focus was simply on recovering my ability to sleep and now almost entirely off my running goals.

My sleep improved very gradually, but I have never again been able to sleep the solid 7-9 hours night after night like before. There have been other factors affecting my sleep since then, but my body definitely took a blow at this time.

My running performances improved. I ran Swansea Half marathon in 1hour 28minutes in June 2018 and got my Championship entry for London Marathon in 2019!

Endurance and exhaustion

Naturally, I wanted to avoid doing this to myself ever again! My good friend and running buddy Sally recommended The Endurance Handbook by Dr Philip Maffetone. I found the book interesting, even though it was a bit long-winded. Keeping an eye on my heart rate and taking more rest days have definitely contributed in making my training more sustainable.

What I learn from my running injuries endures:

• Don’t overtrain.
• Know the early signs of overtraining: sleep disturbances are significant.
• Not all injuries are bio mechanical.
• Never become obsessed with times and ‘achievement’.
• Tiredness indicates that a rest is needed.
• Use a training plan only as a guide.
• Monitor your heart rate (this might not be for everyone, but it works for me).

My current injury and approach to proceed

More foot pain

On 28 March 2021 I ran 33 miles on the beautiful Gower Peninsula. You can read more about this here. This is part of my commitment to raise support for The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI). Your can read more about this here.

Towards the end of this challenge my knee niggled a bit and my right foot niggled a bit more. The knee niggle recovered quickly, but the foot niggle lingered. It looked and felt like a bit of tendonitis of the toe extensor tendons. I’ve treated it with the standard approach of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation(RICE) and taken some Ibuprofen to settle the inflammation. I’ve gently stretched the muscles.

The more difficult part is working out what to do for prevention. Where is the weakness, tightness, imbalance? Where do I need to focus my attention?

Focus on form is never wasted. I will pay particular attention to foot strike and being light on my feet. I will also focus on developing my foot strength and flexibility during my yoga practice. The action of ‘rooting’ by pushing down with the pads of the big toes and little toes and heels, activates and strengthens the arches of the feet. This is necessary for all standing and balancing postures of which I am doing many as a remedy.

In addition, I will do some foot exercises as set out in this post from Healthline.

What I learn from my running injuries:

• Injuries are simply part of the journey.
• There is always more to learn.
• Stay curious.
• Read and try things out.
• Yoga practice and principles help make my running sustainable.

What I am yet to learn from my running injuries

I might have set another over ambitious goal for 2021! No, I have most certainly done it by entering the Dragon’s Back Race. If you click the link and read more about it, you will almost definitely agree with me.

It is guaranteed that some ‘injuries’ will be sustained. However, I think there is the possibility of completing this event with careful planning and preparation. It will be the toughest running journey I have ever undertaken.

I do this to raise awareness of the unimaginably tough and dangerous journeys people undertake daily to flee from war and persecution. When these brave people reach the UK, they are called refugees and asylum seekers. Others make journeys across borders for work, study and family life. Here in the UK they are called migrants and immigrants. Whatever label the immigration system uses, these are all people with skills, talents, hopes and aspirations. All of them are subject to the whims of the Home Office and vulnerable due to their lack of citizenship in the UK.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants does vital work for justice and equality in immigration and asylum. You can read more on why their work is so desperately necessary right now on my fundraising buddy Lauren’s blog.

You can subscribe to my blog to follow my journey.

Finally, you can support The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants by donating to my JustGiving page. If you got this far, thank you for reading my post!