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Pain

As a runner it is inevitable that you will experience pain at some point of time. And I don't mean pain of the mental or emotional sorts (though that too is inevitable, but that I shall keep aside for a later post). 


The pounding on trails and roads results in the legs taking a beating. So aches and pains are natural. Over the years I have had my fair share of assorted injuries, pains and the usual aches. The usual aches are generally due to muscle fatigue or overuse. They respond to adequate rest, ice packs, stretches and maybe a couple of anti-inflammatory pills. Pain could also mean some nutritional deficiency, inadequate muscle strength, injury or infection. 


The pains (that are more than the usual) I have come to categorize, from a functional point, into two sets. The exact diagnosis can wait for a bit. 

The first set of pains is the one that usually creeps up insidiously. Till that point you have been running well and then you start feeling this pain that can be of any intensity and any part of the leg. Still, being a pig-head that you are, you do your stretches and start off gingerly. The initial 15-20 minutes are difficult, but gradually the pain eases and you are running comfortable. Once you finish, the pain does come back reminding you that it's for real. This cycle may go on for days to weeks, but gradually the intensity lessens and it finally abates. 

The other set of pains is the more worrying one. It suddenly appears at a snap, usually while you are running. You are in agony, abandon your run that day and decide to venture out again after a day or two of rest. When you start off again, it's not too bad at the beginning but increasingly becomes more painful and insistent as you run longer or faster, causing you to pull up once more. 


I have been lucky to been afflicted by the first set more. Done my warm ups, done the runs while closely listening to the body, done the cool down stretches, followed by ice packs and more stretching. The pains finally seem to give up and disappear, realizing my obstinacy of not visiting a doctor, taking medicines or resting for a prolonged period of time. 

The second set would be the more sinister ones that DO require a medical consult, prolonged break from running and appropriate rehabilitation. I could go into the intricacies of IT band syndrome, plantar fasciopathy and the likes. But that is beside the point. 


Understand your pain, listen to your body and decide the set you fall in. Are you going to run your pain into oblivion or run your pain through the doctor?

 

Attention!!: Please do not take this post as a substitute for an expert medical opinion.

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