One Injury

I thought I was getting worse at this whole running thing. I thought all my effort was for not and my performance was just steadily declining. I had resolved to just push harder, just run more, just suffer more.

I am an idiot.

Never did it crest my mind that my running ability might be directly correlated to the health of my body, that it might be hindered by that nagging and worsening injury spreading across my hip. That same injury I chose to ignore, push through, and exacerbate for the past two months.

I am an idiot.

Last week, I went to Wisconsin to visit family. One of the family members we stayed with happens to be an avid runner, perhaps the most avid runner I have ever known. When my aunt told me tales of running on her cracked heel until it leaked bone marrow, I thought surely a twinging hip cannot be that bad. My hip had finally declined to the point that I actually elected to take a week break to permit it an instant to heal.

Then my aunt introduced me to KT tape. KT tape worked for her when she tore her hip and then ran a half marathon.

She handed me the roll, and I hopped on to YouTube to find out how to tape myself back together.

The result was amazing and nearly instantaneous. With a black starburst on the curve of my hip, the pain appeared mitigated. Slightly at first, but more with each attempt. After just one run taped up, I found myself able to walk without hobbling or limping afterward. I had to retrain myself to not flinch or compensate for the injury as I moved. I was stunned that such a subtle therapy could have such an impact.

Then, magically, with my hip pain removed, my running ability increased dramatically. Nothing impressive but definitely something more familiar and expected. In Wisconsin, I chased my aunt and her running mate a minute plus faster per mile than I have been running. Today, I ran a sub 10 minute mile. It was only one out of the five, but I have not ran a mile under 10 minutes since before my son, and even then, it was extremely rare.

Running just immediately feels better. I feel like a weight has been lifted, a weight that was dragging me down by the angry nerves reaching through my trunk. Simply put, I feel so much better.

It is almost like you run better when you’re not in pain or like pain goes away when you do something to heal your injury. Simple concepts I chose to be blinded to while I fixated and obsessed on the wrong details.

From a little bit of research, it appears as though this type of injury is caused by overuse (GUILTY) and training on hills (GUILTY). Maybe now with the knowledge of the cause and a therapy that aids in recovery, plus the perspective to not be such a misplaced zealot, I might be able to really start my training fresh.

And that is exciting.

 

Christina Bergling

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Savages

Two survivors search the ruins of America for the last strain of humanity. Marcus believes they are still human; Parker knows her own darkness. Until one discovery changes everything.

Available now on Amazon!
savagesnovella.com

The Waning

Beatrix woke up in a cage. Can she survive long enough to escape, or will he succeed at breaking her down into a possession?

Available now on Amazon!
thewaning.com

Impediments

My plan for the new year was to start fresh and get back into running. Unfortunately, all circumstances conspire against such an ambition.

First, my English cold morphed into the sinus infection, which was ultimately my own doing for pushing myself so hard and running miles in the snow while sick. Fair enough. I deserved that one.

Then, winter finally showed up. I love winter, and I love snow. I even love running in the snow, so usually this is not a problem. However, we got dumped on so hard that running became nearly impossible. I tried last week and probably should have worn snowshoes like the person I crossed paths with en route. Deep snow and a slippery mess.

However, most restrictive, I somehow injured my hip. This happened quite some time ago. I want to say even before the holidays. I have no idea what I did to it, but it has been getting steadily and progressively worse and is definitely aggravated by running, zumba, even walking. Of course, being the stubborn, addictive moron that I am, the pain and the injury never prevented me from pushing right through and clinging to my hardcore routine.

The pain is not in my hip joint (which I think is a good thing?).  Instead, it is firmly nestled deep in the muscle wrapping up around my hip. I have foam rolled it. I have stretched it. I have had it massaged and adjusted. I have done just about everything but rest it.

Now, it appears I am at the point of needing to rest it. My chiropractor has drawn the line and lobbied heavily that I give it some time.

The whiny child in me wants to say, UGH! But I don’t have time! I’m already months behind!
But the responsible adult is begrudgingly saying, FINE. (And then pouting.)

Thankfully, this mandated rest comes at a time when my schedule would be completely destroyed anyway. I am working in Denver this week (instead of in my home), and I’m traveling to Wisconsin next week. All this eliminates my ability to commit to my daily homage at the gym or on the trail. I can only hope this disruption actually produces some healing.

I am trying not to freak out. I am trying not to get obsessive about workouts and training missed. It’s not like they were making huge impacts anyway, just another notch in the plateau. I am trying not to fret over what might happen to my mental balance.

I am trying to roll with it. Instead, I am just going to keep starting over. I am at the perpetual starting line.

 

Christina Bergling

christinabergling.com
facebook.com/chrstnabergling
@ChrstnaBergling
chrstnaberglingfierypen.wordpress.com
pinterest.com/chrstnabergling

Savages

Two survivors search the ruins of America for the last strain of humanity. Marcus believes they are still human; Parker knows her own darkness. Until one discovery changes everything.

Available now on Amazon!
savagesnovella.com

The Waning

Beatrix woke up in a cage. Can she survive long enough to escape, or will he succeed at breaking her down into a possession?

Available now on Amazon!
thewaning.com