Shortly after my last post, I drove 20 hours with my husband to the Florida panhandle for his spring break (teacher). This turned out to not only be a great R&R opportunity, but also a remarkable way to kick-start the next phase of my healing, since I had just had my cast removed. The highlights: Good eats and lots of sun. Our days were simple, as they usually are...a morning run (for him) and a trip to a cute little beachside fitness center (for me) where I purchased a three-day pass. This hadn't been anything I had planned for or anticipated...my husband is training for Boston and logging big miles and I figured I'd have a couple hours each morning to lounge around and do whatever. But when I saw the opportunity to work out in a nice little gym, I figured I'd kick-start my cross training in earnest when Derek was out running. It worked out great...I got to bike while catching up on trashy reality t.v.
We then spent our afternoons at the beach, where I soaked up some bone-healing vitamin D. I was the only person on the beach with crutches and wearing a boot (from what I can tell), and I have a sweet tan line to show for it, but it was super relaxing and enjoyable. I slept and read Unbroken (read it!). Wonderful.
That brings me to today...I've got a week of normal, in-office working under my belt (I'd mostly worked from home for the couple weeks following surgery) and I'm back in a pretty decent routine. Most notably, I'm no longer using the crutches much around the house, and when I have the boot off for showering or bed, I've actually been able to walk without it and not feel any pain -- though I've been keeping the weight on the outside of my foot and not pushing much off the ball, since I don't have the okay to do that yet and I am ALL ABOUT doing this recovery right. As for cross training, I've got that deal through my insurance where I have to go to the gym a certain number of times a month to get a discount, so it's kept me going. I've been riding the bike -- upright and recumbent -- and working the mind-numbing arm bike every now and then. The routine of going to the gym got me thinking about what gets me there and what keeps me motivated and sane while dealing with this long recovery. And with that, here's my running list of tips and tricks for dealing with injury and cross training...I reserve the right to edit and add to these as I think of them...
1. Cherish the gift of time. Good news! Time heals...and time doesn't stop! Take comfort in knowing you'll eventually heal if you give it time. Now, in my case, I needed surgery because time wouldn't heal...nothing would without surgical intervention. But! Now that I've had surgery, time will heal! And with that...don't forget to take your time! I've had my share of races ruined by injuries that kept me from even starting. Several marathons, in fact. It sucks -- the time and financial investment is huge. But there really will always be another race, if you do the healing thing right and give it TIME. That actually leads to my next point...
2. When it comes to running, change your view from short- to long-term. I completely went against this in 2007 with my last major injury -- a ruptured posterior tibial tendon. I was coming off a great fall in 2006 and running the best times of my life and was training to break three hours in the marathon. Then, I developed bad tendonitis. I never fully committed to taking time off and was like a runaway train, on the cusp of meeting my goal and in a panic to keep training and racing to achieve it, running as if it was my last chance ever and just taking a half-assed approach to dealing with my nagging tendonitis that eventually came back to bite me way worse than I would have ever imagined. The ironic thing is, I truly never have run as well as I did then, but guess what? Much of it is due to injury derailment--including that major injury, which knocked me out completely for six months (zero running), followed by many more months of slowly coming back. Other things have popped up that have changed how I've trained and what I've achieved, but I can most definitely say that my short-term view on running and goals was a detriment to my health and running at the time. Fast forward to this most recent injury -- my lisfranc injury that led to surgery. When it became an issue, I immediately thought, what do I want out of running for the remainder of my life? I could deal with missing races and workouts and much of a racing season if it set me up to be able to run well into the latter years of my life. This is a lifelong thing for me, and so I had to commit to it as such. Don't shoot yourself in the foot (haha) to achieve some short-term goal or because you're afraid of taking a step back and losing fitness. Commit to what will keep you strong in the long term.
3. Running injured sucks. Be honest with yourself: if you're perpetually in pain and dealing with a chronic issue, how long are you willing to deal with it? When will it stop? The short-term disappointment of not being able to run is COMPLETELY worth it for healthy running later on. Trust me. And really, are you running to your full potential with that chronic pain? Probably not.
4. You don't have to lose ALL fitness and semblance of athleticism when injured. Yes, not running will make you lose running fitness. There's no getting around that. Even if you cross train perfectly and remain fit, nothing will totally be the perfect substitute, so just accept it. But if you had it once, you'll get it back eventually if you're willing to work for it again like you once were (and I bet you're willing!). We runners can be narrowly-focused on our running and all its various forms and poo-poo cross training (GUILTY AS CHARGED!). However, at the very least, it can be a nice outlet for energy in place of running, and you can even get a decent workout! My dear friend Nicole once gave me a really simple tip I've carried with me through many injuries as I try and navigate the maze of equipment at the gym: keep the resistance low and just focus on getting your heart rate high. This advice was actually passed along to her from a 2004 T&F Olympian who ran some great races off of running and cross training, so I paid attention. That goes for the elliptical, the stationary bike, the arm bike...you name it. Don't "mash gears," as the cyclists say, or throw yourself into the elliptical trying to move what feels like sumo wrestler resistance. Keep it low and aim for high intensity. I've been following this on the bike, the only thing I can really do, and have been pleasantly surprised by the sense of accomplishment I'm able to achieve given the effort required for some of the bike sessions I've done. Simply focusing on moving my legs with a high RPM has enabled me to get my heart rate in the 150-160 range. Of course it's not running, but if you're looking for a good workout, just focus on heart rate and I promise it will help fill the void at least a little!
Also, don't underestimate other things you'll have to do because of injury...for me, crutching around has actually proven to be a decent workout! A trip to the grocery store with my husband, for example, is like a trip to the weight room.
5. Connect with others for support. My Oiselle teammates have been amazing sources of strength and support as I recover, as have my running friends who have checked in and simply helped keep me connected to that world I'm currently not "running" in. And, I'll be completely honest--being around others who don't run and aren't focused on anything related to running is also therapeutic and a good way to remind yourself that there is so much more to life, and this, too shall pass.
6. Keep perspective. I will never short change the power of running and its ability to change lives, empower people, and transform relationships and how we see ourselves. BUT, life without it for a period of time in the name of healing is okay in the long run. It's temporary, and it's also a good time to take stock of the balance in your life. In the grand scheme of life, this will just be a small blip on the radar. In a month, six months or year, you probably will barely remember this time.
What am I missing? Stay healthy, friends!
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