Category Archives: Injury & Rehab

The Gift of Injury

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Going through some papers, I came across this piece I wrote 21 years ago, about midway through my running career. I am not sure what I did with this and if anyone else ever read it, but it reminded me how critical a juncture this was. The injury was patellar tendinitis, reportedly the 5th most common running injury. I did not run for over three months. But upon returning, I did so progressively with a commitment to avoid this going forward. Thus began my consistent use and tracking of running equivalents, mostly water running and Stairmaster and by incorporating REQs an adherence to daily workouts. It also marked the start of taping my knees with Leukotape right below the kneecap to take pressure off the patella tendon. The physical therapist used this during rehab and I just kept doing it. I buy Leukotape in bulk and don’t leave home without it. I tried the Cho-Pat, but find tape works much better. Also at this time, I began a regimen of weight exercises for my legs and knees four to five times a week. Specifically for the knees I use the quad machine, but rather than isotonic (up and down) reps … Continue reading →

Taking the Fall

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I was out running this morning with my friend Jonathan. We were doing a relaxed pace on the Cambridge side of the Charles River. It was a nice morning – sunny and not too warm. Perfect for the end of August! Lot’s of people running as students arrived back in town.   We passed MIT and took a fork down to the river where the path narrows to single file. We were talking about Jonathan’s kids and what they were up to. I was thinking about that and just a couple steps behind him and did not see a root sticking up several inches. Down I went – hard! And with full force as I had lifted off the ground. Remarkably, I landed with my weight distributed pretty evenly between my knee, hip, shoulder, and arm – a good portion of the kinetic chain.  Fortunately it was on dirt. As I laid there for a minute or so, with the wind knocked out and pain in all parts hitting the ground, I reflected on a fall almost exactly a year before when I tried hurdling over a chain fence. That incident was on asphalt and led to a trip to an … Continue reading →

Bumps in the Road

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Justin pulled his left hamstring. Not badly – and he wisely stopped and walked home as soon as he felt the twinge. He iced and lightly stretched the hamstring over the next three days. Also water ran and StairMastered, neither of which caused any pain. His chiropractor did some Graston work and noted one hip was tighter than the other, prescribing stretches to even things out. All was feeling pretty good, so after four days Justin thought he’d test it out. He was registered for an important half marathon in nine days and felt the need to get in some miles. He aimed for three miles on the treadmill. But in the second mile, the hamstring pulled again. He stopped — frustrated, disappointed, and angry. Every competitive runner hits these bumps. We push it to the limit. The reality is even a well conditioned athlete may be just one hard workout away from injury. Yet we have goals and work meticulously and progressively to meet them. It’s damned if we do and damned if we don’t! Meanwhile, race dates don’t change so we try to compact the recovery period to make it to the start line. None of this is … Continue reading →