Column by Kym Klass
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Lately, I've been running only on flat roads while my sore Achilles heals.
Since my neighborhood is nothing but hills, I've been waking up 30 to 45 minutes earlier (read: 4:30 a.m.) just to have time to drive to a location with minimal -- if any -- hills.
I'm exhausted, but it is working.
I'll give myself another week, and should be back to running in my subdivision on my familiar roads. With hills. Strangely, I miss them. But I'm at least smart enough to know that if I face one now, I'll charge it. I love that charge. Love a challenge, love knowing what helps make me a better runner.
So, right now, I hate not running them.
I'm not running injured. I'm more "just" hurt. I know the difference in pain, in feel. I have learned the hard way when to hold back and when to move forward slowly.
Right now, I'm moving forward slowly. My pace is about 20 seconds off normal training pace per mile, but it is getting me back to where I need to be physically. Mentally, I'll handle it.
I asked some area runners how they have handled "running hurt." But before I share their experiences with you, I need to make sure I pass on the Simple Rules of the Road:
* Don't run injured. Don't run injured. Don't.
* Don't run if it hurts to walk.
* Don't run if you have to run with a limp to help compensate for the pain. You've done it. We all have. And those of us who have done it ask those currently doing it, "Why are you doing that?"
* If a pain remains persistent, see a doctor.
Duane Nickerson:
So that he doesn't aggravate his abductor strain, Nickerson has been doing interval training only on a treadmill so he can limit the speed of his intervals.
"I have a tendency to sprint too fast toward the end of a interval or race, and that is how I initially injured my abductor," he said. "I also try to avoid hills when it's giving me problems. It's slowly recovering."
Other than chronic tendinitis that occurs in different places (lower back, Achilles), the abductor strain has been the most serious injury Nickerson has experienced. He treats the tendonitis with easy workouts and by not stretching the tendon.
James Killian:
If it isn't an injury, Killian advises the popular self-remedy of RICE -- rest, ice, compress, elevate. Most of his aches and pains are "just a part of a 49-year-old's running life. I come to understand this: I run. Therefore, I ache!"
For Achillies and calf issues, Killian avoids running uphill and hilly courses, as well as walking up stairs. For thigh strain and knee issues, he avoids running steep downhills.
With hip problems -- which can occur when you always run on the same side of the street -- he advises mixing up running on either side of the road so the hip does not get misaligned.
Jeff Moody:
He fought an ugly bout with shin splints last fall while training for a marathon. His running shoes only had 275 miles on them, so he didn't blame them, specifically. His work shoes, though, were significantly worn out and he had not taken into consideration the amount of damage he could be doing by not paying attention to his work shoes.
"I changed work shoes and put in orthotic insoles and the shin splints slowly went away," he said. "The injury came from a place outside of running, yet my work shoes were affecting my running performance."
Also, the continual pounding on his back and hips during running has caused his body to move out of alignment, which led Moody to having two bouts of hip bursitis. He said his chiropractor understands common running injuries, and his adjustments and advice have helped keep Moody on the road.
"He understands that running is causing many of these problems, but that he cannot convince me not to run and can help me continue to live a healthy lifestyle," he said.
Barb Gill:
Her sore knees and hamstring sometimes hurt just enough to remind Gill they are there.
Because of that, she has wiped out speed drills because they are too easy to get caught up in. And it is easy for her to overdo it.
"There is something about that surge that gets my spirit high," she said. "Instead of easing into speed drills (intensity and duration) I say to myself, "Wow, this is fun! I'll be OK, I won't overdo it this time -- I'll be OK, just a little ice if I hurt myself.
"So right now, I'm not doing speed drills. It's like not taking one potato chip because I know if I do, the whole bag will be eaten."
Kym Klass is an avid runner and a metro reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. Call her at 334-240-0144, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Follow her workouts at twitter.com/kymklass.
