Full disclosure: I am not an expert in the skill of running. I am a nurse who also runs.
I have been running for fifteen years. I love it. It is a great way for me to think through tough decisions, vent about current events or fantasize about telling off my boss (ha ha). On good days, the miles fly by, leaving me feeling euphoric and rejuvenated. Even though I started out feeling fatigued, disappointed and a little annoyed.
However, even though I love to run, this activity I love so much is beginning to take its toll. Just like any sport and many other extracurricular activities that are so much fun, risk of injury, especially cumulative injury is high. Now, I am well into my forties, and have been feeling the aches and pains more often and more intensely. I am getting stiffer and slower and I do not like it one bit.
Upon coming to this realization, my initial thought was, “my days are numbered”.
So, I backed off my running regimen and tried speed walking which is not near as much fun. Then I started a thorough self-evaluation, which should come naturally for a nurse of 20 plus years. My symptoms included muscle soreness and stiffness, fatigue, crepitus, joint pain and lightheadedness. Once I looked at it with nurse’s eyes, I immediately knew what the problems were and how to solve most of them. My warmup and cool down routines were atrocious, my flexibility was nil, my muscle strength was nonexistent in the muscle groups that I did not use for running, and my diet was lacking.
My next step was to come up with a plan.
For the last few weeks, I have incorporated weightlifting, squats and stretches on the days that I do not run. I have started a vitamin routine, including glucosamine chondroitin with the hope that over time it will help with the crepitus. Also, I have placed more emphasis on hydration and eating a light but carb rich breakfast a half hour before my run. Last but certainly not least, I have increased the time and intensity of my warmup and cool down routines.
I have only recently instituted these changes and am already seeing a difference. So, I am hopeful. A short time ago, I was contemplating giving up on running altogether and searching for an activity I would enjoy just as much. It saddened me. I was hoping to be able to keep it up well into my 60s and the thought of giving up so soon did not sit well. I shall see if this works. As in most things, “only time will tell”.
This tale has a two-fold lesson. For nurses, “practice what you preach” (originally from the Bible) and for runners “if you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail” (a quote by Mark Spitz).
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