I’m pretty sure that every guy, to some degree or another, thinks they’re Superman. As much as you know there are opportunities for injury out there, you think your body won’t break like others do. No matter how much you read, or how much people say, for some reason you think your body won’t break.
Well, it does.
After stating on multiple occasions that it’s always wise to “ease your way” into any new type of training to avoid injury, I’ve gone and hurt myself by doing the exact opposite.
Having written about the benefits of running barefoot just a few days ago, I jumped into it headfirst (not literally barefoot, but with the Vibram Fivefingers
I was running with a group last night, and even though the pain started halfway through the run, I didn’t want to look like a sissy so I continued to keep pace. Finally, about half a mile before the end, I had to stop and limp it to the finish. Now, in retrospect, all I can hear running through my head is: “So dumb, so dumb, so dumb…”
Every yoga class (yeah, that’s right, yoga) our teacher makes the statement, “you are your greatest teacher”. Well, I’m not 100% sure what that means. But I know it sounds cool, and that when it comes to your own body and pain it’s true.
It’s one thing to push through the burning in your muscles when lifting weights, or the nausea in your stomach during an intense cardio session, but knowing the difference between the productive pain, and the destructive, is huge. It can mean the difference between getting back on the horse the next day, and being off the horse for several months.
Always listen to your body and stay in tune with the feedback it’s giving. If something doesn’t feel right, it might be a good idea to back off to make sure you avoid injury. Just don’t be a sissy and use it as an excuse not to do real work when your body is responding like it should… You know what I’m talking about.
I figured I’d drop a quick reminder on everyone since I just got a $145 reminder myself. Don’t worry, I’m going to keep on it, though I may have to get a bit creative. The doc suggested swimming, and said I may be able to start easing other stuff in in a couple of weeks.
As always, I’ll keep you posted.
Ouch! Take it easy! Great column!
Thanks Karen! Should be back to normal in a couple weeks.
[...] September 27, 2010 at 9:12 pm If you read my last post, you’ll know that I went and hurt myself like a big jerk last Wednesday night. Unfortunately, as [...]
Luke,
Sad to hear about that. Injuries put a real damper in your workout routine. I hope It wasn’t from running barefoot lol!!
Frank C.
@Frank C.
Ha, actually, it was from the running. I’m one of those jerks who gives advice but apparently doesn’t take it. I should’ve taken my time building up the foot and calf strength, but didn’t.
No worries though, I’m going to try and have my first “bootless” day tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.
[...] but my foot fits the bill. It’s still swollen as hell from my running injury. Went bootless at work today, probably a little prematurely, and I’m pretty sure my right shoe [...]
[...] October 7, 2010 at 1:24 pm One might think, judging from my inability to walk, that I would give these shoes a resounding “screw you” in this review. However, I know that [...]
Hey Luke,
Injuries are always a concern. Back when I was 18 I thought I’d train before joining the Navy to be a S.E.A.L. and started running for hours each night. After a few nights of this the pain in my kneecaps increased but I reasoned if I was in a jungle – I would not be able to stop so I kept on. I was not able to joint the Navy as they rejected me to do the (newly) bad knees.
More recently last year I broke my right hand and wrist on the bag because of not taking the time to wrap it and then to add insult to injury I kept re-injuring it in successive months (after I thought it was healed). The last injury was in jiu-jitsu class in March 2010 and I’ve had to lay off combative training for the rest of the year (I’m 53).
So reading your post – I hear you. It is kind of funny but one can be one’s worst enemy if you are not careful.
John W. Zimmer recently posted..Traditional CPR or Compression-Only CPR
@John W. Zimmer
Amen to that John. The hardest thing for me is figuring out when to really start “testing” the injured area. My foot has definitely made significant progress since the injury, but considering it’s been several weeks now, I’m wondering if I’d laid off the elliptical and worn the boot a bit longer would I be close to 100%… I guess there’s no use crying about it now.
What belt level are you at in BJJ? I did a very small amount of training a few years back, but really enjoyed it. Have considered getting back into it at some point in my life.
Luke – I’m a beginner at BJJ… 5th degree black belt in Kenpo Karate. I’ve owned a school in 1982-3. That was fun but got married and had to pay bills. Martal Arts have been a hobby since. Mostly kick box the bag nowadays.
John W. Zimmer recently posted..Ban Booze on San Diego Beaches