Easily Manage Running Pain During a Race

Dear A & H…Kind of an important topic today. All about pain. Truly a wonderful gift when seen with the right perspective.  Simply a body trying to have a conversation with his or her owner.

Pain and Body Language

It’s true when they say, “no pain, no gain.”

It really is.

Truly.

No doubt about it.

No getting around it.

It’s a clear message.

The body saying, “Hey, really got a problem here.”

The thing is, are you listening?

What is Pain?

It’s unpleasant for sure. Not something that’s usually sought out. There are exceptions, for sure. Like those certain individuals who find great fun in throwing themselves into cactuses.

For most of us, though, it’s something we try to avoid.

But, if you had to describe it, what would you say it looks like?

Since most of us can, more or less, understand the discomfort of giving birth and kidney stones, we could say pain looks a lot like these two conditions.

Sharp, persistent, sweat-inducing pain…no arguing with that.

The type of pain we, if we could, generally avoid at all costs.

Unfortunately, pain like this sometimes comes about while running. It can come on gradually or, worst case scenario, presents itself like the proverbial dousing of ice water. In the latter’s case, while one moment is dressed in roses and sunshine, the next decides to remind you of your human condition.

But, as it were, this is an acceptable risk. While running, we hope to avoid it and similar obstacles to our well-being, especially during a race, yet…if it should happen…no biggie.

Usually, we dust ourselves off, assess the damage, and keep going.

Thing is, sometimes, for some of us, we experience that unmistakable pain we were just talking about: sharp…persistent…sweat-inducing.

This is where it gets interesting because, if you pick any random group of runners, you’ll find many who pursue the heroic path, especially during a race. The noble goal to avoid a DNF.

Pain Speak

Granted, we all have different pain tolerances. Some do more where others have to give up. Yet, pain is pain no matter what kind of tolerance preceded it.

This is where we are all the same.

Our bodies communicating a clear and succinct message.

During this time it’s important to listen because familiar discomforts (i.e. side-aches, minor blisters…) are one thing, but if you experience any sort of:

it’s important to take notice and respond appropriately.

Because, in the end, it truly is the journey that matters. There will always be another race. Preserving health is more important. It can’t be said enough that each one of our bodies is a temple. We only have one model. There are no trade-ins.

That said, the best, most easy way to navigate pain that’s concerning or acutely persistent is to (drum roll) –

Stop. Simply stop…

…as soon as you are able.

That’s it.

There’s no use trying to tweak this or that to avert an inevitable misfortune.

No magic recipe to evaporate growing discomfort.

Nor a secret strategy to divert what has come to be an unwelcome outcome.

Don’t Mess with Pain

It’s simply unwise to go on as you were. Significant pain needs to be assessed and dealt with. There is no nobility in suffering unless you are a sponsored athlete whose performance is their bread and butter. Even then, its merits need to be weighed against potential permanent damage because some things are just not worth any sum of money.

For the rest of us, there’s absolutely no reward for proceeding through pain. Well, unless disability, medical visits and bills, extended recuperation, etc., sound appealing. 😕

Pain and Cousin Illness Never Take a Day Off

I learned this the hard way when I competed in a triathlon with an iliotibial band injury. Being new to the sport and excited about competing, I was unable to prevent myself from participating. I HAD to compete! It was the Wildflower after all. And…my reward? An exchange of one gratification for another. I competed but at the expense of not being able to run afterward. I gained a handful of blissful hours that day only to give up weeks from the everyday journey I love. 😕

Fast forward 20+ years and I was again faced with a similar dilemma. This time it was a pulled calf muscle which happened a week before the one and only race I entered that year.

Criminy crud. ☹️

But, I couldn’t drop out.

Just…couldn’t…do…it.

So, I decided the best course of action was to avoid running for the rest of the week and reassessing everything Saturday morning during the first couple miles of the race.

Weird thing was, my calf wasn’t what made me eventually drop out. It was a culmination of a couple of other things I noticed. First, the start of the race was strange because I had trouble getting my breathing under control. Then, an hour and a half into the race, after an energetic downhill, I met an uphill climb that just wasn’t going to happen. Within a heartbeat my “get up and go had packed up and left.”

Of the three conditions found in the colored box above, everything I was feeling at that moment was “unusual” and “uncomfortable.” I didn’t know why – drinking, eating, and salt supplementation was fine – but grudgingly accepted it was time to call it a day. My race was over.

Fortunately, I wasn’t kept in the dark for long as to what was going on.

By the next morning, achy and messy, I knew:

• Saturday was assembly and set-up day for the party.

• Sunday and the week to follow was the full-blown rager.

I had the flu.

Crossroads

Without a doubt, crossroads like this are disappointing. Especially when considering how much training and preparation go into a race. But, life happens. In the end, there will always be another (and another and another) to look forward to.

Unfortunately, during a race that for all intensive purposes is going well until misfortune strikes, rational thinking like this doesn’t always happen. Feelings of disappointment morph into denial because it feels so much better:

“Really, the knee, it’s not that bad.”

We’ve all been down that road.

I blame it on endorphins.

They don’t always foster clear thinking.

They put a positive spin on everything…Wonderful hormones.

But once they wear off…

Just promise yourself to never abandon common sense. Always advocate for your health and well-being vs. suffering because “runners aren’t supposed to quit.”

Today I feel even more strongly about this than yesterday.

Quite literally.

Having just witnessed someone go blind over the course of a few days, something that could have been avoided…this does much to change a person’s perspective about a lot of things.

So, take care out there. You only have one set of parts. There are no exchanges. Legs, feet, lungs, a beautiful heart...

Priceless.

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Well, A & H, that’s all for today. I hope this post doesn’t come across as too preachy. If anything, it’s from a well-intentioned heart.  Sending warm thoughts your way. Until my next letter…

Much love, O.M.