January 3rd was the day when I had to stop mid-run because of bad pain in my left foot. Since then I’ve been doing my very best to stay sane and focus on other things than running (I confess my thoughts have 80% of the time been about something running related anyways) and waiting patiently (or not..) for the day when I’d be back running. After about two weeks of no pain at all while walking I decided it was time to try a run. Monday February 18th turned out to be that day, and OH, was it a great day?! I had been missing my running so much I didn’t even care that the run only lasted for 1.4 miles. It really was, as mentioned, a glorious run. No, the foot didn’t feel as normal but it held for a short run/walk and I got back without tears in my eyes.
After that day I’ve done a few more runs and I feel like a new person. This recovery will take a little bit of time and effort but I’m prepared to slowly get back (no matter how slow I have to go) to normal with my running and then get going towards the running goals for this year.
When it comes down to it I rather spend months taking this injury and recovery from it serious and be able to run for a long long time (preferably the rest of my life) than stress it and end up destroying myself and not being able to run at all in the future.
This is how my first two weeks of running turned out:
2/18/13
Feb 18, Run #1
2.3k, 18:00 minutes, Average pace 7:58
Butterflies in my belly (big time!) as I got dressed and ready to go out for a short run. I walked/ran to get a feel for if my foot really was ready for a comeback. Came back to the house feeling good and happy, wanting to go further but deciding that this had to be it. Reminded myself of the slooow start I had planned on.
2/22/13
Feb 22, Run #2
2.6k, 19:01 minutes, Average pace 7:14
Felt ok. Rainy, but happy run. Of course, I’m always happy when I run (remind me of this when I in the future think differently? I do love to run, and it makes me HAPPY). Also had a Hüma Energy Gel as a pre run fuel and loved it! I wish I could bring these with me on ever single one of my long runs in the future.
2/24/13
Feb 24, Run #3
2.3k, 19:08 minutes, Average pace 8:14
Stressed to get dressed and out for this run as I wanted to get back home in time for #RunChat (great running chat session which always brings up interesting questions and leaves me inspired and motivated by all other amazing runners out there on Twitter). After walking aproximately 2 minutes and starting to run I right away felt a sharp pain in my foot and knew that this run would be a rough one. Did my short run and got back to the house desperate to ice my foot. The pain was bad. But I decided to give the foot a few days and then try again. Stay positive and be patient! is one my mantras when it comes to running right now…
Feb 27, Run #4
2.36k, 16:47 minutes, Average pace 7:07
Had been talking to some friends on Twitter about the benefits of barefoot running and ended this run with 5 minutes running without socks/shoes. Met a lady with dogs on the way and believe me when I’m saying that she stared at me coming running on the road, barefoot with shoes in my hands. Barefoot felt GREAT though! Felt the pain in my foot way less, surprisingly enough(??).
March 3rd, Run #5
3.1k, 21;01 minutes, Average pace 6:51
I’d been wanting to run for DAYS but my body said no. Fever, pain and antibiotics making me feel sick and weak had me waiting longer than I wanted for this run. Felt terribly tired in the morning before I got out running (considered being nice to my body and let it rest, but took the decision to run and hopefully feel energized after the run) but once I started running I felt great. Happy body, nearly NO pain in the foot and I just couldn’t stop smiling. Finished the run with 8 minutes barefoot. I LOVE this! I get a totally different feel for my running form and it’s definitely a good reason to slow down and be more aware of what’s going on. The two times I’ve tried barefoot running now I stop the music on the iPod and just breath and listen/feel the run. I’ll definitely keep doing this every now and then and hopefully work up to being able to run longer without shoes on.
As you can see it’s not much, but it’s something. I’m so happy I get to run a little bit again. And while a part of me is stoked to get 3k in, the other part of me is FRUSTRATED I only get to run such short distances. But once again, I’m trying to take the smart way through all this and build up rather than break down. So far so good! Looking forward to more runs and to slowly get to add some k’s to my runs.
Q: Have you been injured and had to stop running for a while? How did you get back after your injury?
evelinruns 
March 3, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Great piece. When i had just started out..running..I would go full assault on the road and inevitably i did get injured. Being an amateur i rushed the injury and it really got bad. That had me out for about three months. Your were right about injuries,,better take a month or two out now …than never having to run ever again.
March 4, 2013 at 8:31 am
Awesome, so glad to see you back at it, especially because you have so much passion for something I have been taking for granted of late. I went through the cycle for years of running for a few months then getting injured and having to stop for a month. The key for me was laying out a plan to run smart and consistent. I increased my mileage gradually, for the first month or so the longest I would run was 3 miles and I always allowed for at least two rest days a week. Also, not every run is a speed run, some are slow, some are hills, some are temp and some are for speed. After a month of running 2-3 miles I started gradually increasing my long runs on the weekend by a mile or two every few weeks. After about 3 months, my average runs during the week were 4-5 miles and my longer runs were 7-9. I didn’t miss days, I saw running as part of my routine like brushing my teeth. After almost two years of serious (planned) running I can say that I am in the best shape of my life and have only had one minor foot injury in the last two years. Can’t wait to see your progress, keep up the good work and keep that positive attitude, that is the most important part of achieving any goal!
March 8, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Dominick, as always thank you for commenting – you’re so supportive and I really appreciate it!
I’ve been running less than 3 miles every time I’ve been out, most runs just around 2 miles and some runs faster, some with a little bit more of a hills but mostly just cruising being aware of my body and ENJOYING being back out running. I’ve kept at least one rest day in between the runs too. And while I am frustrated and want to keep on running I’m still doing good keeping it down, being “smart”. I’m going to keep your gradual increase in mind as I keep going towards getting back to normal. Seems like a good strategy! Thank you!