Injury in lockdown
It’s a funny thing this running business- I can’t recall the number of times I’ve wanted to stop. Legs burning, head screaming, questioning why I’m putting my body in this pain. But when you’re forced to stop, it instantly changes and there is nothing you want to do more than run. Since picking up a third metatarsal stress fracture over six weeks ago, I’ve come to realise how easy it is to take running for granted. The chance to push my body to the limit and feel myself getting stronger is something I have really missed. And as easy as it sounds, sitting down all day to keep pressure off my foot has been a lot harder than I ever expected. The thought of losing fitness which has taken months to build up is a very scary one. And in my case, it led to any attempt to salvage whatever form of fitness I could. After attempting to crutch my way up Steep Hill and getting a sympathetic clap from a passerby, it was at this point I realised losing fitness is inevitable. But it is something that can be gained back. I also sadly realized that I have absolutely no future in any arm/strength related event (you’ve got to let some dreams go kids). So, for the last five weeks I have been on complete rest.
While I adjusted to the physical side of not running relatively quickly, there is another side that has taken a bit longer to adapt to, and is something I am still working on today. With running being ingrained in almost every aspect of my life, when it suddenly stopped my whole routine was completely thrown out as a consequence. The entirety of my day would be based around training. When I would eat, what I would eat, when I would work on my PhD without being too tired from a run. Sometimes, especially in quarantine, I only really knew what day it was by the training I had planned. But running is also so important for mental health. It gave me time to destress and suppress any anxiety I was feeling. This has been most evident over the past couple of months, which had a big part to play in my injury. The worry I had surrounding Covid-19 subconsciously meant that I often ran slightly further each day, just to escape reality for a little longer. But unfortunately, the extra miles caught up with me. So all of these different aspects of my day now needed adjusting, and some have been more of a struggle than others. My eating being a big one. When carrying out full training I can safely say food was one of my favorite parts of the benefits of running. After training two to three times a day, and generally having quite a big appetite, I really enjoyed making up my burnt calories (they don’t call me ‘Two Dinner Donnelly’ for nothing!) However, when you have to sit down all day, sadly changes must be made. But at the same time, nutrition is extremely important, especially when recovering from a bone injury. So now my calcium, Vitamin D and Iron levels are the stars of the show. Luckily, having a sister who works for a cheese company has made the calcium aspect very easy. But I must confess, I never knew that not eating my body weight in Stilton would be a challenge I’d have to face in life, but sadly it has become my new reality. So, if I don’t make a return to running, please don’t be alarmed, I’ve just started a new life as a wheel of cheese.
But the benefit of gaining this extra time off is that I have been gifted the opportunity to work on areas that I had previously neglected during full training. For the last few years, I have really struggled with sore shins, especially during track sessions. But recently I learnt that it had all stemmed from a trapped nerve in my back. So, with the help of my mum and dad, and many physio appointments via zoom, daily massages and stretches have become my new norm. And as Shane noted in his previous blog, while no one wants to get injured, if it had to happen, this is probably the best time. With races being on hold and tracks being closed, I have been given time to recover without feeling the disappointment of missing big competitions. I can be patient with the process and let my body repair itself, so when I’m ready to come back I will be stronger than before. After doing my first pain-free walk without crutches at the weekend, the patience is starting to pay off. But after also doing my first bike session today, where I was seriously concerned that I might pass out, or that I had somehow lost a lung in the past few weeks, I realized the next part of this process is going to be extremely painful. Running is hard enough when you’re fighting fit, but when you’re out of shape it’s a whole new ballgame! However, while there have been times where having a break from the mental and physical intensity of the sport has been really beneficial, it’s time to get back to work. It’s the 9th of June 2020, and the comeback has begun.
I would also just like to say thank you to everyone who has wished me well or checked in during this time, and especially to Sophie Darling and Tom George for the boot and crutches. They have helped so much and meant that I could venture outside the house, or as far as my arms would allow me anyway!
Abbie x