Sunday, September 20, 2009

Injuries Really Suck


After a great 14-mile run along an awesome new route last Saturday, I felt something happen to my knee.

I did finish up the run, but was very sore afterward throughout the rest of the day. Not sure what I did, but put the obligatory elevation, ice, heat and anti-inflammatory routine into gear. I’m not feeling sore now, but I hate to take any chances.

It’s hard sometimes to recognize that I’m not a 25-year-old any longer, but I am smart enough to know when my body is telling me to “take a step back.” Did a swim Sunday and I’ll try some more swimming along with elliptical and the stationary bike over the next few of days before risking any further running.

Hopefully, this is a minor setback as I was really looking forward to the Des Moines Marathon in October. However, if the situation doesn’t improve, I’ll visit the doctor and move into the appropriate treatment options. In the short term, this will prevent me from missing bigger and better events I’m considering for next year.

My point being this – when you’re an active 40-plus athlete, listen to your body. A temporary layoff to treat an injury is a much better alternative than risking your long-term goals for the short-term.

1 comment:

Mark said...

So sorry about the knee, hope it gets better!