Image Credit: Pixabay Images
Running, as much fun as it is, comes with its packages of injuries. Have I been through any to those injury? Yes, and in many ways. Below are some of the major injuries in all my years of running from most painful to discomfort.
1. Groin muscle strain
Based on my experience, groin strain was by far the worst that I have suffered. It happened on November 2019 during the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in 2019. and the pain was a consistent sharp pain at the groin. I had to limp and drag my leg about 15 km with that pain to complete the marathon. I wouldn’t like to go through that experience again.
I avoided physical activities for more than two weeks and compensated with stretchings to recover.
2. Plantar fasciitis (Heel Spur)
Plantar Fasciitis or, in layman’s term, Heel Spur is common among runners. I developed this around March-April 2019. The pain was at the right heel and I had difficulty planting my foot on the ground. It was worse in the mornings. After I wake up, I would do a lot of foot stretching before stepping out of the bed. Heel spur results in the deposit of calcium as a spike on the heel that causes all the pain.
It got so severe for me that I had to get a jab at my heel after consulting a Orthopedic doctor. Just to let you all know, having a needle inserted at the heel is such an involuntary butt-clenching moment. I guess there is a direct nerve connection between those two part of the body. Below is an x-ray of my right foot with the protruding spike (below in red circle) that causes the pain while walking.
For mild Heel Spur, regular leg stretching helps with the healing.
3. Shin Splint
In my experience, shin splint was a constant soreness or pain along the inner side of my shin bone. There was a mild swelling too. There were times when pain on the shin would come in pulses. I took plenty of rest and rubbed medicated balm locally.
4. Runner’s Toe
Runner Toe was the lest painful of all. Generally, it is the big toe that suffers, but fortunately or unfortunately, my second toe is longer than my first toe. Runner’s toe has to do with not wearing the right shoe size and not landing the foot properly.
For short runs, this may not be an issue but for long runs, the prolong exposure of the toe to the pressure. At the end, the nail came off and a brand new grew..
My foot is not photogenic. In reality, it looks much better than in the picture 😅😅.
At the end, with all the injuries, all I can say is, “Been There, Had That!“.