9/11 Coffee and Chat

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 · Mike Davis

Good morning! Today is the anniversary of that tragic day that changed most of our lives’. I will forever remember the song by Alan Jackson; “Where were you when the world stopped turning”, and that will sum up the reality of 9/11 for me. May we never forget. Yesterday I got an email from one of our runners in our half marathon group letting me know that she went to the doctor because of her nagging shin splint and was found to have a stress fracture. Nothing and I mean nothing gets to me more than one of my runners coming down with such an injury. Instantly I go into the mode of questioning the training we provide, the advice in dealing with the injury and many other possibilities. The frustration that a runner goes through when they sign up for training group that culminates with a certain event only to withdraw due to injury, is difficult to witness. The fact that we are in week 5 only means that our runners are now feeling part of a team with friendships and bonds being created. Having to move to the sidelines can be very upsetting for any person who puts their heart and soul into the training and ultimate goal. Simply put; it sucks! Can I do anything about a stress fracture or any other injury that befalls one of my runners? I certainly have some influence on the structure of those that I train and I go to great length to protect my runners from injuries minor or more serious. I understand very well the proper technique that is found to minimize injuries when it comes to training, and yet the injuries still happen. I have even become more adamant in telling people that they need to get to a doctor and let them diagnose a particular problem. I wrote early on about how much I hate injuries and am now determined to address them sooner and more aggressively. People don’t want to hear that they should go to the doctors but in some cases that’s the best option. Figuring out the problem sooner than later, helps to start the healing process and gets the runner back on the road. Conversely, running with pain and ignoring it is not only risky but may impede the healing process. Some don’t tell me of a particular pain until they have attempted to run through it or realize it is not going away, and even then they often tell me it’s better when that’s not totally accurate. The desire to keep running despite some pain is a phenomenon that is taking over much of the running world and is leading to many stress fracture and worse. In talking with a physical therapist they see a large number of women between ages 36 and 42 that have taken up running and have tried to run through an injury or pain. That problem is a story for another day, but it’s definitely something I am quite aware of now and will do all I can do to insure my runners are getting the necessary help. Sometimes I can help, but many times I want the runner seeing a trained professional. Runners look to many different resources to seek help with a pain such as myself, a running shoes store, the internet or just another runner. Sadly in most cases these resources are only guessing based on experience with others or some understanding of the running gait. Personally I study running gait and how the body works so that I have some ability to understand those that I work with. Despite my knowledge and experience I am better at helping runners prevent injuries than I am in helping them cure an injury. In the end statistics show that 83 percent of runners will get an injury, most not serious, but the nature of running with less than a perfect gait leaves a runner susceptible to an injury. My goal is to teach good technique and smart training in hopes that we can prevent an injury. If a runner needs to see a doctor, I always try to recommend finding one that understand runners and wants to help you get back to running. Running is a lifetime activity so taking the time to repair what’s broken and solve what ultimately caused it to break are imperative to that lifetime goal. Thanks for having coffee with me this morning and God Bless America! mike