How many have you have stopped running due to injury?
LotusCass
Posts: 145 Member
Last year I worked my way up to running 5k using C25K. I almost got there and did a park run to see how far I could get. Throughout the whole run I felt a niggling little pain in my thigh & hip but kept going. I ran 4.2k then fast walked the rest. When I stopped & then walked slowly the pain was huge. After I'd stretched & sat down I couldn't get up again. Turned out I'd strained a ligament in my thigh. It took 6 weeks before I could even think about running again. I've now started to get back in it again (early weeks of C25K) but my hip still niggles. I really don't want to injure myself again.
When I've told others about this so many people tell me they've injured themselves running & say don't run, it's so bad for your joints. I've been to an osteo who says my pelvis is slightly twisted which may be contributing to it.
Tell me your running stories if you've decided not to go back to it after injury.
When I've told others about this so many people tell me they've injured themselves running & say don't run, it's so bad for your joints. I've been to an osteo who says my pelvis is slightly twisted which may be contributing to it.
Tell me your running stories if you've decided not to go back to it after injury.
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Been a runner all my life. Moved from being a sprinter to a distance runner in my early 20s. I was quite lucky to not get any major injuries but I was increasing my distance trying to move from 5ks & 10ks to a half marathon when plantar fascitiis in both feet sidelined me for over 10 months. I'm very very flat footed. Like Mc Donald's has more arches than my foot does. After many months of stretching, foam rolling, KT taping and orthodics I'm back out there again.
Treating an injury is better than pushing through and leaving you with a permanent injury. I suggest getting a foam roller or one of those hard spiky balls. You don't realize the tense muscles and knots you can have that can impact your running until you start rolling them out. My feet problems came from having really tight calves that simple stretching was not helping.
Hope I helped and I hope you get back to running
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I have a bad ankle that I have rolled COUNTLESS times in my lifetime. I have never injured it WHILE running. Usually it's when I step off of a step or two wrong. Because I have rolled it so many times my ligaments are trashed. The last time I injured it was halfway through my weight loss thus far) and I took 6 weeks off from running. I see a chiropractor who does a treatment to it to help it heal and also puts K tape on it to give it some support but also let it heal properly. It can take 6 weeks to 6 months. I've been told that I will probably always have an increased chance of injury. I still run (currently 3x a week and then the other 3X a week I do other cardio on machines) and I will probably always do some running. However, I want to widdle it down to very minimal running once I am in maintenance. I want to do a body recomp so I want to be doing more weight lifting. I also believe that running can be hard on a body and I should probably be doing minimal.0
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I'm injured at the moment, but will hopefully start running again in the next couple of weeks. No plans to stop - got a half marathon in September.
If your hip still isn't right, see a physio. You don't need to just treat the injury, you need to stop it happening again.1 -
I was relatively lucky, I never had a running injury sideline me longer than a week to rest up.
Many times a "running injury" is nothing more than a pre-existing condition that has been exposed or made worse by running. I think with smart programming, proper precautions and some common sense, most running injuries can be avoided or minimized.4 -
My guess is that most, if not all runners have had an injury at some point. I think all runners have been told some nonsense about how terrible running is for them.
I injured my knee about three months after I started running. I did not have proper running shoes, and I wasn't doing any substantial strength training or massage/stretching. I developed a patellar tracking problem in which my right kneecap was rubbing against a tendon when I ran, which ultimately caused me a lot of knee pain. I did several months of physical therapy, went to a running store for good shoes, and basically learned how to take care of my body. I was also scared to run again for another year. When I did run again, I used compression gear to support my knee. I still wear capris or tights when I run--they probably provide only minimal knee support, but I think at this point the benefit is largely psychological.
The point is that in any physical activity, injuries are possible, and if you do any physical activity for a length of time, your odds of getting injured increase. The goal is to learn to prevent injuries, and heal and rehab injuries that do happen. That may mean taking time off running while you heal, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have to stop running forever. If you like running, then unless you have been told by an ortho that you should stop running permanently, I wouldn't listen to the people who are telling you to stop. (And even then, I'd probably get a second opinion.)3 -
Tell me your running stories if you've decided not to go back to it after injury.
When someone says they've injured themselves running, and they don't run as a result is with digging into that a bit more.
Did they get shin splints four weeks into a running plan, and never explore why they got injured, or did they suffer a more acute injury part way through a session?
In my first half marathon I developed Illiotibial Band Syndrome in my right leg, which led me to six weeks off training. Once I'd diagnosed the cause and addressed it I did another HM six months later.
In December of last year I trusted my ankle out in the woods and took about six weeks off. It meant I had to defer a planned Marathon in March but I did manage one in May instead.
As with most runners I've had people who don't know what they're on about telling me that running is bad for the joints. The evidence doesn't support that. Runners have better bone density and stronger stabilisation around one and ankle joints than noon runners, albeit from small studies.
Many runners cross train, to help mitigate injury risk and to improve running performance. Hip issues are generally, although not exclusively, related to core strength deficiencies. Resistance training helps to address that.
Fwiw since that first HM I've done another seven, two marathons and two ultras without any issues.1 -
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Heel is giving me pain on push off0
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I twisted my ankle at parkrun this weekend because i didn't see a rabbit hole. Was gutted because it was my first parkrun and I was in course to run the whole thing!
I'm not letting it put me off. I'll make sure it's healed properly before I run on it and I'm too worried about making myself unable to exercise for weeks to push through an injury.1 -
Yup . . . no running for me as general exercise. Bad knees from various sports-related injuries over my life and I'm missing the lateral meniscus in one knee. Running kills that knee especially after a mile or so and the soreness and extra wear and tear just aren't worth it. I'll do some things that involve shorter bursts . . . like playing softball and things like that, but never the long, extended jogs/runs.
I stick to the elliptical, the airdyne and jujitsu for conditioning.1 -
Being alive causes injuries for me. I'm at the end of 9 months of not running due to a knee ligament injury I got while doing a recovery swim (I really am that talented). My last running layoff was due to a back injury from poor deadlifting (deadlifting doesn't cause back injuries-being an idiot does). I've also broken my toe on a baby gate, fallen down the stairs, and who knows what else. I love running. I have done months of rehab and PT to be able to do it again. I don't know what injury I will manage to inflict on myself next-but until I manage to completely break myself while I'm painting my nails or washing dishes or something else equally exciting, I can't imagine not running to the degree I'm capable.6
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If you're into fitness, you're likely to be injured at some point regardless of what you're doing... out comes with the territory.
My guess it's that you probably had a pre existing condition which was exposed... this is what happened with my feet. I don't run because it jacks my feet up...i cycle as it is lower impact, but I've still been injured cycling a couple of times.5 -
Our bodies are meant to move. I work in healthcare and have seen horrible injuries happen from sitting down or even laying down too much. We can't live in an injury-free bubble. I'd much rather be running!!! If and when running injuries occur, I will work on healing and discovering the cause and finding a way to avoid injuries in the future. In my case when I started running 3 years ago I suffered terrible shin splints, knee pain and foot issues. I did some research and out of desperation tried barefoot running and have been running 600+ miles/year injury-free this way. Find what works for you. You might want to look up some info on Chi running or The Pose Method of running, it can help with good form and running with less impact. I believe good form is the key to avoiding most running injuries.5
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About 6 months after I started running, a week before my first half marathon in 2012, I developed a pelvic stress fracture from ramping up my miles too fast. I was off running for 7 months. I started again, built my mileage up fairly quickly in hopes of running a HM in the fall of 2013, and injured a different part of my pelvis. After reading about a similar injury on a running forum, I self-diagnosed it as Osteitis Pubis, but never saw a doctor since I knew he would just tell me to rest and I could do that without paying for his opinion. After about 5 months I was able to run normally again and once again I built up the miles. I finally was able to run my first HM in April 2014, two years after my first injury. About 6 months later, while doing speed-work with a group, I pulled a hamstring. It didn't stop my running, but was an intermittent pain for about 18 months. Eventually I went to a PT who started me on exercises for my hips. Turned out that was the likely cause of all three injuries. I was able to do my first marathon in April 2015, while still dealing with the hamstring injury. That was a little over 2 years ago and I have run two other marathons since without any serious issues. My only other injury was a shoulder that was damaged when I tripped and fell on it, twice in a month. It didn't stop me running, just meant I had to do PT to loosen it up again and help regain strength.
Before I began running, I had knee issues I developed as a backpacker on the AT. They didn't bother me on day to day walking, just when hiking steep trails. They still complain when I hike steep sections, though they are fine on more gentle grades. My running has not bothered my knees at all. A lot of studies say that running is actually good for your joints.
I know a lot of people don't go back to running after getting injured. It depends on how much it matters to you. I have issues with depression that are alleviated by hiking and running. Since I can't hike much anymore, thanks to family issues, I have to run. I need the time outdoors. I need the hard exercise. I need the challenge of signing up for long races and training for them. The times I was injured and unable to exercise were extremely hard on me mentally and emotionally. Which is why I went back to it as soon as I could, and probably sooner than I should.2 -
Have been running for decades. Not until early 50's did I begin encountering injuries. Invested in a sports therapist who taught me strength exercises as well as the value of cross training. It was hard to accept that I am slowing down and can no longer tolerate distances beyond 7-9 miles but every day I can run is a gift.3
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Last year I worked my way up to running 5k using C25K. I almost got there and did a park run to see how far I could get. Throughout the whole run I felt a niggling little pain in my thigh & hip but kept going. I ran 4.2k then fast walked the rest. When I stopped & then walked slowly the pain was huge. After I'd stretched & sat down I couldn't get up again. Turned out I'd strained a ligament in my thigh. It took 6 weeks before I could even think about running again. I've now started to get back in it again (early weeks of C25K) but my hip still niggles. I really don't want to injure myself again.
When I've told others about this so many people tell me they've injured themselves running & say don't run, it's so bad for your joints. I've been to an osteo who says my pelvis is slightly twisted which may be contributing to it.
Tell me your running stories if you've decided not to go back to it after injury.
I expect you'll get a lot of responses from those of us who *did* go back after injury.
I've stopped running because I got injured several times. Each time, I've learned something about anatomy, learned something about preventing similar issues in the future, rehabbed, and come back.
The most recent time, I got Achilles tendinitis after a disappointing DNF with cramps a mile from the finish line of the 2016 Rochester Marathon. I was so bummed out that I was ready to give up marathons for being too stupid to figure out how to run one without hurting myself. I would have, except I'd already registered for Boston 2017. So my major goal for Boston was to finish uninjured. I put a lot of effort into training and mental preparation for that end.
Boston was challenging. It was the second warmest Boston on record. I had a bad cold that peaked the day before. I should have run the entire course easy, but couldn't break my training; I ran 20 miles right on the original plan, hit the wall, did 4 more miles with walking breaks, had my quads cramp up, and walked the last 2 miles. If I had been focusing on time this would have been a soul-crusher, as it was the slowest marathon I have completed. But I was focused on finishing uninjured, and did everything I could to achieve that.
Recovery from Boston went so well that I was able to run a PR 10K 13 days later. I'll be back at Rochester in September to prove the course won't defeat me, and I'll be back in Boston in 2018.
Avoiding injury while running is a learning process. Runners who run for distance and keep doing so for years learn when to back off to prevent injury. They learn when to back off and when to stop to keep a minor injury from becoming a major injury. This is a frustrating process, as there are no bells that ring when you get it right; there is only pain when you get it wrong.
I can understand people who give up running because learning how to run without getting injured is too difficult. I can understand people who simply decide that running is not their thing. That's okay. I do wish that those who give up running because they got injured would not try to convince us that *everyone* should avoid running because it causes injury.
It is possible that running may be contra-indicated for your personal health situation. I find that sad, but it is true that the risk of injury while running is too great for some individuals. It is not true for all individuals.7 -
Broken ankle with a plate and 8 screws. Took over a year to start running again. I did PT for a year to ensure that my ankle was strong enough and had proper range of motion for running.
My goal was not to quit, my goal was to run. My injury wasn't going to stop me forever.6 -
Wow, we are quite the breed. Yes, I have had injuries. Something in my hip which went away after several weeks and a bruised heel which also went away. Both while I changed exercises to chair stuff. Yes, I still run. I am a 58 yr. old female who started running just shy of 2 years ago. I used to run 7ish miles/day but found that if I run more like 5/day, I am less likely to injure myself. I love, love running! (How else am I going to eat pizza and cheeseburgers
) Best wishes! 5 -
Stop my training because of injury? Never.
Changed my training? Probably 500 times over the years.
I've run even played catcher at the age of 46 with broken toes & a broken foot.
Set a state record for powerlifting with torn rib muscles.
I have a joint disease that swells all my joints in my body where it takes me 10-30 minutes just to walk on the morning. Yet I ran every day for over a year averaging 8 miles.
Injuries happen, there are ways around it. Just need on know what to do.2 -
Huh. You ran with a broken foot?Stop my training because of injury? Never.
Changed my training? Probably 500 times over the years.
I've run even played catcher at the age of 46 with broken toes & a broken foot.
Set a state record for powerlifting with torn rib muscles.
I have a joint disease that swells all my joints in my body where it takes me 10-30 minutes just to walk on the morning. Yet I ran every day for over a year averaging 8 miles.
Injuries happen, there are ways around it. Just need on know what to do.0 -
I think practically every runner has been sidelined by an injury at some point in their running careers.
The usual reason for injuries early on is trying to do too much, too soon, too fast; it's one of the reasons I'm not a huge fan of C25K.....it, IMO, tries to rush peoples progress.
Another reason for injuries is neglecting strength training & cross training. Both address muscular imbalances, improve strength and add variety (one of the things that drew me to triathlon was having to work on more than one discipline which strikes me as a very balanced approach)
Don't listen to those that tell you running damages your joints, the evidence proves the opposite however I would suggest that you spend a couple of sessions with a physiotherapist (I have a very low regard for the pseudoscience promoted by osteopaths) for some specific exercises to address your hip issues.
Good luck & have fun.5 -
I'll break the mold and say yes.. I gave up running because it was just too much of a pain in the *kitten* to manage the aches and pains (and injuries) I get from it. Shin splints, stress fractures, Plantar faciitis, IT band issues were pretty much facts of life for me while running. While I could do many things to make the aches and pains manageable during training bouts... they didn't go away until I simply stopped running. Plus, it really became a chore to have to worrying constantly about taking care of all the issues caused by running.
These days, I primarily use swimming as my go to cardio workout. It's the only activity I've never once hurt myself with (not saying you can't, just saying my body loves it). I do cross train with aerobics classes and yoga as well. It so much better to actually finish my workout and feel great rather then feeling like I just got hit by a semi!3 -
Great posts on here. I had a terrible ankle injury last year, surgery to repair tendon and fracture in January. I was in a cast non-weightbearing for 6 weeks, then crutches/walking boot for another couple of weeks. Started running again early April, so I was 4 months+ with no running. Just ran my first post-injury 5K over the weekend.
I've been running for about 4 years, and had minor injuries before (missed less than a month with each), but with this major injury, it has only deepened my desire and motivation to get faster and run longer. As other posters have said, I learned a lot about anatomy and ways to prevent injury and care for my body.
Best of luck to you!!1 -
Define "stopped".. Yeah I hurt my Achilles/calf during a training run and Did Not Start my scheduled Memorial Day 5K. Able to use the rowing machine and stationary bike currently, still up to date with my lifting program, and once I feel I can run without re-injuring myself, I will. Did I stop running due to an injury? Yes, it happens. Have I stopped running due to an injury? Nope, will get back on the road as soon as I feel I'm able.0
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Currently returning from hip injury. I have been injured a couple of times, either from overtraining or through muscle imbalance. Trying to do other activities so I'm not "just" running to hopefully avoid this in future. I'm doing much more core and strength work and (childhood dream realisation) am also into my 5th month of weekly karate sessions - and loving it.0
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I stopped for the last two months to rehab my knee from an overuse injury, but I also wanted to focus on strengthening my legs more before getting back into it (lots of squats, lunges, stretches, etc). I want to get back at it though. I do have a bad ankle from (years of rolling, surgery, even broke it once) but honestly, good shoes have mostly fixed that.0
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I did not injure myself running but I did have to give up running. 7yrs ago I broke my my leg and tore all of the ligaments and tendons in my ankle (same leg). After almost a year of not walking, surgeries, rehab, (still have pins and rods) etc., it's still very weak. The doctor told me I would never run again. I'm not one to listen to doctors so after 5yrs of working on strengthening my ankle (that injury was worse then the broken leg) I decided to try a slow jog at the track across from our house. By the half mile mark I had so much ankle pain and instability that I gave up. I ended up in a boot again for a week or so trying to stabilize my ankle again. I've always been able to prove doctors wrong - not this time. I won't be running again.
I was a distance runner all through high school and college and loved it. While I was running I got shin splints and PF both. Just dealt with them, taped the shins for races, and went on with life. After kids I didn't have much time anymore. I do miss a good run. I lift progressively now and walk on the treadmill at no more then 3.0 mph. Beyond that I start to experience a lot of discomfort and instability.1 -
Injury is common with runners, especially newer ones. We tend to try to do too much too fast.
I've been sidelined twice.
First time for just a couple of days - knee pain from shoes that didn't suit me. Get new shoes, wait for pain to subside, start running again. No problem.
Second time was for an overuse injury. I'd been off for a bit, jumped back in too hard. Ramped up my mileage too fast. Pulled a hamstring. From the feel of it, probably the semimembranosus. Anyway, healing was really no big deal other than it took months before I could run more than a mile without twinges - and I didn't run (other than a short test run per month) until those went completely away.
It's not smart to start back up after that type of injury while you still have even small pains. It's too easy to make them worse and end up back where you started. Or, to prevent the injury from ever completely healing and setting yourself up for an even worse injury. Why run with pain if you don't have to? Do other exercise that doesn't aggravate the injury until you can run pain free - work back into it slowly. And get that pelvis looked at - make sure you're OK to run from that standpoint as well.
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I had to stop running for 6 months after hip surgery to repair the torn labrum and arthritis in the joint. I admit that my consultant said I "probably shouldn't" run as it would wear away the joint faster and increase the necessity for a hip replacement. But.. I started again a month ago following the C25k and so far so good0
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I've been a jogger (not really runner) for about 5 years. I broke my ankle in two places about 2.5 years ago, but NOT while I was running. It was a year recovery after surgery and after that I went back to running. I'm back at my distance and time with a plate and 9 screws in my ankle. I don't do much cross country type running as I am more cautious, I mainly stay on trailed paths, concrete or treadmill.2
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