Injury: the toughest race to win - Symptoms

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Thursday, 08 July 2010 00:00

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The symptoms

Plenty athletes who identify the second statement continue to train. They ignore the symptoms. Initially, it may appear they got the better of the injury/illness. But after a time, those symptoms eventually take control of your body. They force you to stop your training. I have seen countless athletes ignore early warning symptoms of injury with serious consequences.

Dan

One runner I know; let's call him Dan, elected not to treat what he thought was shin splints. He told me “You can run through shin splints, you know”. Dan was on the verge of moving into the veteran’s category and was motivated to win some races in his first year as a veteran.

He continued to run and over time, what was once a slight discomfort developed into a serious limp. Still not convinced he had a serious injury, Dan continued to train and race despite being in obvious pain. His once fluid running style was reduced to a shuffle or more accurately a hobble. Nearly a year later, he finally decided to see a specialist who confirmed a stress fracture. However, the fracture was so severe the doctor put Dan’s foot in plaster! Usually, a stress fracture does not require a cast.

I thought: Clever Doctor... he knew the type of athlete Dan is. Dan could not run for six months!

This six months did not detract him from his goal and he duly made his comeback Sadly though, he never got to run anywhere near his best. To this day, he continues to run with a limp.

Jannie

Then I met Jannie. Jannie had to be the most promising sprinter this country had seen in years. He was poetry in motion. Whilst still 19 years old, Jannie was beating most of the senior sprinters in the country. In the lead up to National champs that year he strained his hamstring. Jannie felt he could not reduce his training with Nationals so close. Well, the good news is Jannie won both the 100m and 200m that year. Pundits were proclaiming the arrival of a bright new era of sprinters for South Africa. Jannie never competed at the same level ever again. The recovery needed as a result of damaging his hamstring was a bit much for Jannie’s patience. He quit the sport, not wanting to “wait it out”

Both these stories are true. Neither of these stories have happy endings. My aim is not to say “you cannot overcome injury or illness”.

My point  is: injuries or illnesses are a message to us to slow down.