Right now, I have taken Monday to Friday off from running. Yes, I am really not happy with this, and I am currently suffering from a bad case of running withdrawals. However, if it’s one thing I have learned in my running life, it’s that you listen to your body instead of running it into the ground. After my 13 miler last Sunday, my annoying right hip flexor started to feel very sore.
Actually, it wasn’t just sore, it cramped up and I had a hard time walking around for the rest of the night. This is probably from some muscle fatigue after the long run. Running long and hard, and having run on snow the day before probably didn’t help matters!
While I find my hip flexor to be extremely annoying right now, I know that I am doing the right thing. In the words of my coach, I need to “stay patient.” Hmm….I wonder if he knows how seriously Type A I am! I will simply say that being patient is not necessarily one of my stronger points. I have been given the option of using the elliptical or bike if they do not aggravate the hip flexor, but neither of those options seems incredibly appealing to me at the moment.
So I am left with a case of the running withdrawals. Since running is my therapy, this is not always a pleasant experience for my family me. When I can’t run, my fuse is much shorter and I find that I am generally not able to cope with things as well. Toddler meltdowns and interrupted sleep are liable to send me over the edge. Running always balances the highs and lows and leaves me feeling like I can take on the world.
Running is always my outlet and my “me time,” something I sorely miss when running is not an option. Some people would probably find it amusing that I am making such a big deal about not being able to run for five days, but I figure that most of my fellow runnerds could empathize!
Do you go through withdrawal if you miss more than a few days of running or am I the only crazy one?
I have been sidelined from running for awhile now…reoccuring ankle issues then whacked out back/hip/leg so it’s been awhile and yes total withdrawal 🙁
Can you find another ‘outlet’ to help you ‘escape’?
I am still trying to find that outlet Tara- I wish it would hurry up and let me find it! 😉
sadly i’ve learned that sometimes we have to slow down and then it will find you…now to sound cliche’ lol
Love it! I have slowed down to the point of not doing anything, so hopefully it finds me soon! 😉
here’s to it finding you REAL SOON then 🙂
Running? No way 🙂
Weights?! Hell. Yes.
*squints* did my comment work?
Yes, it did! For some reason, it sent you to spam first 🙁
YOGA!!! Even better — hot yoga. Jessica, I don’t know if you’ve ever tried yoga, but a GOOD yoga class with a good instructor is really awesome. It will help both mind and body. I think it can be a wonderful complement to running. Just sayin’ …
I hear you Diane–I used to do Bikram all the time when I lived in San Diego. I LOVED it! I think there is a studio pretty near me, so I will have to hit it up! 🙂
I feel your pain I PROMISE! I had a stress fracture in my foot in nov/dec and took off 8-9 weeks total from running…I went NUTS and coming back has been so slow but I appreciate running so much more now.
I think I will appreciate it even more too. I can’t wait to get back on the road! 🙂
I know how you feel! The toddler meltdowns are definitely easier to deal with if you know you can run it off later. Hope your back to the running soon!
Thanks Jenny! So far, my kids have been pretty nice to me with no major meltdowns (knock on wood!). 🙂
Heck yes I go through withdrawals! Actually, I just had to downgrade to a half marathon for March because my body is acting a fool! I’ve just been generally trying to run less so I can be ready to go for fall. Today, I had to skip running because my back was being weird. It’s hard but cross training helps. And, btw, 5 days is a LONG time for me not to run so I feel your pain. Just remember that the rest will actually make you better in the end!
I am definitely going to try some more cross training. It’s frustrating because I feel like every time I get up to about 35 miles, something happens! 🙁 Hopefully a week or two of rest gets me back on the roads!
I hear you loud and clear! I had to stop running at 25 weeks preggo after a car accident did a number on my back. I’m now early 39 weeks and have a few more to go and I’m seriously going bonkers. Hang in there! Rest does the body good.
Wow Steph! Hope your back is feeling a bit better (though probably not if you are 39 weeks!). I think that’s great that you ran up until then and hopefully you will be back at it pretty soon! I am just going to try to enjoy resting without going insane!
Oh man, I SO feel you on this one!! Anytime I’ve had to be patient (as you say!) and listen to my body when it hurts, I get so sad — running is my therapy too, my “me time” and a great mood lifter for me too. I just LOVE how I feel after I’m all done and to miss out on that while I heal is HARD. Even harder than running itself is, in some ways. Hang in there. Your hip will thank you!! (I have wicked tight hip flexors so I know what you mean…on a smaller scale anyway)
Thanks Jess! So far, I have been patient and haven’t done anything since last Sunday. Since I have a half on the calendar for March, I really just want to get back into training. I don’t want to do anything that would delay that, so I am sitting tight!
Not crazy at all. I was injured two years ago and had to take nearly 3 months off, and I almost went insane! You are doing the right thing, though. Better to take a week or two off now, than to aggravate something and end up having to take months off. Hope it’s feeling better soon!
Wow–3 months must have been really tough. I feel bad complaining about a week! 😉 Thanks for the well wishes!
I find that if I don’t run (at least) every other day I start to get like that. I have no solution for it either. good luck!
Thanks Kelly! I am slowly going bonkers!
I find myself in a similar situation when I run to, I’ve switched to biking for now just for fitness purposes, but I much perfer running 🙁
Me too! I just don’t get the same fix from anything else!
I definitely struggle with this, too! You’re absolutely doing the right thing, but it is so hard. I often found that winter running brought about twinges of pain, I don’t know if it was from the harder surface or my cold, tense muscles or what… hope you’re pounding the pavement soon!
Glad to know I’m not alone! I think you are totally onto something with the winter running. I think the slicker surfaces also cause you to change your stride, which can tweak things. Darned hip flexors! 🙁
I would love to take my hip flexor and rip it out sometimes. It makes me soooo mad. After my marathon I thought it would never go back to normal, but the rest really did help. Hopefully you can get a run in this weekend so you can have your time back. 🙂 Take care!
Ugh, I feel the same way Robin!! I want to rip mine out right now. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to take another week of rest. I don’t want to do anything that’s going to jeopardize a complete recovery! 😉
I absolutely know the feeling of withdrawal. I really only feel like I truly fell in love with running and became a runner in the early fall of 2010. As if on cue, I had a major IT band blowout. I was crushed. It was all I could do to not just go run regardless of the pain. And, I’m back in injury zone right now with 2 different issues. I’m so frustrated and trying so hard to find some sort of positive out of it. I sure hope you’re able to get back at it soon!
Sorry, that totally rots! I haven’t run since last Sunday and am going nuts! I miss running so much. 🙁 Hope your injuries get better soon too-hang in there!