Learning the hard way...

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I was blessed with a relatively easy and painless marathon training season last year. Maybe it was because my body was in complete shock at what I was doing the whole time, or maybe it was shear luck (probably some combination of the two) but either way, training went about as smoothly as one could possibly hope for it to go. This year, on the other hand... well, it's only January and it's already been rough. That being said, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger, right? Well, I'm still kicking (so far anyways) so by the time all is said and done, I'm hoping I'll be approaching superman status.

But, in all seriousness, since I started having issues with my hip (first my adductor, now my hip flexor) I've been bombarded with advice and ideas of how to help get myself better. Some of it I listened to, most of it I didn't... you see, I like to learn things the hard way. But, luckily for you, because I have a tendency to be extremely difficult about following advice I don't like, you can learn from my mistakes. Some of this may seem like common sense to a normal person (probably most of it), I know that. But there's this crazy, stubborn person deep inside of me that takes over in the face of injury and sends me on a path to self-destruction (does this really only happen to just me??). That crazy person tells me to ignore common sense and JUST KEEP RUNNING, it doesn't hurt that bad. And next thing you know, I can barely walk. So anyways,... here are some of the things I've learned the hard way in the past couple of months:

- There is no glory in "playing through the pain"- I mean, it would be one thing if I hurt myself in game 7 of the NBA finals and played through my broken wrist to finish the game with a triple-double and the game winning free throw- but, let's be honest, I: 1) don't play in the NBA, 2) would probably be too much of a baby to play with a broken anything, and 3) am still only in training to run a marathon, not running the actual thing. There's a difference beween running through pain in a race, and running through pain in training- one is finite and geared towards accomplishing a specific goal, the other is just stupid. I've been accused of doing the stupid one... training through pain certainly isn't going to win me any races, all it's going to do (has done) is make me hurt more... which leads me to my next lesson...

- Listen- listen to Jack, listen to Tyler, even listen to your dad when he tells you maybe you should take it easy for a few days. The best way to deal with advice you don't want to hear is not to ignore it- the problem will only get worse. I, of course, figured this out after the problem got worse.

- Go see a doctor, or some sort of professional who can help fix you- you don't win any prizes for self-diagnosis and treatment (or for pretending the problem doesn't exist)- unless you consider pain a prize.

- Have really good friends who will listen to you whine and complain about how badly your body hurts without hating you (at least to your face)- I actually didn't learn this the hard way, I happened to be lucky enough to start out with friends who were willing to listen to me. Whining may not actually fix anything, but it sure does make me feel better.

- If you're hurt, the arc trainer is your friend (and also your arch nemesis)- it's boring, it's hot, it's tedious, oh, and it's boring- but, it helps your body feel like it's running, and stay in running shape, without hurting you more- it's magic.

- When you have a bad/ painful/ frustrating run or workout, shopping usually helps to clear that frustration right on up- unless you go shopping for bathing suits... just trust me on this one.

- Advil = miracle drug.

And finally...

- Eat real food- contrary to what I once thought, this does not mean eat grilled cheese and soup everyday. I've eaten actual real meals most days for the last week or so (like meat, vegetable starch, things I've actually cooked on my own) and what a difference it has made in my energy level... Maybe it's not an injury specific lesson, but a lesson I learned the hard way nonetheless. No wonder doctors and health professionals recommend this...

So there you have it... I'm sure there's more good advice that I've received and completely ignored, but, like I said, I've been bombarded with suggestions, it's hard to keep it all straight. Don't make the same mistake I did and ignore this stuff- a lot of it came straight from Jack and, as you know, In Jack We Trust (unless you're me, then In Jack You Trust after you can barely walk anymore). It may not be fun to take it easy for a couple of weeks when you're injured, but it's even less fun if you pretend everything is fine, keep running, and then you wind up in pain everytime you stand up from your desk... nevermind when you try to run. Trust me, I know... I learned it the hard way.