Injury

Injuries are a part of running, as they are in any sport. They come about either due to over-training or pure bad luck. This year has seen a spike in the training regimen of runners from Mumbai. They train believing in the efficacy of their own training schedule or that of their coach. All of this training culminates in that one race that runners wait for, year round; Mumbai Marathon. There are scores of runners this year that have gotten injured in the last few weeks before the race. Some have been able to and have been lucky enough to recup and rehab, to be able to make to the start line. Others have not been so fortunate.

"Having true faith is the most difficult thing in the world. Many will try to take it from you."

I have had the privilege to work with and advise two such runners: Madhu has been battling an injury since July and despite her best efforts to have it clinically evaluated, it was intractable until this week. The exact cause of the injury is a mystery and will perhaps reveal itself sometime. She suffers more, emotionally than physically, because she had to go thru' the heart rending process of giving away her bib to another runner. Her rehab and treatment will require her to stay off running for about 12 weeks; but, I am sure, given her determination and passion, she will come back a winner.

Ashok, is another guy that has suddenly come down with a back problem which incapacitates his running gait and causes him pain while running. He recently wrote to me that his rehab will take a while and that he will go to the start line in any case. If the pain gets unbearable during the race, he would drop out. I could understand his feelings and wrote to him with plain empathy the following;

Hi Ashok,

I can understand your disappointment and anguish having trained for the better part of the year. If it is of any help I can empathize with you: I ran SCMM 2009 but had a DNF! DID NOT FINISH!!

I had a groin pull while doing speedwork, in Nov 2008 and kept hoping the injury would heal. By early Jan 2009, I knew I was in deep trouble because I used to get excrutiating pain by the 30K mark. When I met up with my guys Raj, Mahesh and Pankaj, the day before the race, I expressed that my race may not be the best. They saw the haunted look on my face and understood. I was hoping to complete in whatever time. I dropped out of the race at the 29K mark. I was in deep emotional pain for days after that because my wife and son were waiting at the finish line.

I want you to know that even if you do drop out on race day, there is life after the event and your pain, both physical and emotional will heal. I have run 8 marathons since then. You are not alone; a guy like me that has been training for the last 15 years has had a DNF. Don't be afraid to go to the start line if your doc has not stopped you from running.

All the best

Dan

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
-- Confucius