Have you ever felt like someone was continuously hammering a nail into your foot? Almost as if someone was twisting the sharpest and thickest screw into your muscle?
That's how my left foot felt as I approached the end of training and of course, the big race - the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Naturally, with my first injury of the season came my first meltdown.
After many tears, an attitude adjustment, and a bout of "resting irritated face," I checked myself into a week of recovery - doctors not included.
No running (or just no more than 2 or 3 miles), and a few other things pulled me through in just a week. While every body is different and serious injuries should be examined by medical professionals, this is the toolkit that helped me bounce back.
- Biofreeze: This is a fast-acting, pain-relieving magical gel and I seriously recommend it.
- Foam Rolling: Let's just say, a little pain goes a long way.
- Ice Baths: The freezing therapy limits long run swelling and damaged tissues, so hold your breath and jump in.
- Strength Training: Even if you can't run, working on your fitness makes you feel good. I use the Nike+ Training Club app a few times a week.
- Stay positive. You'll get through it!
At this point, we should all be tapering with just two weeks to go until the big day.
