Runner in training - Part 3: A minor setback
Like many other Australians growing up, I was introduced to competitive running at a very young age. My first ever running race was at the beloved school sports carnival when I was in Kindergarten. I was able to handle the pre-race media hype to win comfortably on that day in the infamous 70 metre dash and secure my very first blue winner ribbon (which I still have to this day!) After this sweet taste of victory, it wasn’t too long until I was bugging mum and dad to sign me up for Little Athletics.
And so it would be that after school on a Friday night in the summer months, my sisters, dad and I would venture off to Little A’s for many more races and obviously the special treat of a hot dog (not a great diet for a runner) for dinner. As the years went on, I discovered my passion for short distance racing, in particular hurdles was a favourite. So although many years later, my passion has headed toward running longer distances and I am no longer doing the hurdles event, I have managed to hit one in my preparation for the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon in less than 2 weeks from now!
Actually, there are two ironies in my setback. Firstly, as a physiotherapist I spend all day assessing and treating injuries and it is now I with the shoe (or should I say jogger) on the other foot. Secondly, it was the activity I love doing – running, that led to my injury!
Possibly a downfall of being a physiotherapist is a feeling of invincibility as result of the wealth of education and experience I possess in relation to preventing and treating injuries. However, it would be my treating physiotherapist, the Practice Director of Back In Motion Bankstown, Katy Luk that would diagnose a left leg medial gastrocnemius (calf) muscle strain. You may have missed this news as it was missed by Sydney’s leading sports journalists who were a bit pre-occupied with the James Packer and David Gyngell rumble in the jungle. Anyway, it was not the best outcome considering I am planning to run a fair few kilometres in a few weeks in which I will need a very capable calf muscle to do so! But as they say, it could have been a lot worse!
One week following the diagnosis, I am still on track (another lame running pun intended) to compete in the event. With the knowledge I possess and the assistance of the other Back In Motion Bankstown physiotherapists, I am confident I am giving myself the best chance of recovery with initial relative rest and cryotherapy, ongoing stretching, strengthening, thermotherapy, soft tissue work and gradual return to running. Although not ideal, as an enthusiastic person, I always look at the positives!
I now understand and appreciate the patient’s perspective to a greater extent. Perhaps some of the patient’s remarks of me being somewhat sadistic were not far off the money and they would argue I deserved some pay back for all the torturous deep tissue work I have dished out! Lucky for me, I already know the benefit of physiotherapy and don’t need any convincing to comply, even though I’ll shed some tears of pain during treatment!
In my mind, it’s a setback, but the degree to which this sets me back is in my power to control. So for me, it will only be a minor one.
Daniel Piggott - Physiotherapist, Back In Motion Bankstown