Running & Chiropractic
I finally did it. It’s been 8 months. Eight long months of doing things different. An MRI, x-rays, 4 PRP injections, physical therapy, at home strength training, swimming, stretching, yoga, walking & hiking. Many of you know I have been a lifelong runner, it started in high school and hasn’t really stopped until now. So that’s 40 years of running, averaging running 1000 miles or so a year, finishing 11 marathons, 50+ half marathons and countless other races. My knees have been getting achy. They’ve gone through a lot. I haven’t been able to run since the end of March, as there has been too much pain in my knee. I guess that’s what finally happens after 40 years.
However, I finally got the “green light” to start back easy in November, so I went out and did a 5k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning (haha, I guess that wasn’t starting back easy). It was a run/walk, just to get in one race this year. I signed up both my son & I for this race, and off we went. He ran the whole thing (25 minutes!), and I ran and walked my way to the finish line. It was my slowest 5k ever. But I don’t care. I was back out there. It felt so good, I kind of got choked up crossing the finish line, and it made me realize how much I’ve missed racing. I went from 6-15 races a year, to none, or well just one. And it was fun, even if it was slow.
Back in the spring when this all started, I had X-rays and an MRI that showed very little degeneration (yay to chiropractic care), but instead my knee cap is a little too much to the outside, so it’s rubbing on my femur bone. There’s a chip of cartilage in the back of my knee, and my knee just hurt to bend, to walk, or to kneel down. So, I stopped running. Just like that. No running, not even a jog, not even a short sprint. Nothing. My body and mind needed to rest.
It’s such an odd feeling not to run. The most I’ve taken off before is about 2 weeks, and this was 8 months. And while I miss it, I am okay with it. I have nothing left to prove as a runner, I have accomplished so much, have ran the most amazing races, in the most amazing places. I’ve been so lucky. I have no regrets.
Now that it’s a week after my big race, I still haven’t run! But I did go for a hike, a swim, biked on my indoor bike, and continued to weight train. (And no, I hadn’t even biked this whole year). I’ve decided there’s no reason to push myself to do another race. I’m certainly not getting any faster. Maybe I’ll do more run/walks, or maybe I’ll do more biking (Confession….bought a new Peloton bike on Black Friday, it was a sweet deal). Joining the Peloton craze will be my new thing …. I hope…as long as my knee doesn’t hurt.
I have always credited regular chiropractic care for keeping my body moving, allowing my nervous system to function well, and allowing me to be injury free and perform at my best. That is what the adjustments do. Chiropractic corrects nerve interference and allows the body to perform at its best. And while I haven’t run in all these months, I still credit chiropractic care for allowing me to run for 40 years. That’s a lot of miles on my legs, my feet, my hips. I hope with continued adjustments and strength training, that I can keep my body and spine healthy enough to continue to work out (and avoid any kind of surgery). And I hope you do the same. Remember, it’s not about back pain, neck pain, sciatica or headaches. Chiropractic adjustments do so much more, allow you to be so much better and do better things. Not just one adjustment, but regular care — once a week or every other week. Don’t stop. Your body deserves more.