My mind wants me to run more, but my foot is tired...

I was good at sports in my school days. I always bagged a prize in athletic sports. But as I grew up, I had to concentrate more on studies, and all running activities/sports were left behind. Now, after almost a decade, I have got a chance to enjoy it allover again. Thanks to Adarsh! Thanks to life! :)

We registered ourselves for the upcoming marathon. Adarsh would be running for 22Km and me 7.7Km. He has had enough practice and is confident. But its not the same for me. I had to start my drill from scratch. I did face some problems during the course of practice. I was aware of the general running rules, yet I did not follow some due to which I faced a few severe pain and strain in my foot and ankles.

I am writing this from my own experiences. Some basic stuffs that you ought to know before and during your run:

1. Get the right running shoes.
2. Always do warm up exercises and a little stretching before you run. It is very important that your muscles and body is warmed up to avoid a muscle catch or nerve twist.
3. Drink enough water (before,during and after the run) and stay well hydrated.
4. Always run on flat surface. Avoid uneven surface. This is very important and you wont realise until you experience it yourself. If you compromise on this, you will end up hurting your knee/ankle soon - just like me. :'(
5. You will definitely sweat a lot. So wear the right kind of clothes that breathes and help you feel comfortable.
6. Always listen to your body. "No pain No gain" simply does not work here. If you feel the pain, immediately stop and rest yourself. Pain is an indication from the body asking you to stop doing what you have been doing. So, simply give it a break.
7. Eat healthy - Follow a well balanced diet and make sure you do not eat junk food at least on the day of your long run. If you are running more than 10Km, you definitely need to follow a strict diet atleast a week before your run.
8. You can give yourself a 5-10minutes massage for your legs (ankle, knee, shin muscle) every weekend, which helps your joints well lubricated. Over a long run, this will surely prove beneficial.

Even after taking these extra care, you may simply end up with a sprain or a strain. In such cases, you need to follow the simple RICE treatment.

RICE is an abbreviation for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

• Rest - The pain indicates that you need rest. So stop any such activities that could increase the strain and rest until the pain reduces.
• Ice - If there is swelling, then apply ice several times a day.
• Compression - You can get an ankle guard or a compressive bandage so as to support you ankle.
• Elevation - Elevate your ankle above the heart level when you go to bed. This reduces your swelling.

Even after all this, if it still bothers you, immediately seek help. Go to a doctor, or get a good foot massage from certified professional massage centres. don't sit back and wait for it to heal all by itself ;) like the way I did :)

And then, after your recovery phase, simply drink a litre of water, get on to your fav sport shoes on, ON YOUR MARK, GET SET and GO! Rock it!

Marvels of Acupressure

I started my marathon preparations from December second week onwards. It was exciting to prepare for a long run. I was keen about noting time, distance and speed. The first time all I could run was 1.5Km which took me 10:56mins to complete. It was an easy run. I ran thrice every week and increased by 1Km by the end of the week. I went on well until 4.5Km. I took around 6mins/Km which I consider good enough for me. But then one sad day, this disaster had to happen :'(

Don't know when and how exactly it happened. I did not twist my leg anywhere, may be running at this rate was not fair enough for my flat feet. My right ankle started aching. I knew something was awry. As always, I neglected it and thought it would be fine in a day or two. So, again after 2 days I set out to run. But this time I could only run half a kilometer. Something was seriously wrong and I knew I had to listen to my feet. I went back home immediately and applied some oil and massaged my foot. Alas, it didn't help much. After few days, we got an ankle guard which supported my foot and helped me to some extent. Adarsh insisted that we go to a doctor, but I was reluctant and lazy as always. Pills never worked on my foot ever. I have had sprains and pain in my foot earlier. But they always heal themselves.

15 days of pain and it was high time I do something than just massage, internet guidance, multivitamin tablets and pain killers. Adarsh's manager, an athlete himself, suggested to go to a Chinese Acupressure Center who was specialized in bone ache, muscle pain and sprains.

I now either had to go to the doctor or try this new stuff. Going to the doctor only makes me gulp more tablets. Yuck!!! I hate pills. So, I did some research on the web about Chinese acupressure and thought it was best to give it a try.

We took an appointment and headed towards China Town after work.
The treatment was 25minutes of massage and it cost $20.

The specialist studied my feet and asked if I had any history of sprains or fractures. He soon learnt the exact point of pain. It was amazing. He applied pressure with his thumb and forefinger. Of course it hurt a lot when he pressed at the point where the pain originated. He kept saying "no pain no gain" every 10 minutes. :) I had to bear the pain. He continued applying pressure in different rhythms for nearly 40minutes with his aromatic massage oil.

To my surprise, he could pin-point the pain which I myself did not know. Earlier, I simply massaged my sore foot with visible green veins which had popped up due to strain. He then advised me to take 7-10 days rest though I could carry out my usual activities the normal way. I was advised not to run long-runs for next few days. He almost promised me that the pain would reduce soon.

We returned back home feeling satisfied. A 25 minute massage, which he actually did for almost 45 effective minutes. This was the best treatment I have ever had. The pain during the massage actually made me feel good. Because, now I knew the precise point where it hurts. I knew the pain would soon vanish. I had a good sleep and as you would expect, it was less painful the following days. Now, a week after the treatment, the pain is gone. I would rate 10 on 10 for the wonderful service provided at Chinese Acupressure Centre.







Thanks Eric!