Sarah, thank you for sharing your journey through recovery and the mental reset that injury demands. Your approach to ‘project-managing’ recovery is such a helpful framework—it’s empowering to think of healing as an active process rather than a passive waiting game. Your insights on biomechanics and how seemingly small issues, like rotational force, can create such impact is eye-opening, too.
A few other coping tips I’ve found helpful during injury recovery include:
- Establish small, achievable goals (like working on upper body strength or flexibility) to keep a sense of progress and avoid frustration during recovery.
- Visualize the specific muscles or areas healing and returning to full strength, which can help with focus and maintaining a positive outlook.
- While rest is essential, gentle activities like water walking or light resistance bands (as tolerated) can promote circulation and maintain muscle tone around the injured area.
- Injuries can take a mental toll, so practices like mindfulness or meditation can support mental resilience while the body heals.
Cheers to embracing setbacks as teachers and to a healthy, gradual return to the trails. Here’s hoping your story inspires all of us to listen more closely to our bodies!
So sorry to hear you’re struggling with injury. I am also on my own journey with an IT band issue, and I actually just published an article on here yesterday about strategies for dealing with injury that I’ve found helpful over the past few months.
If you haven’t already, perhaps try looking into PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections that seem to have some promising benefits when done in conjunction with physical therapy. I just had one and I’m cautiously optimistic 🤞
I’m inspired by your active approach to recovery, also grateful for the helpful reminder about how “return runs” shouldn’t feel like runs at all, but rather a PT workout that is mostly walking :) Agreed that injuries are easier to handle when you’re armed with knowledge and a plan— I’ve also been grateful for my bike to allow me to get outside in nature even when I can’t run or hike. Thanks for the wisdom to help me recover from my ankle injury and wishing you a smooth and fast recovery, complete with strong supportive muscles + running-form makeover! ;)
Your excellent write up made me realize that my two long standing issues are actually related!
I struggled with IT band pain for the first year of running after switching from road cycling.
A little background on how I treat my body. I'm a chiropractor by profession. I knew on the first visit when I was 16 that I was going to do this for a living. Taking care of the spine and nervous system before you had problems made more sense than chasing symptoms. I get my spine checked regularly, whether I have symptoms or not. If I do have symptoms, the methods I receive personally rarely address the "problem" area, it's a systems approach. More than just feeling better after a session, my highest HRV readings are the day after I get care.
With that in mind, I was drawn to Kelly Starrett's "Mobility WOD" videos about 12 years ago when I started running. He relayed the concept that working "upstream" and "downstream" of the problem can help greatly. I committed to improving my deep squat while keeping the toes straight ahead and did a lot of couch stretches for the hip joint.
I was also running "Too Much Too Soon" . Zero to 5 miles in a couple weeks, and because I had aerobic capacity from cycling I didn't think I was doing damage until it was obvious that I was. In addition to the IT band issue I was on my way to a stress fracture in my foot.
I did a re-boot, I committed to consistency, starting at 1 mile, working up to running for 2 hours over a period of 6 months. I also committed to two months of only MAF (maximum aerobic function) runs. I also started using HRV at this time to better listen to my body and when I was needing a break.
For the next 10 years if my IT band flared it was because I was going too fast or too far for the level of training I was at. I would cut back and ramp up slowly again and avoid any issues. I never tried to power through it, walking home if necessary.
I did a run streak from 2020 to 2022 and I only had an issue the first week. I started at 1 mile/day and was doing 3 miles/day with a long run on the weekends after 6 months.
Forward to this year and after a long run that included a bunch of steep, loose rocks (on the Hardrock Course) that filled my shoes. I noticed the next day that the bottom of my foot was tender. I was slightly rotating my foot (heel in, toes out) while the foot was on the ground creating a blister. I have decent form, but over the years I noticed a wear spot on my right shoe underneath the first metatarsal, that's where the blister was. That spot is on all my shoes, not only my running shoes, your shoes can tell you a lot!
A visit with Dr. Google and a quick self assessment I realized my ankle dorsiflexion was limited. The rotation of the foot was so slight I could only notice my foot rotating it if the floor was a little moist while walking barefoot. Where I was able to feel it was when I went down a step, I could feel my heel wanting to twist inward as a compensation to get around the lack of ankle flexion. Add those twists up over thousands of foot steps and it's a problem when you have tiny bits of rough material stuck in your shoe.
The big a-ha for me from your article was the mention of Gerdy's tubercle, this is exactly where the IT band pain shows up for me, and when you mentioned the rotation, It all clicked in place. All the articles I had read over the years didn't seem to fully apply to my body.
My lower leg was twisting because my ankle mobility was limited. I could then link that this twisting is also affecting the IT band because the whole lower leg is twisting too.
I had assumed my issue was originating in the hip, from the many years of biking, sitting and other activities that don't allow a full hip motion.
It's always great having a revelation. Thanks for laying out the pieces right in front of me.
I'm glad, and I hope this helps you! Try Uhan's ankle belt stretch; it's kind of a pain to set up and do, but it sounds like it could help you. He has a part 1 before this video where he explains it more; this is the video that demonstrates the stretch. good luck! https://youtu.be/mL4Fwf7o7l8?si=0suTYmfkdAyBy_Io
I’m sorry to hear you’re injured. But I’m almost picking up a sense of “ok here’s a new exciting mission” in your approach to recovery. Go get it! (Written with an ice pack on my left knee. Meniscus, I predict. Let’s see what the ortho says Friday. Already doing PT, though, so I am very on board with your approach and aiming to be inspired by your attitude!)
Sarah, thank you for sharing your journey through recovery and the mental reset that injury demands. Your approach to ‘project-managing’ recovery is such a helpful framework—it’s empowering to think of healing as an active process rather than a passive waiting game. Your insights on biomechanics and how seemingly small issues, like rotational force, can create such impact is eye-opening, too.
A few other coping tips I’ve found helpful during injury recovery include:
- Establish small, achievable goals (like working on upper body strength or flexibility) to keep a sense of progress and avoid frustration during recovery.
- Visualize the specific muscles or areas healing and returning to full strength, which can help with focus and maintaining a positive outlook.
- While rest is essential, gentle activities like water walking or light resistance bands (as tolerated) can promote circulation and maintain muscle tone around the injured area.
- Injuries can take a mental toll, so practices like mindfulness or meditation can support mental resilience while the body heals.
Cheers to embracing setbacks as teachers and to a healthy, gradual return to the trails. Here’s hoping your story inspires all of us to listen more closely to our bodies!
Thanks so much for reading, and for sharing those wise tips!
So sorry to hear you’re struggling with injury. I am also on my own journey with an IT band issue, and I actually just published an article on here yesterday about strategies for dealing with injury that I’ve found helpful over the past few months.
If you haven’t already, perhaps try looking into PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections that seem to have some promising benefits when done in conjunction with physical therapy. I just had one and I’m cautiously optimistic 🤞
I’m inspired by your active approach to recovery, also grateful for the helpful reminder about how “return runs” shouldn’t feel like runs at all, but rather a PT workout that is mostly walking :) Agreed that injuries are easier to handle when you’re armed with knowledge and a plan— I’ve also been grateful for my bike to allow me to get outside in nature even when I can’t run or hike. Thanks for the wisdom to help me recover from my ankle injury and wishing you a smooth and fast recovery, complete with strong supportive muscles + running-form makeover! ;)
Thanks always for sharing your wisdom. I wish you a speedy recovery. Good luck with the MRI.
Thanks, Jane!
Your excellent write up made me realize that my two long standing issues are actually related!
I struggled with IT band pain for the first year of running after switching from road cycling.
A little background on how I treat my body. I'm a chiropractor by profession. I knew on the first visit when I was 16 that I was going to do this for a living. Taking care of the spine and nervous system before you had problems made more sense than chasing symptoms. I get my spine checked regularly, whether I have symptoms or not. If I do have symptoms, the methods I receive personally rarely address the "problem" area, it's a systems approach. More than just feeling better after a session, my highest HRV readings are the day after I get care.
https://www.epienergetics.org/research-resources/2017/11/16/improvement-in-heart-rate-variability-in-46-patients-undergoing-chiropractic-with-network-spinal-analysis-a-retrospective-analysis-of-outcomes
With that in mind, I was drawn to Kelly Starrett's "Mobility WOD" videos about 12 years ago when I started running. He relayed the concept that working "upstream" and "downstream" of the problem can help greatly. I committed to improving my deep squat while keeping the toes straight ahead and did a lot of couch stretches for the hip joint.
I was also running "Too Much Too Soon" . Zero to 5 miles in a couple weeks, and because I had aerobic capacity from cycling I didn't think I was doing damage until it was obvious that I was. In addition to the IT band issue I was on my way to a stress fracture in my foot.
I did a re-boot, I committed to consistency, starting at 1 mile, working up to running for 2 hours over a period of 6 months. I also committed to two months of only MAF (maximum aerobic function) runs. I also started using HRV at this time to better listen to my body and when I was needing a break.
For the next 10 years if my IT band flared it was because I was going too fast or too far for the level of training I was at. I would cut back and ramp up slowly again and avoid any issues. I never tried to power through it, walking home if necessary.
I did a run streak from 2020 to 2022 and I only had an issue the first week. I started at 1 mile/day and was doing 3 miles/day with a long run on the weekends after 6 months.
Forward to this year and after a long run that included a bunch of steep, loose rocks (on the Hardrock Course) that filled my shoes. I noticed the next day that the bottom of my foot was tender. I was slightly rotating my foot (heel in, toes out) while the foot was on the ground creating a blister. I have decent form, but over the years I noticed a wear spot on my right shoe underneath the first metatarsal, that's where the blister was. That spot is on all my shoes, not only my running shoes, your shoes can tell you a lot!
A visit with Dr. Google and a quick self assessment I realized my ankle dorsiflexion was limited. The rotation of the foot was so slight I could only notice my foot rotating it if the floor was a little moist while walking barefoot. Where I was able to feel it was when I went down a step, I could feel my heel wanting to twist inward as a compensation to get around the lack of ankle flexion. Add those twists up over thousands of foot steps and it's a problem when you have tiny bits of rough material stuck in your shoe.
The big a-ha for me from your article was the mention of Gerdy's tubercle, this is exactly where the IT band pain shows up for me, and when you mentioned the rotation, It all clicked in place. All the articles I had read over the years didn't seem to fully apply to my body.
My lower leg was twisting because my ankle mobility was limited. I could then link that this twisting is also affecting the IT band because the whole lower leg is twisting too.
I had assumed my issue was originating in the hip, from the many years of biking, sitting and other activities that don't allow a full hip motion.
It's always great having a revelation. Thanks for laying out the pieces right in front of me.
I'm glad, and I hope this helps you! Try Uhan's ankle belt stretch; it's kind of a pain to set up and do, but it sounds like it could help you. He has a part 1 before this video where he explains it more; this is the video that demonstrates the stretch. good luck! https://youtu.be/mL4Fwf7o7l8?si=0suTYmfkdAyBy_Io
Yes, I've used that one. Overall my connective tissue is supple, I notice a big change after 2-3 sessions.
I'll also add that my connective tissue health is directly related to stress and diet.
Brian, I meant to ask in my first reply—did you run Hardrock? Or pace it and/or do a "softrock"?
I did Telluride to Ouray Labor Day weekend. We camped just outside Telluride (got the last spot!) and I met my wife at the pool in Ouray. Awesome day!
I've volunteered for iRunFar at Hardrock a few times but had never been on that part of the course.
I’m sorry to hear you’re injured. But I’m almost picking up a sense of “ok here’s a new exciting mission” in your approach to recovery. Go get it! (Written with an ice pack on my left knee. Meniscus, I predict. Let’s see what the ortho says Friday. Already doing PT, though, so I am very on board with your approach and aiming to be inspired by your attitude!)
I'm so sorry you might have a meniscus tear or another structural problem there. Heal up, and thank you so much for your encouragement.
Nooooooo! I’m so sorry you are injured 😭😭😭
Do you happen to read Jenny Tough? She has a good one dated Nov 17 relative to the non-medical aspect of this