Wednesday, August 10, 2011

sometimes you have to stop running...away

sometimes you have to stop running

i injured my right knee. i'm not even sure how or when. one day i just felt a slight twinge. nothing serious. so i kept running.

the twinge became a dull ache. i felt it whenever i would stop running. i ignored it and kept running.

the ache became a a low grade pain. sometimes i felt it while i was running. it would subside after about half an hour, so i kept running.

soon it just started to hurt. i tried slowing down my pace. i tried different stretches. i tried everything i could think of. but i didn't stop running.

now my knee hurts. really hurts. all the time.

i'm doing physiotherapy and R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression and elevation)

and i've stopped running

because sometimes you have to stop running.

during this enforced hiatus, i've had lots of time to reflect.

i've been reflecting on my other favourite sport. running away.

an old problem has resurfaced. resurfaced, because i didn't deal with it the first time, or even the second time, or...

just as i did with my knee injury, i kept running.

but you can't run with pain.  and you can't run away from pain.

sometimes you have to stop running.

so now?

R.I.C.E.

Rest, reflect and resolve to deal with it
Isolate the issue and get to the root of it
Confront it. face to face. confess my weakness to God.
Emancipate. break free and experience true liberty

pain is a good indicator that something is wrong. either in your body or in your life. you can only run with pain for so long. sometimes you just have to face up to it and deal with it. i guess this is one of those sometimes.

because sometimes you have to stop running...

away.

8 comments:

Cathy K said...

A fine prescription

Anonymous said...

Great post...being a runner... I can so relate...I love your new prescription for R.I.C.E

Hopped over from Emily's...
Blessings~

Brian Miller said...

nice...love the acronym...and told very nicely...think this is something many need to hear...

Mommy Emily said...

love this dear elaine. i had a similar thing happen to me... and i love running... but you're right. sometimes we just have to stop, and surrender, and let ourselves heal. xo

Madeleine Begun Kane said...

Good post! Hope you feel better soon! I had arthroscopic knee surgery several years ago and lived to tell the tale. :)
Madeleine Begun Kane

Helena said...

My 'strategy' is hiding and/or ignoring, so it's fairly similar. But you are totally right. I may have to refer to this post again if I feel the need to bolt! Hope your knee heals soon..x..

Madeleine Begun Kane said...

I'm checking in to see how you're feeling. Better, I hope!
Madeleine Begun Kane

Jim Swindle said...

How are you? I pray that you're OK. That's the weird thing about blogdom: people disappear from our lives, and we may never know what happened, until the Lord's return.

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