You’ve got four weeks to go. Almost all the money’s in the bank. Only one week of hard training left, and then you can start to taper…but what’s this twinge in your knee? You felt it yesterday, just a slight discomfort toward the end of your final 20-miler. It’s worse today, though—and two days from now you’ve got that last serious tempo run on your schedule. There’s not much worse for a marathoner than an injury late in the game. Seeing all your preparation threatened by something you can’t easily control can be truly depressing. The first reaction for most runners is denial, at least to the extent of starting the next day’s run hoping the pain is gone. If it’s not, and especially if it’s worse, acting fast can preserve your chance of racing well—and maybe of racing at all.
One of the most successful, and—no coincidence—smartest masters runners in the country, Alan Ruben (he ran a 2:29:54 marathon at age 41), has a policy that has served him well for decades: If he feels a pain that he isn’t familiar with—in other words, something whose duration and intensity he can’t predict—he takes two days off. That’s almost always enough time to heal whatever minor problem has cropped up. Ruben virtually never misses a race—or a place in his age-group (currently 50-54).
Most of us don’t have that kind of discipline—or, rather, our discipline is geared only toward doing more, not less. It’s very hard to convince a distance runner that backing off is wise. But when there’s risk of injury, the best move is to use the same focus and determination that get you through those 20-milers, but on being careful and patient instead.
Of course, treatment is vital. Almost any running injury is helped by the elements of the acronym RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. If it’s a foot or leg problem, you can cover all four at once by lying down with your leg on some pillows and an ice pack wrapped around the painful area for 10-15 minutes. (Repeat after an hour off, and continue the cycle.) Sleep is another excellent recovery aid; it’s when tissues are rebuilt, and some extra rebuilding time is ideal now. Ruben’s Rule would be a good idea: That tempo run really can wait, and you’ve got too many miles behind you now to lose any fitness in two days. On Day 3, start very slowly and on a soft surface if possible. (Treadmills are good for this; they alleviate the chance of getting two miles out and having to walk or catch a ride back if the injury flares up.)
The biggest challenge can be mental. You have travel plans, hotel reservations, dinner plans—and now it’s all at risk. Don’t panic: Learning all you can, taking only positive steps, and making a contingency plan (or several) will help you stay calm.
A good panic-reducer is the story of Joan Benoit, who had arthroscopic knee surgery 17 days before the first-ever women’s Olympic Trials marathon in 1984. After the surgery, she had an "arm treadmill"—an upper-body aerobic-exercise machine—mounted over her hospital bed, and she maintained her fitness without running a step. She won the Trials marathon—and the first women’s Olympic marathon after that. You probably won’t need knee surgery 17 days before 2007 Richmond Marathon—but even if you did, with the right treatment and attitude, you’d still have a chance of running well.
If you feel like you are about to go nuts, and want some extra opinions, be sure to check out the Richmond Marathon and the Sports Backers message boards. Cool Runnings is another great forum of runners. I have a link to them to the right.
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