I don’t know how to say this to you, but I have a rare medical condition.
If this were a soap opera, I’d tell you next that it’s fatal (and then probably make out with my sister’s husband or something). In reality, it’s just annoying. And, if I’m in the right mindset, kinda funny.
My name is Amy, and I’m miserably malaligned.
How it started: I sprained my ankle in June 2007 at my friend Chris’ wedding, shortly after finishing my first and only marathon in April 2007. (Tip: If you have a drink in one hand, your high-heeled shoes should be in the other) Spent a week on crutches before seeing a sports ortho, who gave me the OK to run again.
Months later, my wonderful physical therapist guessed that muscle imbalances from that week on crutches led to the crazy, mysterious string of injuries that followed. They came to a head the week before the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Jacksonville, Fla., in October 2007, when I felt a little tickle in my hip. I Adviled. I stretched. I ran the half-marathon in the pouring rain and sticky Florida heat, vomiting from the Advil and limping from the hip, finishing in 2:24 — far slower than each half of the full marathon I’d run, and half an hour slower than my previous half. Afterwards, I couldn’t walk without limping.
Fast forward through months of physical therapy and a cortisone shot for a possibly torn hip labrum and funky hip flexor. I started running again, and my IT band got kinda sore as a result. My doctor prescribed orthotics. When I hopped on the treadmill for my running analysis, the physical therapist designing my orthotics furrowed his brow and widened his eyes.
“Hey, Mike,” he called across the crowded room. “C’mere. You’ve gotta see this.”
Mike hurried over.
“Whoa!” he said as he looked at the video of me running. “I’ve never seen THAT before.”
Eventually, I asked them to let me in on the joke. Turns out, I’m miserably malaligned, which is a fancy way of saying I am both knock-kneed and flat-footed, with every joint in my legs built at the wrong angle. Yes, this is a real condition, with a Web site featuring soft-focus photos of active-looking senior citizens and tabs like “recovery and renewal.” Seriously. I’m not making it up. Complicating matters further is the fact that I’m circus-freak flexible, which means my joints slide around in ways they just shouldn’t.
The PT who designed my orthotics gently suggested I may not be built to be a runner. I fought back tears, imagining a running-less life.
I’m not the only one. A lifelong runner and Runner’s World editor was told he’s “not meant to be a runner,” too, according to this post.
Here’s how I dealt with that information: I listened to my other physical therapist, who said I could successfully run IF I vowed to never, ever give up the leg lifts and other horrid strengthening exercises that keep my hips aligned.
And I started training smarter. I use the FIRST three-day-a-week running schedule, though I’d rather run every day. I cross-train like crazy, swimming as much or more than I run. I faithfully do my leg lifts. And I listen to my body as soon as it starts whining at me, as I’d rather get my body in good working order now than sacrifice weeks or months later in the marathon-training season.
And I’ve made an appointment with my new primary care doc to get a referral to my sports orthopedist. The new primary care doc’s name? Suzanne Goucher, like my girl-crush running idol Kara Goucher. Must be a good omen, no?
Have you had a running injury? How did you cope, and what do you do to prevent getting injured again in the future?
9 Comments
June 10, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Wow! What an interesting story. I too was told that I really shouldn’t run. My legs are slightly uneven and my joints are scary flexible too which has lead to two knee surgeries (just scopes for damaged cartilage removal). I started to get into running slowly. Now, it has built my quads and hamstrings and I suffer knee pain only rarely and mainly when I overdo it. I can’t run everyday either. I’ve had to learn to listen to my body and take days off, but it seems like my recovery time is less and less the more I run and build my legs.
Way to persevere and prove them wrong!! I share your pain and frustration — but that just makes it so much more satisfying when you do finish a race. Great job!
June 11, 2009 at 1:26 pm
How crazy! Here I was thinking I was the only one!Good job persevering post-surgery — that’s a route I haven’t had to go down, thankfully (knockonwood!).
June 10, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Wow, you never want to hear the doctor say, “Whoa!” or “You gotta check this out!” Even, “I’ve never seen that before!” With comments like that it could have been something worse!
I currently have a running injury to my knee that I am going with the rest method right now. My coping with not running as fast or as hard as I want is by running with local running clubs. I still get an easy run in, while maintaining a consistent running schedule, without pushing myself too hard. And I’ve had a lot fun doing it. Running by yourself and holding back is not fun for sure.
June 11, 2009 at 1:27 pm
What a wonderful idea to use a running group to go SLOWER. I typically rely on my running group to motivate me to go faster, but switching strategies is as simple as switching pace groups!
June 11, 2009 at 12:41 am
You definitely have the right attitude and approach! Keeping up with the strength training is also recommended for bad knees, ankles, hips, etc. So you’re definitely not alone, we all need to include more of it!
Thanks for sharing the story – the more info we have about all this crazy running stuff the better, right??
the Goucher thing is a good omen. no question….
June 11, 2009 at 2:59 am
wow that is really crazy! i can’t imagine how frustrating it is at times. your dedication and determination are impressive though. we have to do what it takes to stay healthy and keep running/training – from stretching regularly to more regimented recovery/strengthening routines like yours.
June 30, 2009 at 12:27 pm
[...] swims when big running events are in jeopardy because of some injury. In this case, it’s my hip and the Marine Corps Marathon. Even though the race is a long way off, and my hip is actually [...]
September 9, 2009 at 3:29 pm
[...] only did I start my long-run schedule late to accommodate a flareup of an old hip injury in May, I’ve been tackling long runs on weekday mornings to avoid pulling my husband and [...]
September 11, 2009 at 12:48 pm
[...] this because my success on my 17-miler on Thursday has allowed me, for the first time since an old hip injury flared up this spring, to start seriously planning to run this marathon. This, in turn, has [...]