I should have known better
How many of you know your physical limitations? And actually stick to them?
Sure, for most of us, setting physical limitations isn’t necessary – you’ve no major issues, and setting limits will only get in the way of you achieving whatever you want to do. For those of you that know me, you’ll know that I HATE being told what to do… it a personality fault that may well contributed to an earlier than expected hip replacement.
So, I had by hip arthroscopy and felt great. I was riding my bike 3-4 times a week, doing some TRX (body weight) exercise at home and was feeling a million dollars. The hip pain was all but gone (bar some occasional tightness) and I had zero lower back pain. I raced myself up through the grades at my local cycling club, could take my dog for the occasional jog…. Life was good!
Then I met my (now) wife… and getting out of bed to ride the bike didn’t sound so good anymore. …the bike got neglected, then sold, I moved house, changed jobs and started losing physical condition.
So I started running.
I’d always been a better runner than a cyclist, and a marathon was on my bucket list. I’m an osteopath, so know how to look after myself. What could go wrong? I utilised my network of osteopaths to nurse me through ‘Run Melbourne’… the body was holding up ok, so I kept pushing… until I couldn’t.
After an easy run (in early 2018), the hip gave out and I couldn’t walk for a week. It was that quick,. The marathon was thrown out the window and I was booked in for more MRI scans.
What went wrong?
Through all of this, I didn’t listen to that little voice of reason, I didn’t acknowledge that my hip was already worn out and that running wasn’t the best thing for it. I let my (sometimes considerable) ego get in the way of common sense. I could have stuck to the bike and gym, left the ‘impact’ out of my exercise and been able to enjoy running about the park with our kids. Unfortunately, I’ve spent the last 2 years limping and trying to manage pain…. I should have known better.
The issue for many of you, is that you’re not in a position to ‘know what’s best for your body’, what should and shouldn’t you be doing? It just so happens that I can speak from personal experience… so come in for a chat.
