Chronic Pain...

[HattieCooke]

I need your opinions. I’m due to do w5r3 today. But last night and this morning my ongoing shoulder complaint has been AGONY.

This is unrelated to running. I’ve had 2 shoulder replacements in the past, neither of which have solved the problem. I’ve let the pain put me off running before, believe it or not I used to be able to run 10k no problem, my fastest time was 49mins. I used to run everyday and loved it. But I let my shoulder pain get in the way. Slowly I became less active, the pain got worse and I ran less, until I got to the point where I’d put 7 stone in weight on and didn’t run at all.

I don’t want to get into the cycle of letting the shoulder pain put me off. At the same time the pain stopped me from doing w5r3 a couple of weeks ago.

So we get to my question... do i a) take pain killers and run anyway? Or 2) rest today and run tomorrow in hope the pain won’t be as bad?

I’m worried if I skip a day I’ll mentally think it’s ok to skip days in the future before I know it I’ll be back not running again ...

:/

[nowster Graduate]

Are you "protective" of the shoulder when running, holding it stiffly, exhausting and possibly straining the shoulder muscles?

[HattieCooke Graduate in reply to nowster]

Hmm good question. I don’t think so, I try to move it as much as I can or it goes super stiff. Though I I know I hold it differently to my other arm.... stupid shoulder

[nowster Graduate in reply to HattieCooke]

I asked because I'm guilty of that myself (and I've no shoulder problem) and find I get a painfully stiff shoulder and neck. Doing some shoulder rolls helps. I don't think that'll help you.

Have you seen anyone about this recently?

[HattieCooke Graduate in reply to nowster]

Off to see a consultant in London in Nov. I’ll ask him then.

I don’t want the pain to be an excuse. I want to complete this challenge. I’ll try the shoulder rolls though. I’m guilty of not stretching at all before. I think I need to be more on it with that.

[Pepper86]

I have a chronic condition with my hip and lower back, I have found as the runs have got tougher I have needed extra rest days. I realised that although I could force myself through the runs on the every other day programme, I wasn't enjoying it as it was flaring up my condition. By giving myself extra days and if having a flare up a day but feeling I should still run, I go for the warm up walk, if still being positive I give the run a go but being kind to myself. So you are on week 5 run 3, if your not sure, say I'm going to run but if I don't do it all it doesn't matter as I've still run.

The programme is designed for people to do at their pace, listen to your body, you know when it's saying rest to when it's saying have a lazy day. Don't be hard on yourself.

[HattieCooke Graduate in reply to Pepper86]

I think you’re right. At the minute today feels like a rest day. I’ve taken pain killers. I’ll see how I feel in a bit. I can always do it tomorrow....

[Pepper86 in reply to HattieCooke]

Just listen to your body and like I said you can always try a run but just keep listening so you don't over do it.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

Give yourself an extra rest day. If you're still uncertain then maybe do a short run, 10 to 15 min straight run with 5 min walk warm up/down.

That way you won't feel that you've let yourself down or failed, you'll have just done a shorter session to protect the shoulder, and if you feel its going OK you could even just carry on and extend to the full 20👍🏻