Should I Run With A Minor Niggle?
Whether you are training for a marathon or you just run for sheer enjoyment, it is always a tough decision to know whether you should keep running through a little knee, ankle or hip niggle.
All marathon runners will know that in the final few weeks of training niggles crop up all over the place, that thankfully most of the time never get any worse but are just "there" keeping you company throughout your long runs. In last month of my 2005 London Marathon training, I had a hamstring twinge that just wouldn't go away and nothing I did from ice to ibuprofen would get rid it. Thankfully the pain did not get any irrespective of how many miles I ran, so if I figured come race day I'd be fine - which I was. The fact I wanted to die after mile 20 is another reason altogether.
Minor injuries are just one of those things that you have to accept as a runner but the difficult part is knowing when enough is enough and rest and / or treatment is the only way you are going to get rid of the niggling pain in one of your joints or muscles.
To be honest, the best weapon you have to make that decision is your common sense. Niggly running injuries causing mild discomfort most often felt in the feet, ankles and hips can be due to a number of reasons - from mildly inflamed tendons to nerve entrapments both of which may not necessarily get any worse if you keep running.
Although inflamed tendons of the major running muscles such as the calves, hip flexors and Hamstrings may force you off the road for a few weeks, often inflamed accessory muscles which aren't used excessively during a run may not give you as much discomfort, thereby making it possible to keep running.
At the end of the day, no matter how minor your injury is it is unlikely to get better on its own unless you either rest for a week or so or seek professional advice to get it cured. Of course, some injuries such as minor nerve entrapments can sometimes just sort themselves out overnight but more often than not they will just keep annoying you until you take a few days off and treat the injury.
For all you marathon runners, I'd suggest that you keep a close eye on any muscular or tendon injury you have and make sure it doesn't get any worse through training. Where recreational runners have the luxury of being able to take a few days off without any major consequence, for you taking time a few weeks by ignoring the early signs of an injury could mean you taking a few weeks off, severely affecting your training schedule.
All minor niggles are your body telling you that something isn't quite right, so it's important to listen to your body and let common sense take over when that pesky knee injury just won't let up. Professional help might cost you a few quid, but it's a minor price to pay if the alternative means weeks rather than days off running.