Injury Strikes Back

2025 marks the year that I collect another injury in the books.

Made a different diagnoses on the type of injury earlier on, then had to change the diagnoses later. This, unathorised physician me.

Let's take a step back of what I have accumulated over the years.

1. Hamstring - Right after my first marathon
2. Shin splint since 2017 - This had haunted me for many years and caused upsets for many events
3. Knees/ITB - The most recent one. Started late 2024 right before Lope started his SPM.

Hamstring

Kind of expected. My training had entitled me a decent fitness, endurance rise. One of the early running years at a much younger age. Legs were good, whatever you do won't break you. Endurance monster in order achieve the target mileage. May have covered close to 30km for training, if not 30km itself. I was more than ready. But the muscles couldn't keep up. During the marathon, I was only left with less than 10km to go. Everything went perfectly as planned. I was even on target to finish my first ever marathon in less than 5 hours. But my hamstring started to fail on me in the last 10km. Endurance wise, I had more than enough reserved in the tank. But my hamstring was cramping with a very noticeable pain point. I finished with alternate run and walk. When the run was over, soreness that was supposed to go off after few days, didn't go as it supposed to. Multiple stretches did not provide any relief as well. I then diagnosed myself with hamstring injury. Put tape on it if not every time, most of the running time. My rituals pre-race that time would mostly include backleg taping. Both a lot of KT Tape at that time, which was the only available option then. It took 1 year for me to really recover. Noticed suddenly that I was good without the tape on. Alhamdulillah, it got back to normal with no other similar injuries or relapse afterwards. 

Shin Splint

This one was a heartbreaker.

I started to develop the pain in 2018. All thanks to KLSCM 2018 preparation which was held around April in 2018. I was just recovering from a serious anaemic condition that I had in 2017 and Vo2 max just went up to 49. I was so excited that running had got better after I knew of the issue, ramped up training and seen a lot of improvement. But it was just too much too soon. Officially accepted the fate that I was a shin splinter in this run on 27 April. Still running. 

Not knowing what it was really initially, I found accidental remedy by putting bandage on my shin, which was hideous. Went to a specialist, but was a disappointment. Probably my fault as well for opting for any convenient specialist I could, when I should have opt for someone more relevant - sports specialist, or with good recommendation from others. The doctor had some check on my shin, recommended for an Xray to be done. Confirmed that nothing was broken nor fractured. Didn't pursue with MRI further but assured me with some sample images on the PC that it should look something like these pictures and what I had was most likely some pressure or trauma due to the constant impact on the shin area that made my shin inflamed. The remedy was to not run. I may have been unfair for making a generalised assumption that seeing doctor will never solve your problem. But I am definitely heavily affected by that session, that I can recall the visuals quite vividly until now. 

Timing was definitely not at its best. With how I was training, I was on track to secure my best times. But fate had other plans. I did not have my best marathon in KLSCM 2018. Instead of a PB, I had an injury. Such an expensive price to pay. As if that wasn’t enough, I had to bid goodbye to the bigger Berlin Marathon mission as well. Definitely not how I had envisioned my first ever Marathon Major to be.

I didn’t stop running right after. I had my annual KOKK just few weeks after, not long after KLSCM. Only then I took a 2 weeks complete off. That was it. Just 2 weeks. Once the 2 weeks was up, I started a thread of #Shincheck to monitor how it was progressing. I ran every week, but at a much lesser rate. Half an hour kind of thing, around 2 times a week for about 1 month, with indoor cycling thrown in as well. Once 1 month was up, I was back to my normal running again. Still in pain, but not sure why I went ahead with minimum of 11 and build up to 16km. Had a tune up HM in Ipoh around 2 months plus after the first diagnosis, had a solid 20km and 28km as my maximum mileage for Berlin, and had my Berlin Marathon with shin splint on.

Looking back, I think my condition was not that severe yet. I went on to have my Full Marathon PB in January 2019 for Twincity at 4:18:57 (with prayer time, it should be around 4:21). Immediately after Twincity I went on another training block to prepare for my HM PB for MWM 2019. Didn’t succeed my sub 2 target and achieved 2:01 instead. There went another PB mission. But legs were good I guess. Despite having the shinsplint, I could still run quite comfortably. My timing gotten better. I got a a good 25km long run at 5:59, finally secured sub 2 HM at 1:57 even for Putrajaya PIIACUF and could still run 10km the day after as well, since the bigger mission was the marathon. I was secretly targeting for a sub 4 FM. I had multiple 30km longruns, a 30km PJ Half and multiple other long runs almost averaging 21km. I knew I was on good form. But the shin seemed to not get better at all. I had to succumb to an early resignation from running 2 weeks before KLSCM 2019. For those who know me, this was a very painful decision. But one that I was reluctantly had to abide, or I would have to bid KLSCM good bye. So 3 weeks complete off, purely on stationary bike and some strength. Focused on 90rpm cadence, 30km average ride within 1 hour range. Looking back, this was really good, I hardly cycle as much and intense nowadays as well. Went into KLSCM with not a shabby result. It was still my best KLSCM FM, despite the 2 weeks rest. And the rest is history. I took up cycling for good thereafter and accepted the fate since. 

Something to do with the knees

I have spilled quite a significant amount earlier in “Would 3 shoes a year enough?” . Shoes aside, what started as a pure knee pain, which I still wasn’t sure whether it was ACL or the likes ,but I was sure it wasn’t anything to do with your knee cap. The pain progressed from directly in front of the knee, to gradually the ligaments behind the knees, then the calf, then side of the knees. All these transitions happened in progression, within 10 months up till October. I am regretting now, for not documenting this earlier. Then somehow, after I started doing pilates, the pain started to subside. From wobbly and painful knees upon waking to pain free. I used to have pain on the knees while duduk antara 2 sujud in solat, to pain only on my calves, to eventually no pain. Every start of the run would be painful but it has lessen quite significantly. Might be strongly attributed to the rock salt remedy as well. The pain later on settled near the side on the knees, particularly the left only. All these progression made me change my own diagnosis of the injury. From knee related, I then diagnose myself with actually ITB. The knee side is the one that didn’t some to go off. It has lessen  alright. Some run can startoff almost pain free, but got painful only after run. I cannot run consecutively, or at least will try to avoid as much as I could, then life would be good.

Up till now, almost 12 months of knees and its surrounding been suffering, I am still no way near injury free. But I have been off shin sleeves, so that is big. The annoying tingling pain that made its appearance once a while previously kind of have not made it in lately. Knees are much better, but the left one may have its on and off soreness. I’ve pledged to focus more on strengthening than my endurance. An IG post from a pro runner once said, if you need to choose between endurance and strength, choose strength. I am focusing more on my protein intake, more than I had before. I’ve made peace with the lack of running or cycling session, knowing that I’ve compensated them with a much greater course. The strengthening sessions need a lot of improvement still though. They are too mild to create any impact. On this, I’m still learning and hope to be progressing well ahead.