Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we are talking with Julia Curran who is an age-group National High Jump Champion about preventing running injuries as you experience rapid success.
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Thanks for having me!
Dr. Segler:
Before we get started maybe could you share with our audience a little bit about your athletic background, how you got into high jumping and what running has meant to you up to the present day.
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
Let’s talk about running injuries. Running injuries only happen in two scenarios:
1. We do something stupid. We do something we know that was foolhardy and we shouldn’t have done it. In that case running injury sort of like a slap on the wrist. This is only a fraction of running injures.
2. But what happens to most runners is actually an injury sustained while pushing for progress. We are getting stronger. We are pushing ourselves to the limit. And we just push a little too far.
I know that you have experienced rapid success in your running career. We look at the elite athletes like you and those who are successful on social media, and we see these pictures that seems so inspiring, these athletes, they look like everything is working perfectly.
But anyone can get injured. In fact, for those athletes who do experience rapid success, it can even be more difficult to restrain yourself when you are getting subtle clues from your body that you may be heading for an over training injury.
What has been your experience with rapid athletic success and the difficulty in noticing the signs of a impending overtraining injury?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
There are many runners out there right now who are listening to this who are in their 40s and 50s. Some of them have been winning races for decades.
Others are just now starting to experience this sort of “second chance” in their athletic lifetimes.
What sort of special considerations do you think Masters athletes have to pay attention to if they want to avoid over training injuries?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
All runners know how much work it takes to get to high level of fitness. It can take years to build a really solid base of aerobic fitness. It can take many months of seriously focused effort to peak for a single season in any given year.
Why do you think it’s so hard for athletes to notice the signs of an over training injury when they are in the middle of that a high level of fitness?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
Many athletes want to believe that fitness is all about effort and discipline. We want to believe it is simply about hard work and dedication.
After many years of working with injured runners, I have concluded injury and recovery are both more about emotion than discipline.
What can you share about how emotions and our definitions of ourselves as athletes are so bound up in our current fitness level?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
So much has been written about the importance of visualizing your outcome when you are training for an event. We believe we have to be confident in our ability to achieve our athletic goals.
But confidence can be a double-edged sword. If we become too confident, we can become overzealous and we get injured.
What can you tell us about feeling invincible, indestructible and overconfident? How can those feelings can jeopardize your health?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
I know this might be a little bit difficult for you discuss. We really don’t have to dive into it if you don’t want to, but I know you have had some issues with peroneal tendinitis.
Peroneal tendon injuries can be notoriously difficult for runners to resolve.
How do you think your peroneal tendon issues started? Was it one specific event, or a series of small events that cascaded into trouble?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
Many athletes with peroneal tendinitis don’t seem to recognize the initial signs of injury. The sooner we recognize trouble, the easier it is to prevent the injury from getting worse.
If you think back to when all of this started, what were the first signs something was going wrong with your peroneal tendons?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
We all know hindsight is 20/20 and it’s very easy to look back and see what mistakes we made and what we could have done differently.
Obviously, that cannot help you or your peroneal tendons today.
But for all of those listening who may have some sort of vague issues with their peroneal tendons, maybe they can learn from you today.
If you could go back in time and do it over, what would you have done differently?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
Of the things I often talk about it, I believe the most important message for any injured runner to hear is, “you do not have to lose all of your fitness while you recover.”
How did you maintain your running fitness through your peroneal tendon injury?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
Any athlete who is in the midst of training, if actually training at maximum capacity, is always on the edge of developing an over training injury.
For that person right now who is listening, who is in a vulnerable place, who may hear you but may not be actually listening to their body, what advice can you share?
What would you say to help someone else listen to their body and layoff while a muscle or tendon heals?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
How can our listeners follow you? Where’s the best place for them to find you?
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Dr. Segler:
It has just really been great talking with you today.
Thank you so much for coming on the show!
Julia Curran Villarreal:
Thanks for having me on here. I appreciate what you do for the running community. You’re awesome! Thank you so much!
Links mentioned in the Podcast Episode:
Instagram: @juliajumping
https://www.instagram.com/juliajumping/
Blog/Website:
https://now-itgetsinteresting.weebly.com
Twitter: @juliacurran
https://twitter.com/juliacurran
Other links:
Of the things Julia talked about during this interview was a peroneal tendon injury. Peroneal tendon injuries can be notoriously nagging for runners.
If you have pain at the outside of the ankle and you think you may have peroneal tendinitis, and you are wondering whether or not you can run and still heal, this video will explain how runners can decide whether or not you can run when you have a peroneal tendon injury.
Check out the video here:
If you have a question that you would like answered as a future addition of the Doc On The Run Podcast, send it to me PodcastQuestion@docontherun.com. And then make sure you join me for the next edition of the Doc On The Run Podcast!
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