Half Marathon Training after a Lower Back Injury

Oct 6

Hello Break Free Community,

I am very excited to announce that I completed my first half-marathon this past Saturday! This is a significant milestone in my recovery due to a severe lower back injury I sustained in 2018. For many years, I’ve suffered from tingling, numbness and weakness down my left leg resulting in a desperate search for a cure. I sought help from my family doctor, chiropractors, massage therapists, and physiotherapists. Throughout this journey I learned many different ways to treat lower back pain which resulted in a better understanding of injuries and recovery. Click here if you want to read my story and learn more.

I had taken for granted the importance of back health until I went through the injury process myself. Without a functioning lower back, there were many barriers preventing me from living my life. Whether it was participating in sports or spending time with friends and family, having a lower back injury was simply the worst.

The reason why I chose to train for a half marathon was to ensure that I didn’t take my health for granted again. Perhaps this will be a cautionary tale for those who have recurrent back pain and are reluctant to seek help. Alternatively, if you’re an aspiring runner who has sustained an injury, or are looking to train after a chronic injury, my experience might shed some light on your situation or push you to seek answers.

When did it start?

I always had lower back pain in my early and late twenties but paid no attention to it. I would run, but only if I needed to. I joined the Canadian Armed Forces when I was 17 years old as a reservist infantryman for about 8 years, but never enjoyed running. My ideology around injuries back then, was to push through and ignore the pain. I believed that my body would get stronger on its own, and I wouldn’t need to address anything. I learned later this was only partially true.

History of Injuries

My back injury in the spring of 2018 resulted in weakness and tingling of my left leg when I would sit or stand. When my symptoms flared, my leg was extremely sensitive to any type of movement or stretch. Pain would come and go, but it progressively worsened over 3 years (yes, I was very stubborn and didn’t get consistent help because I thought I could fix it on my own). The tipping point to seek help was when the tingling was constant and there was no position that would relieve it.

After receiving help from a physiotherapist skilled in Gunn IMS, I was able to load my left leg during activity. Although I would experience tingling when active, I was able to recover the following morning. We essentially calmed the source of the injury, which was a peripheral nerve entrapment. After several sessions of dry needling and exercises that addressed range of motion loss and strengthening, it gave me the confidence to start running again. The whole process took about 1 year because I had left the injury for so long. I was finally able to run around 3-5 kilometers roughly twice a week in June 2022.

Training for distance and listening to my body

I started running only two times a week with 2 days of rest in between. I would slowly increase the distance as my body let me. I continued with the exercises that were given to me and increased their difficulty over time. I did have several setbacks, which in chronic injury rehabilitation was quite normal. I would decrease my activity during those flare ups, see my physiotherapist and receive treatment and guidance as needed.

Once I was able to run 10km, my lower back pain and leg tingling seemed to improve after my runs. I was astonished because my body was now gradually adapting to the load I was placing on my body. The odd sensations I would feel would no longer be foreign, but a regular discomfort that did not hinder me from moving. It was helpful to understand what aggravating my injury truly felt like, as opposed to muscular work or fatigue after training.

Corey and his running-mate celebrating after finishing the half-marathon.

By late August this year, I felt ready to tackle my half-marathon. I gave myself extra time in case an issue arose, but luckily everything went smoothly and I performed even better than I anticipated.

The things I learned through this process:

Seek help first. I cannot stress this enough. I was very stubborn and chose to tough it out for many years. The earlier you address an injury, the shorter the recovery period. Neurological changes happen in your brain at the 3-month mark if you continue to have pain. At that point, it’s considered a chronic injury. I do believe some minor injuries can be solved with knowledge gained on the internet, but there’s also a lot of random information that may confuse or even scare you.

Do your research to find the right practitioner for you. There are a lot of treatments and methodologies out there, but there isn’t a one-treatment-fits-all approach. Make sure you find a health care professional that listens to your history in detail and provides treatment that is catered to how you are presenting. The end goal should also be for discharge, meaning “Adios, I don’t want to see you for sessions anymore unless you have another issue”. You want a health care practitioner who will empower you and have your best interests in mind. A good plan and a solid understanding of your injury are key elements in successful recovery.

Calm things down, build it back up and listen to your body. Once you have a supportive health care practitioner, you want to work on strategies to calm the source of the injury. After things are settled, your physiotherapist will be your load management specialist. This means they will give you parameters on how much of an activity you should perform, and provide tailored exercises to build strength back. Remember that there is a time to push through, and a time to rest. Working with your physiotherapist to help understand the difference between “good pain” and “bad pain” can help steer recovery in the right direction.

What type of pain. If we pay close attention to the quality of pain and ask more questions around its context, we can determine if we need to push forward or rest. Generally, if pain intensifies with increased activity, it was too much for your body. If pain stays at a similar level or decreases with more activity, it could be safe. Also ask yourself if what you’re feeling after activity, or the next morning, is muscular soreness or pain. If your leg becomes weaker or there is constant tingling as a result of the exercise, it might be time to follow-up with your physiotherapist to troubleshoot your injury.

The activity you’re trying to return to can be part of your rehabilitation – when you address range of motion and muscular imbalances. It was only when I addressed strength and range of motion deficits with specific exercises that I was able run and feel better after the activity. I mentioned that in my early 20’s, I would push through pain. However, I believe what happened over time was an overtraining of certain muscle groups leading to muscular imbalances. My main areas of weakness were hip mobility, gluteus maximus and hamstring weakness, as well as poor trunk endurance. Once I began training these areas, my progress was smoother with less setbacks.

Run with a friend. I had someone keeping me accountable and to keep pace with when training. This also motivated me to get out of bed on those early mornings. Since Asher was born, it was difficult to coordinate a scheduled time unless it was first thing in the morning.

Running while drinking water out of a cup is a skill. I practically choked at the first hydration station during my half-marathon. Apparently, people practice this skill and it becomes easier once you learn the technique.

The experience overall

I wouldn’t say I’m 100% pain free, but I’m focused on what I can do instead of just the symptoms. I know how to interpret what I’m feeling in my leg and back which gives me confidence. I have a consistent regimen that works and have goals to keep myself motivated and engaged.

I’m thankful for my injury because I now know how my clients feel. It allows me to listen intently with true compassion knowing how life altering back injuries can be. Trialing different methods for my own treatment has led to an interest serving those who have chronic low back pain.

Overall, I was surprised at my speed, as my goal was to finish my race under 2:30:00. I’m extremely happy with my results and couldn’t be prouder. I hope to one day run a marathon, but in the meantime, I’m going to celebrate.