Near the end of my treadmill tempo last week, I noticed a little soreness in my knee. I blew it off and did my cool-down according to plan. The next morning, my knee was definitely sore. Thus, I faced a conundrum all to familiar to all of us: do I attempt my easy run through the minor discomfort, cross train, or take a day off? Do I assume injury and head straight for a medical professional, go with my own instincts for self-treatment with my foam roller, ice, or other tools, or ignore it?
In the past, I often trained right through pain and while it was annoying for weeks or months, I could get away with it and never injured myself worse. But now, after more setbacks than I care to count and finding myself on the other side of 40, what I did in the past isn’t necessarily the best gauge for what to do in my present. So, as I floundered my way through this dilemma, I wondered what you would do.
So tell us:
What do you do when something hurts? When do you train through the pain and when do you admit defeat? When do you consult a medical professional? How has your approach to pain changed through the years?