Running in Faith or Faithfully Running?

 

Jogging and Knee Pain: Trusting in the Great Healer

I’m not running as much as I used to. It’s summer, so breathing in the heat feels like trying to inhale air through a wool sock. Do that for a few miles and you’ll want to switch to walking instead. Or when the bottle is empty and you're nowhere near a drinking fountain, a shade tree and a cool breeze sounds perfect. The heat comes into play every year though and I’m as used to it as anyone can be. Some athletes really come alive in the heat. Their performance ticks up and they set new records. That seems strange to me, but I’m cold weather oriented and it’s hard to imagine. I don’t so much enjoy the weather in January and February as have more success. Success is defined as putting more miles under my feet while not collapsing.  

Soreness and Strain

A second reason for jogging fewer miles is my health, knees to be specific. Not sure if I can talk about sore knees as a “health” issue. Soreness isn’t sickness but it keeps me from the goal just the same. The problem started a few months ago. Probably around 4 months ago, I noticed a nagging strain in both knees. These words “strain” and “soreness” aren’t helpful but it’s all I’ve got. My eyes glaze over when anyone starts naming specific medical conditions.  Better to just plug my ears, close my eyes and “La, la, la” away the negativity as loudly as possible. I don't want to think too deeply about what knee pain could portent for my future as a jogger. This might be a superstitious, latent, feeling that naming an illness, is akin to accepting the symptoms that come with it.

Healing and Truth

 I’ll blame my charismatic upbringing for that one. But there is a lot of practicality in refusing to accept fear and pain and disease. It’s how I overcame the plantar fasciitis that sidelined me for a few months in the summer of 2020. Speaking truth over your situation is saying what God says. Christians too often take what’s handed to them and find the best way to cope, instead of claiming the victory that was secured at Calvary long ago. Healing was promised. It’s my job to say it and believe it. That means getting the self-talk right before doing anything else. My mind wants to imagine all the worst scenarios related to my knees. When I start to follow the logic and dangers inherent in jogging, it leads to dark places. 

Faith and Remembrance

It gets difficult to continue in positive, biblical truth when the pain gets worse. But it also helps to remember all the times that other running injuries have crept up and disappeared after a few weeks. Remembrance of a time when God came through in my life is a powerful tactic builds faith within. I didn’t keep a journal as a kid, my writing started in college and I’ve recorded events more often over the years. But I have a strong memory of God’s goodness in my life. I have a lot to be thankful for where health and healing are concerned. 

Physical Therapy 

Dealing with injury is rough for everyone. With running at least, I’m in good company. Most runners deal with injury at some point. After the knee pain became unbearable, I contacted a Physical Therapist who offered a first time discount. She evaluated my run from watching me on a treadmill. Her notes were precise. My form is off in some critical ways. That poor form is causing the strain. I’ll just mention one part. My ankles are stiff. This means I’m landing on my feet with all my weight and not absorbing a lot of the stress with a natural, flexible stride. Do this for long enough and you’ll start to feel it in the knees. I’m grateful for the evaluation, but how practical is it to change running form when I’ve been doing it like this for a decade?

Correct Form

I asked this question in some form while wiping off sweat from my forehead. By doing it “A little at a time” is the response I got. It starts with strengthening muscles and making the ankles more flexible. Not to mention, making a mental note of the correct form during the run. Poor form is hard to fix when you’re trying to remember all 12 ways to a better stride. On a long run, especially, the last thing you want to do is go over a check list in your mind. No one would ever run again. Homework and a grueling run at the same time? Thanks I’ll pass. The gradual approach is more effective. I start with a short list of exercises to do every day. I’ll figure out the distances later. 

Conclusion

The next few months will test my faith. But I’ve been here before. A lot of people probably think it’s silly to talk like this, faith and healing and scripture. But if you can get over the criticism, and eye rolling from dissenters, it doesn’t matter. God is faithful to His Word and He proves it every day. 

“And my god shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19