Dot

According to a survey of 10754 runners, 75% of male runners and 80% of female runners have suffered at least one injury serious enough to halt their running at least temporarily. The 12 most common injuries for runners are listed below in order of most to least prevalence.
Knee, Achilles tendon/calf, metatarsal, toenails/blisters, hip/groin, plantar fascia/heel, ankle sprain, shin splints, nerve injuries, quadriceps, hamstrings, and back. All of these injuries can be treated and in most cases avoided.

On Tuesday October 7th Dot, a middle aged runner was suddenly and tragically struck with disc disease which left her paralyzed from mid back down. The tragedy in this is that Dot lives to move. Walk or run, it doesn?t matter, as long as she can move freely within her day. Dot is always ready for a run and never turns down an invitation, no matter what time of day or what the weather is. Although she prefers the heat and humidity, she will brave a cold, wet wintry day just to get out and move. Dot would run forever if her running mates suggested, although because of a hip injury incurred when she was younger, she feels better if she runs 8k or less and runs completely pain free for 5k. Dot will run the roads but prefers the trails as she finds the wildlife exhilarating. As a low tech runner, Dot doesn?t use GPS or a heart rate monitor or even a watch. Sometimes she runs non stop and some times she stops and walks, and explores throughout her run. Dot never runs alone, preferring instead to join a group. Compelled to run with the leaders of the group, Dot still manages to employ the ?no one gets left behind? motto, continuously turning to check on slower group members. Dot never races and doesn?t even follow any particular training schedule or regimen. She prefers to let her body dictate her speed and duration, and how many times a week she runs. Dot never complains about going for a run or wishes it to be over. She never gives excuses as to why she can?t go for a run regardless of her schedule or what her day has been like.
Dot?s only hope of ever walking again was to have spinal surgery to remove the offending disc. This occurred successfully on Thursday night and she has every hope of not only walking but of running again as well.
Dot is my 4 year old Jack Russell Terrier. Although it is not always practical to employ her methods of training, particularly if you have performance goals, it is a good idea periodically throughout your training year to take a page from her book. Leaving the gadgets behind and running for the joy of movement. From Dot we can learn to live each day, not as if it was your last, but for what it is today. Don?t wait for tomorrow or for New Years to change something about yourself or your life but start today, because tomorrow could be different than you planned.