Rock The Ridge Training Tips: Why Do I Hurt?
By, Greg Cecere, Rock The Ridge Volunteer Committee Member
Over the course of 50 miles, you’re bound to feel some kind of soreness, discomfort or pain at some point. Understanding what that all means can make a huge difference in how you respond to these sensations and ultimately your performance. It can also help you determine sore/hurt and something you can tolerate vs. injury and something not worth the risk of worsening.
A brilliant researcher named Lorimer Moseley came up with this phrase:
“Pain is in your head, just not in the way you think.”
What he means by that is pain is an output from our brain rather than an input from our body. The most obvious example that illustrates this idea is phantom limb pain or pain of an amputated body part. What this tells us is that the body part is still in the brain so those neurons can still be triggered even if the body part doesn’t physically exist anymore. Understanding this concept gives us a little bit more control over what we feel and how we perceive pain.
The neurophysiology 101 version of what happens goes something like this:
- The brain receives constant sensory information: How your muscles feel, what they’re doing, where your body is in space, what you see, are you having a good/bad time, are you hydrated, are you hungry, etc. Everything in your body is constantly reporting its current state of affairs which creates an ongoing ‘picture’ of sorts.
- The brain analyzes all of this information in real time and decides what the output should be based on that ‘picture.’ Under normal circumstances and no warning signs, the result is normal, predictable physical function and you go about your business without any issues.
- If you’re experiencing pain, then that means your brain has synthesized all of the incoming information and decided that there is enough input to suggest threat or danger. Pain is a normal response and output in order to change our behavior from something deemed dangerous.
- This all happens subconsciously and it is important to make note that if pain is present, then the brain perceives the incoming ‘picture’ as threatening/dangerous. Our conscious self adds another level of decision making which is important because we can decide if we really are in danger and at risk for injury or if it’s something minor/insignificant and we can tolerate it based on the context of our current situation.
With all of this in mind, I will offer some basic concepts that can help you make informed decisions about how you feel and if you should do anything about it during an activity like this. (Keep in mind that everyone experiences pain/soreness/discomfort differently and tolerance levels vary widely so this isn’t an exact science.)
- Aches/throbs are usually less alarming than sharp, acute pains.
- Generalized/diffuse pain of a body part/region is often less problematic than very localized, specific pain.
- If the same body part hurts on both sides, it is more likely to be an exertion/fatigue related issue than 2 independent problems.
- Unrelenting severe pain no matter what you do (rest, change of position/activity) is something to take note of and you may want to consider seeking assistance at aid stations.
Hopefully this crash course of pain science helps you get through the 50 miles a little more easily. See you on race day!
Greg Cecere is a local physical therapist and owner of Momentum Physical Therapy of New Paltz. He has been running since his days in high school and is lucky to do much of his training on the same trails you’ll experience during Rock The Ridge.
