Meredith’s Workout Diary: the Difference Between Good Pain and Bad Pain

Welcome to Training Diaries , a Lifehacker series about my journey to the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon. This series will chronicle all the ups, downs and hills of repetition on my journey to the world’s biggest marathon. Ahead of race day on Sunday, November 5th, I’ll talk about proper fueling, injuries and setbacks, treadmill tips, wardrobe malfunctions, the logic of long-term running, and just some thoughts on what it takes to cross the marathon finish line. I live by a mantra that is simple and true: a marathon is actually hundreds of miles; Race day falls in the last 26 or so.

Training for a marathon requires fortitude. But for anyone crazy enough to run a marathon, it’s all too easy to let mental toughness devolve into self-sabotage. There are certain types of pain you need to overcome—and because of it, you come out stronger on the other side. Other types of pain require your attention and care, and it’s foolish to ignore the signs that your body is screaming at you.

For me, I was extremely grateful that this was my first training cycle without plantar fasciitis. Technically speaking, plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia of the foot. In practice, it is an aching, stabbing pain in the heel – not only while running, but whenever you walk or stand. The hardest part? There is no “cure” for plantar fasciitis. Before, I would just fight through the pain and hope it would go away on its own once I finished the race. This genius approach: “ What if I just ignore my problems?” somehow, to my shock, it didn’t work.

The only way to finally get rid of the stabbing pain is to stop running for a few months. This sucks! And it probably could have been avoided! Now that I’m back and in the midst of training, I’ve been proactive and almost religious about stretching and icing after my runs. (Stretching and ice are controversial topics in the fitness world , but hey, I’m sharing what works for me.)

Bottom line: A classic athlete’s story: If you don’t listen to your pain, you’ll end up with a much more serious injury than if you took care of yourself in the first place.

Runners expect to experience some muscle and joint soreness, especially as they increase mileage or intensity. Shin splints , stitches , runner’s knee – it’s no wonder so many new runners get frustrated. On the other hand, I’m willing to bet that many experienced runners are foolish about pain they should be dealing with. So how do you know if pain is just a sign of getting worse and not a warning of potential injury ? Here are some ways to learn to interpret the signals your body is sending to distinguish good growing pains from bad ones.

Signs of “good” pain

• Pain that begins mildly during or after running and goes away within 48 hours.
• Soreness localized to specific muscles and caused by exercise.
• Discomfort that does not increase over time or with continued exercise.
• Manageable soreness that does not affect your running form, pace or range of motion.

Warning signs of severe pain

• Sharp or stabbing pain, especially in the joints, knees, ankles, or feet.
• Severe soreness that lasts for several days after running.
• Widespread pain not associated with a specific muscle group.
• Pain that starts mild but gradually gets worse over several weeks.
• Discomfort that causes you to limp, favor one side, or suddenly stop running.

What to do if you feel running pains

If you feel any signs of severe pain, stop running immediately and avoid further aggravation of the area. Give it adequate rest and ice if inflammation is present. If the pain does not improve within a few days or continues to get worse, consider consulting a sports physician. Making an accurate diagnosis can be the key to proper treatment and preventing further injury.

For general muscle soreness and joint stiffness without other warning signs, try gentle active recovery such as walking, foam rolling, and stretching. Moderate, temporary soreness from intense exercise is often inevitable as your body adapts to the increased stress. And many marathon runners learn to love this pain in a strange way! But the pain should never persist or become chronic, one day causing you to stop running altogether.

Learn your body’s signals as your mileage increases. Treat severe pain with rest and recovery, but respond quickly to severe pain to avoid short-term injury and long-term damage. Pain or agony: know the difference so you can keep moving forward.

For me and my plantar fasciitis, I’ve learned to listen to the first warning sign that danger is approaching (pun intended): tight calves . If my calves or ankles are painfully tight, I stop running to stretch them. Taking multiple stretching breaks isn’t ideal, but it’s much better than being forced to take one long break from running at all. So far, this preventive approach has allowed me to prepare for New York relatively painlessly.