Last weekend I ran the Old Pueblo 50 Mile race, a trail ultrarunning event. As you might imagine, 50 miles gives you a big window of opportunity for reflection. As you also might imagine, 50 miles on technical trails gives you a big window of opportunity for injury and illness. I witnessed, experienced, discussed and heard about all of these things through the weekend.  You know what? Ultras can teach us a lot about how to be empowered patients.

My friend John didn’t even start. His arch hurt and he learned from his last ultra that pushing an injury for 50 miles is a great way to guarantee 9 months of rehab. My other friend Glen re-joined the ultra world after a 13 year absence. He started conservatively and finished, but somehow forgot that he needed to carry his own fuel and fluids. Seven miles is a long time between aid stations. We need to take responsibility for our own continued health by heeding the basics.

Me, I didn’t have a great race. It was so humid my LCL (lateral collateral ligament, keeps your knee from angling sideways) taping came loose. As I have a torn LCL, that meant my knee was now extremely unstable. So my quadriceps (thigh muscles) went into spasm. That’s not a great combination on technical terrain, and I took a nasty fall right before mile 33. Besides flapping open my palm, I sprained my foot. But I didn’t know that at the time; all I knew was that it hurt. How do I know now? I did the differential diagnosis at home later. No, I haven’t spent hundreds of dollars on x-rays and doctor’s visits.

The mile 33 aid station volunteers patched up my hand and sent me on my way. I thought my foot would be all right. I was wrong. By mile 34 I couldn’t run on it without radiating pain. So I hiked to the mile 40 aid station and dropped from the race. Why not return to the mile 33 aid station? It was in the middle of nowhere. Being in a trail race means committing to the risk. It also means problem-solving your own health issues in real-time, usually with no advanced medical personnel available.

I passed people vomiting, or cramping, or in a hypoglycemic or dehydrated slump, but they took corrective action and finished the race. Others, like a fellow who sliced open his knee, had to drop out and get to an ER for stitches and other medical attention. Being an empowered patient means more than being a “patient-helper”, as one condescending physician put it. It means you have educated yourself enough to take care of the small things yourself, even if they seem scary. My sister thought my injuries were very dramatic, but I realized they were just typical ultra fare.

Please realize I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to the doctor when you need to. I am recommending bypassing the drama and problem-solving the less serious things yourself. Advanced medical care should be there when you need it – that’s why we need healthcare reform, because it isn’t for so many people. But appreciate what you can and do know about your own body, treat it right and maintain it, and try to make your own diagnosis before running to make a doctor’s appointment. You can save time and money by educating yourself and empowering you to look after you.

Photo Credit: ncultra

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