Posted by Gary Cohen on June 23, 2008 at 16:02:08:
“All in a Day’s Run” - Frostbite in Florida
Okay… I know what you must be thinking. It’s summer in central Florida. Afternoon high temperatures are routinely in the 90s. Even record lows are in the upper 60s. Then there’s the whole global warming phenomenon. Former Vice-President Al Gore received a Nobel Prize for his efforts to raise awareness of this potential impending calamity. What’s this about “Frostbite in Florida?”
Let’s just say that this whole frostbite thing began with sore muscles that needed some icing to help reduce inflammation and to promote healing. I took my icepack out of the freezer, put a towel under my left gluteus area to protect against the extreme cold and lay down for “five minutes.” When I awoke about 30 minutes later, my upper left hamstring felt very painful. I must have moved around a bit when I dozed off as the icepack was directly on my skin. An area of at least 10 square inches was red and had risen up like a big welt. I diagnosed that I had self-inflicted frostbite! That was the last thing I expected while it was 75 degrees and I was lying in the comfort of my bed. It’s bad enough to have an injury that requires treatment, but it’s even worse to compound the problem.
The next day I was doing some outdoor chores and the frostbitten area was still noticeably sore. I broke off part of an aloe plant, slit it and rubbed the soothing juicy plant on my hamstring. It helped to reduce the pain. Amazingly, with my bad luck, I somehow avoided poking myself with a sharp spire of the aloe plant!
About the author: Gary Cohen has 35 years of competitive running and racing experience highlighted by best times of: 5k – 14;44; 10K – 30:28 and marathon – 2;22:34. He is a regular writer for Florida Running & Triathlon magazine. At www.garycohenrunning.com you will find over a dozen FR&T articles, interviews with running personalities and dozens of “All in a Day’s Run” essays. There is also information on his personal coaching and group trail running in Orlando’s Wekiva State Park.