Oh What A Pain!

It starts out as a small, annoying twinge. Common logic says to ignore it, and it will go away. But eventually, the pain resurfaces and there is no denying it - your injury is here to stay.

It's a frustrating experience. Yet completely neglecting the injury altogether is clearly not an option. It could worsen the injury, prolong the recovery, or set your body up for repeat injuries in years to come.

It's also a lonely experience. Riding a stationary bike or kicking alone in Lane 8 while teammates are completing a killer workout is difficult to watch.

So to cope with the frustration, you set a new goal: a speedy recovery followed by a game of monster catch-up. However, nursing the body back to health takes time.

Whether it's two weeks on the kickboard or two years out of the water, the physical setback is just the beginning. Dealing with an injury can be an emotional roller coaster.

It's a real life catch between a rock and a hard spot.

Olympic gold medalists Kaitlin Sandeno and Lenny Krayzelburg know the story all too well. They've been there, done that, … got the gold. Their perseverance through numerous setbacks has been nothing short of remarkable.

Sandeno's freshman year at USC was challenged by a stress fracture in her back. The pain became so intense that she could barely speak or even exhale. Yet she kept it hidden because she already had shoulder injuries following the 2000 Sydney Games - where she captured bronze in the 800 free - and didn't want to disappoint her coaches.

"I felt I had expectations being an Olympian. I didn't want to let anyone down," Sandeno said.

Eventually the injury won, and Sandeno confessed. After promising to keep open communication with her coaches, she spent the next six months in therapy. Only two weeks after returning to training, Sandeno competed at the Pac-10 Championships. Four short weeks later, she was racing at NCAA's and taking names.

But the pain endured. After finishing her freshman year, Sandeno stopped training for the summer and went home for aggressive physical therapy. She tried acupuncture, saline injections, chiropractors and numerous therapists.

"I couldn't swim or even work. I was bored. I put on weight, and I wasn't the active person I used to be," said Sandeno. "I was frustrated."

To add insult to injury, a car accident during her sophomore year resulted in another "no swimming" diagnosis. Nevertheless, the determined athlete competed at NCAA's, where she then got sick with a 102 degree fever. The hits just kept coming. Still, Sandeno never hung up her suit.

"I started to wonder about all these signs saying that maybe I shouldn't swim. I asked myself, ‘How tough are you?' and I was patient," she said.

Krayzelburg agrees - patience is the key. Years of swimming and overuse finally caught up to him after his incredible gold-medal wins at the Sydney Games. Two shoulder surgeries later, he was spending more time in rehabilitation and seeing less of the pool.

"It was very hard to watch my teammates train. I'm used to working as hard as I can every time I jump in the water. It was the only way I knew how to train. I felt so limited," Krayzelburg said.

Refusing to give it up, he quickly found other things to compensate his conditioning, kicking 3,000-4,000 meters per workout with shoes and clocking miles on the bike. Finally, with a little less than 100 days leading up to the 2004 Trials, Krayzelburg started swimming again. In what was arguably the toughest, most competitive field in the history of the 100m back, Krayzelburg did the impossible and earned another trip to the Olympics.

"I surprised myself. For the first time, I wasn't 100 percent physically ready or 100 percent confident. I had to leave my emotions behind and just give it my best shot," Krayzelburg said. "Unbelievable things happen. But whether you break a world record or get touched out, it's all part of sports."

The irony of experiencing a setback like Sandeno and Krayzelburg, is that it can make you a stronger swimmer. "In every negative situation, you can always find a positive. If you're willing to improve, there is always a way," Krayzelburg said. "It is so important to be patient. It definitely took a long time to get better, but there is an incredible benefit to sticking through the peaks and valleys of life."

Having an injury can also provide insight to your training. Do you swim enough recovery sets and warm downs? Are you pulling or lifting more than you can handle? It might even be a simple tweak in your stroke technique, which means starting fresh and focusing on drills to correct the mistake.

For example, Sandeno and her coaches analyzed her stroke using underwater filming. They noticed extreme flexibility in her back, which may have contributed to the stress fracture. Now she focuses heavily on core strength to help compensate.

Additionally, an injury can force you to closely examine why you swim. It can be a long haul, and people may write you off, but it's up to you to continue.

Sandeno compares her long recovery to that of her four-year struggle to break the 4:40 barrier in the 400m IM. "I didn't give up," Sandeno said. "I knew someday it would be broken." More like shattered - she set an American Record in Athens with a blistering 4:34.95 and a silver medal.

Finally, an injury can also provide a deeper appreciation for swimming and your ability to do it well. "My injury was a blessing in disguise. Distance is grueling and can't be done forever. I had to give up the mile," Sandeno said. "Trying new events hasn't been bad." Not bad at all, in fact. The former distance ace just missed the American record in the 200m IM at the 2003 Summer Nationals.

In addition to being patient with your injury, both Olympians say it's important while you're injured to surround yourself with supporters who believe in you. Sandeno credits physical therapist Nick Theader for pushing her through, and Krayzelburg says three people - his fiance, coach Dave Salo and USA Swimming team doctor Scott Rodeo - encouraged him on a daily basis.

Keeping a positive mindset and listening to your body play a major role in how quickly your body heals, too. You can come back stronger, disprove doubters and even surprise yourself in the process.

Atrophied muscles, even the mental ones, can be rebuilt. As Sandeno puts it, "Every great athlete must overcome an obstacle."