Distance runners accept nagging aches and pains as a daily part of life. When that hurting turns out to be a real injury, the mental recovery can be just as tough as the physical.
It becomes even more challenging to the psyche when the injury can’t be identified. It took months last year before Rockhurst’s Curran Steck was able to figure out what was hampering his progress and causing such unbearable pain.
Steck got the diagnosis last spring that he had compartment syndrome, which is a compression of nerves and blood vessels in an extremity and can cause the tissue to wither without proper circulation. He opted for surgery to fix the condition in May.
“It’s like your calf tightens up, and they have to cut it to release the pressure,” Steck said. “When you run, your calf hurts and you can’t run on it. It was either that or stop running, so I decided for surgery.
“I had to be laid up for about two weeks. I started physical therapy and jogging some. Just this past two weeks is when I started running all out again. I felt good. This is the first week I’ve practiced every day.”
Steck was the Hawklets’ No. 5 last season before the injury sidelined him during the spring track season. He posted a 17:05 on the state course last fall and he ran a PR of 16:50 at the KC Metro Championships.
Now he’s trying to make his way back to the varsity spot he was forced to vacate.
“Our goal was to have the surgery as soon as possible and get him back by state,” Rockhurst coach Mike Dierks said. “That was our goal from No. 1, and we really don’t know if we’ll have him fully ready till state. After today, it might be a little earlier than that, and that’s exciting for us. He could be our fifth again, but there are a lot of guys that don’t want to let that happen, which is even better. There’s a little competition for that spot.”
Steck set out to prove to his coaches and his teammates that he was ready to rejoin the varsity with his 17:17 that won the JV Green division at Saturday’s Forest Park Cross Country Festival.
“I got moved back down to recover, and this race is to see if I can move back up to varsity,” Steck said. “This was the meet to tell him whether I can do it again or not. It looks good.”
Rockhurst, which placed fifth at last year’s Class 4 state meet, has a strong front runner in Zach Herriott, who is the defending state champion and won the Green division at Forest Park with a meet record 15:10. For the Hawklets to have a shot at the trophy stand, Dierks and his boys know it comes down to the depth at the back-end of the squad.
“We’ve always been a big believer in packing, and having guys to run with,” Dierks said. “If you only have five really good guys, it’s tough for that fifth guy because sometimes he can get lost in that crowd. If you’ve got a really good four, five, six, seven, they don’t get lost as much because they’re comfortable with where they’re at. I’d like to find that group and solidify it. I think we’re about a month away from seeing that.”
Steck is hopeful that his rehab and summer of pool work have been enough to put him back in that varsity mix. But mostly he’s just glad he’s able to run again.
“He said if I get back, we have a chance,” Steck said. “It’s good pressure. It motivates me to work harder.”