Are you scared of re-injury after trying to build strength when you’ve had a running injury? Well, that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.
This morning, I was on a call with someone who has signed up for a series of coaching calls to get back to running after a long-standing injury. Now, this is somebody who’s an elite athlete who’s had multiple issues, and had difficulty getting over the hump a number of times. And if you’re going to get back your fitness, and if you’re going to get back to training as fast as possible, you’re going to have to endure some discomfort, some risk, and frankly, a little bit of anxiety every time you bump up against your limits.
When we were talking today, what prompted this episode is I just said, “Look, you will get over the hump of this setback, you will. But you can’t take the hill unless you head up the hill again.” And he was expressing that he was having a little trepidation, he was a little worried, because he had a little setback. And every time that happens, it really does erode your confidence as a runner, as an athlete, and that’s understandable. But you cannot just wait and wait and wait, because if you wait forever, then when you start running again, you’re going to have some different issue that crops up, because you keep getting weaker, you keep getting stiffer, you’re running form keeps getting worse, and you become less coordinated.
At some point, you’ve really got to start building your strength again, you’ve really got to start training again, you just need to do it in a way that is safe and methodical. But you have to be prepared that, at some point, you will bump up against that discomfort that signals you’re about to cross over the line for a re-injury. That’s the whole key.
So let me know what you’re doing, what are you doing to rebuild strength? What are you doing that causes anxiety, you think might lead to an over-training injury as you’re returning to running again? Got to figure it out. So you can’t sit around and wait, waiting’s not a plan, you got to take action, and you got to get back to training, even if it makes you a little uncomfortable. And if it makes you a little bit uncomfortable, but you don’t have pain, you’re probably on the right path.
If you like this episode, please like it, please subscribe, and I’ll see you in the next training.
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