When I got the diagnosis, I was crushed. My doctor confirmed the significant pain I was feeling—even after a week of complete rest—was a Races - Places. sacral stress fracture spring marathon with high-caliber races slated in the schedule leading up to the big dance. I was primed for fast time.
Half Marathon Training training. The most activity I would be doing was getting acquainted with crutches, a jarring change from the usual 90-to 100-mile weeks I was putting in. It meant wiping my training schedule clear and focusing on “small wins” like pain-free walking instead of chasing PRs on the road. Yikes. The competitor in me was paralyzed.
Injury: It’s the dirty little “i” word for all athletes, especially runners, who engage in high-impact activity. We’ve all been there, and if you haven’t, chances are you’ll probably end up there at some point. While I originally felt devastated, knowing that the fitness and performance gains I’d built in my training block would slowly slip away, this full-stop injury ended up surprising me.
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See, rest is a natural and critical component of any training cycle—if you don’t take it for yourself, your body will eventually force the issue. Though setbacks are never a part of the initial plan, time off is an important part of maintaining long-term health and performance benefits (for proof, see Shalane Flanagan’s 2017 season or Desiree Linden’s 2018 season) as it gives your body time to catch up to the work you’ve been putting in. Injuries also give you an opportunity to gather better information on your body, which allows you to move forward with training more appropriately in the future.
Trust me, I’m not a naturally positive person, but through my own experience, I learned that an injury, while always devastating, can also be a performance enhancement. You don’t have to be a ray of sunshine to glean the good during your time on the sidelines, you just have to be willing to take a step back and take in the whole picture. There were definitely times when I had to search hard for my silver lining, but it was there. Here’s how I did it.
Frame It Constructively
Once my fracture was confirmed, I angled it as the best thing that could have happened for the longevity of my training. It forced me to take much-needed rest when I would have continued to forge ahead. It also helped me shine light on areas of my running that needed work, like the mental and nutritional aspects. Sure, I lost some fitness, but I was able to restore my entire system and reboot, which was huge win. Gaining fitness back is possible with consistency and time, but replenishing your body isn’t possible without proper rest.
Lean on Your Support System
The running community is an amazing and compassionate one. Use it! Connect with other runners, find a cross-training friend, and open up to your people. Resist the tempting urge to become a hermit when injured. I extended my support system to include a sports psychologist and nutritionist to arm myself with a network of experts who could safeguard my return. With these professionals, I tapped into a wealth of training knowledge that I’d overlooked in the past, and that ultimately gave me confidence in the areas that I could improve upon right away while regaining total health.
Give Your Mind a Rest
Injury can be surprisingly taxing on your brain. As you rest your body, give your mind a break, too. Read more. Drink a beer with friends. Stay out late. Meditate. Running is more of a mental game than we realize. If you’re training too hard or recklessly, your body lets you know by shutting down in some way. Taxing your brain without giving it rest will result in burnout. Resting my mind allowed me to return to cross-training and eventually running with more focus and attention to detail than I would have otherwise. It’s important to remind yourself that though running is an important part of who you are, it’s not your whole self.
Don’t Rush the Return
As your health comes back around, practice patience in ramping back up to full volume, and relish each moment. This patience would be the very skill you need the next time you’re hurling yourself head-first into a training block. The first time I had a walk-run on my schedule, it was a huge moment of triumph. Try to keep perspective fresh and be easy on yourself as you reintroduce each piece of training.
In this stage, your worst enemy is your former self. Resuming workouts early in your comeback can feel incredibly daunting, but commit to putting comparison aside and working to improve your current self. When you’re inevitably faced with frustration about your fitness, practice gratitude for your health. Take the time to reflect on the “whys” of the setback and the “hows” to come back stronger. You’ll find yourself back on a starting line in a better place than before. I know I did. What initially felt like a huge blow to my running career became a massive boost to my overall health and performance, both on and off the run. Now, I’m feeling faster, stronger, and healthier than I have in years.
Injury Recovery Tools We Love
Once you get cleared by your doctor, this pool essential helps you maintain base fitness while swimming laps.
A swimming essential—stay focused in the pool with a pair of goggles.
Gaiam Essentials Gaiam Essentials Yoga Block (Set Of 2)
When possible, explore other activities like yoga, which will keep you mobile, mindful, and lightly active while you heal.
Shoes & Gear
whoop.com
This sophisticated wearable tracks daily strain, recovery, resting heart rate, and other important metrics to help you stay injury-free in the future.
Focus on Prehab
After you’ve made a full recovery (or if you’re lucky enough to be enjoying full running health right now), keep it that way. Integrating “prehab,” or preventative rehab into your routine is a smart way to stay on top of the inevitable niggles that pop up during hard training. If you don’t already, work warmup and strength exercises into your weekly workouts.
Remember, not all strength programs are created equal, so be sure to implement the right moves from a pro experienced in distance running before going all in.
