Injured?

If you’re injured right now I just want to start by saying, it’s absolutely ok to be grumpy and miserable about it because it is rubbish, and you don’t need to be Andy Murray for it to be both disappointing and frustrating.

If your typical weekly, monthly, and or even yearly calendar of races and running routine has been blown out of the water for the foreseeable future, there’s no need to apologise if you are more than a little moody. I get it especially as, on top of this setback, I imagine if you’re anything like me, your typical source of stress relief has just vanished!

I don’t know any runner who hasn’t had to deal with some kind of disappointment or set back in their running life. Anyone who runs at some point will face a time when their usual running routine has to take a back seat, life gets in the way, injury, illness, medical treatment, family responsibilities, job loss or promotion, teenagers(!), the list is endless.

But don’t underestimate the impact that a running break or disappointment can have on you. I’ve certainly had my share of glitches, some major, some minor, and I’ve found these setbacks and disappointments really hard to accept, but over time, I’ve had to learn not to hang my happiness on a goal race or a goal time. And because of those set backs, not in spite of them, I’ve larnt to accept where I am in the here and now, I’m not saying it’s easy, it certainly isn’t linear, but let’s just say I’m better at it now than I used to be.

For a lot of us, running is so much more than just the physical act of moving, for some it’s a stress outlet, a time to sort out the jumble of thoughts, a time to be creative and innovative. For others it might be a chance to be with friends, to socialise with “your people” or to feel a sense of freedom, be childlike again. Whatever your running motivation is, and it is such a personal thing, to suddenly lose it can have a significant impact you emotionally, mentally and physically.

Learning to fill in some of the gaps where running used to be can help you develop a skill set that enables you to ultimately become a better, stronger runner once you're able to run again. I’ve watched good runners stop running altogether when hit with a setback, which to me is such a shame, but I’ve also watched runners bounce back much stronger, in so many ways.

Ok, so if you are injured at the moment, you are probably feeling a magnitude of emotions that have blindsided you and whilst there are plenty of strategies out there that can help you cope during this rough patch (and it is just a rough patch) you will still need support.

 First things first, you don’t have to be positive all the time, accepting that it really does “suck” is ok, you don’t have to pretend that you are ok.

When you’re injured and people tell you to “think positive!”

And once there is some acceptance your perspective can shift a little so that you are able to focus on what you can do. There is usually a way to incorporate some movement into your life, even the slightest bit of movement, in comparison to no movement is always going to be better long term.

Remember when we were in lockdown and we learnt how to self soothe? We learnt how to create a mini pleasure list, it could be reading, a face mask, baking, a walk in nature, whatever makes you feel some joy. If you try and create a new routine with nice things you can still do, the gaps where running used to be may not feel so huge.

Try not to be George (at least, not too often)

Try not to look back at what you used to be able to do or move forward too quickly, plan what you are going to do when you have recovered, seeking happiness in future races can lead to unhappiness, be where you are right now. 

You will run again, because this time out will enable you to remember all the reasons why you run in the first place, it’s a normal blip and part of every runner’s journey, and whilst it might feel like FOREVER, it is just snapshot of time in the whole grand scheme of things.