A few nights ago I was sitting on my couch unwinding and I happened to pull up my Timehop app. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you should! It’s really neat to look back on the last several years of your life each day!

On this particular day, I came across this:

I really couldn’t believe that it has now officially been a year since I made the announcement that I had a femoral stress fracture.

In case you weren’t reading back then, you can find most of my posts on the topic here.

I can remember that week so vividly. Even though to some I may have seemed positive, I had some really tough moments during that time.

 

I had just lost my job not too long before, I was using running as my outlet and then all of the sudden it was taken away from me. Looking back on it I know this was good for me, but there were still some dark times.

I thought it would be fun to look back as a reminder of what I have learned from my injury and since coming back to training again.

 

Running is MORE than Running

To be a great running, it takes more than just lacing up and heading out the door every morning. Sure, you don’t get faster and you don’t get better without running but it is only a small piece of the pie.

 

Stretching, foam rolling, ab work, and strength training are all intricate pieces of the pie as well. They keep you strong, they keep you healthy and that make you a better runner. Period.

 

Nutrition is Key

I can’t sit here and say that I eat perfectly all the time, but I have come such a long way since before my injury. This wasn’t easy for me, but without proper fueling and recovery you will injure yourself.

Nutrition is vital and is so important to healthy running. It takes time and experimentation but it makes us so much stronger.

 

Easy Running Means EASY 

Every run that I go out there and do has a purpose. Even if I am just out there running easy and relaxing it is to help my body recover and build a base. Easy running  has a purpose and is so important. You don’t want to push the pace, you don’t just go fast because you feel good, you need to run easy.

I’ve gained a new appreciation for easy running and relaxation. It has a purpose and it brings me a lot of joy.

 

Running Isn’t Everything

I love to run. Every day. Even when it is hard and I am struggling, I still love it. When I got injured running became almost everything. I threw too much of my life into its hands and struggled to find a separation.

I’ve realized through this that running can’t be everything. If I get injured again, it can’t take over my life. Sure it will always be upsetting and disappointing but I had to learn that running is only a part of life.

 

You Are Capable of More Than You Think

Sure it sounds cliche but it is true in so many ways. If you had asked me a year ago if I ever thought I would be training for a marathon and possible BQ a year from then, I probably would have laughed at you.

When I got injured I thought I was done. I thought my body was not capable of running without injury. I of course, was wrong. My body is capable of doing much more than I can image, but it is only capable of that if I treat it right. If I do the things and help it be the strong body that it can be.

 

YOU are capable of anything you set your mind to, but you have to do the small things that it takes to get there.

 

Injuries are tough. There isn’t an “easy” way to get through it, but if you come out on the other side and you’ve learned something from it that is what counts. You aren’t always going to do everything right when running. You will make mistakes. The important thing is that you learn from them and come out on the other side.

Runners are a dedicated bunch, sometimes over zealous and sometimes obsessive. It’s good and it’s bad, but you are the only one who controls where you go. Be motivated, stay focused, train smart and you will get there!

 

What is the toughest injury you have dealt with?

What have you learned from injury?