Back To It
After almost 5 weeks off from running due to a left ankle injury, I’m finally back to it without any pain or issues so far. While 5 weeks doesn’t sound like very long, time slows down when you’re injured and trying not to hyperfocus on the things that you can’t do, even if only temporarily.
I’d like to pretend like I handled my 5 weeks off with grace, patience, and positivity, and if I’m being honest, given my addiction to running and training, I think I did pretty well overall. But, I definitely had my struggle points along the way, and I’m sure it was tough to be around me for at least a handful of days. I wrote about some of the things that I was changing or reintroducing in my life during my time on the shelf, and those things surely helped. I plan to continue sticking to those things and I’m grateful for the perspective shift that the injury caused for me to make those changes and reintroductions.
I’m also grateful for the things that I have learned about myself, my community, and my training as a result of my injury—things that might have taken a lot longer for me to realize if I wasn’t forced to slow down and reevaluate.
I’ve learned that I truly do love running and it brings me great joy to be moving out in nature on my own 2 feet. I have a tendency to get caught up in race performances, social media kudos, and other forms of external validation burrowing their way into my practice of running. But, when you remove all of that stuff, what’s left? You and your running. Is that enough? Would you still get up early, put your shoes on, and brave the cold, dark world for some solitary miles and a chance to watch a sunrise? For me, the answer is a crystal-clear yes.
I’ve learned, or at least reestablished, that the trail and ultrarunning community is the greatest tribe to be a part of. If I scroll through my text messages and DMs, there are so many examples of awesome people going out of their way to check in on me, ask if I need anything, or send me things that would make me smile or laugh. It’s hard to put into words how much those little things made a difference for me along the way. I was concerned that I would succumb to loneliness during my time away since running is my primary way of socializing with friends and peers, but that wasn’t the case. I felt stir-crazy and immense FOMO at times, but thanks to this great community, I did not feel lonely or forgotten.
I’ve learned that my training and my relationship with my training needs to evolve with me and my current chapter of life. I’m not old by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m also not getting any younger. And the time I have to spend bonding with my daughter and wife shrinks each day—it isn’t growing. So, I recognize that I need to approach my training with more intention and balance. If I’m going to continue running 100-milers for the foreseeable future, which I intend to do, then I need to do a better job of incorporating recovery time and being ok with it, continuing to put more emphasis on strength training and mobility work, and committing to a schedule that interferes less with family time.
