The Worst Part About Being Injured
Never truly knowing the problem
The human body is a total mystery. I love to run but I am starting to think it might not be good for me. Particularly as I get older, more fragile and less resilient.
Things just hurt.
All the time.
The good ole’ days
Back in my high school days, I might sprain an ankle or tweak a muscle but the prescription was always the same… take it easy for a few days and you were good to go.
That does not work anymore.
Present Day
As I’ve gotten older, my motivation has never been higher, my metabolism has never been lower and my body hates me.
I get mysterious running injuries that linger for months on end with no discernible diagnosis.
That is the most frustrating part.
You don’t know if you should be resting or strengthening, running or cross-training.
Though in my experience of several, months long injuries, the answer is never, sit on the couch and watch netflix.
You always have to do a bunch of stuff you don’t want to do [foam roll, stretching, strengthening, etc] in order to do the thing you do want to do [run].
I guess that is what being an adult is all about.
Light at the end of the tunnel?
I’m on the tail end of a weird foot injury that has lingered since July. But in the same way you have no idea what was wrong in the first place, coming back to running is its own puzzle to solve.
Are you sore because you haven’t run in a while or are you still injured?
Although it is frustrating, I guess the silver lining is it truly reinforces my love for running.
Because you really have to love it to put up with all this nonsense.
