The Road to Recovery
Life without running
Four months ago, my physio sat me down and told me I needed to take two weeks off running in order to expedite my healing from plantar fasciitis. After much resistance, I finally agreed, but in my head, thought maybe I’d last a week max, then re-evaluate. Running has been my daily ritual for well over a decade, and the thought of taking any time off seemed unfathomable at the time. But I haven’t run since March now, and as the weeks continue to pass, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on what this whole experience has taught me.
While I’ve learned many things from being sidelined from plantar fascitis and later, bilateral stress fractures in my feet, there is one glaring lesson that’s stood out the most…
I will be okay without running.
If this injury happened just five years ago, it would have taken a much more substantial toll on my mental health. Running was a huge part of my identity back then, from which I derived so much of my self-worth. Over the last few years, however, I began to disassociate — relying less on external validation and the need to prove myself, and instead, embracing the more intrinsic benefits of fitness. Maybe it’s just what happens when you get older — you care less. Less focus on comparison, and more on celebrating others. Less emphasis on performance and stats, and more…
