The Injury

So it's been a while since my last post. My tibial micro-fractures have been quite the pain, literally and figuratively. Being injured is like putting a road block in the middle of the freeway; like dumping a bucket of water on a burning candle. These two things--the freeway and the candle--were in motion and making progress. Yet, just like that they were brought to a halt and extinguished.

Athletes are oriented towards some goal, whether it be a new race, a high ranking, or a new record. Injuries put an unexpected detour in that pursuit. After hours of planning and preparing a rigorous schedule dedicated to obtaining their desired goal, suddenly a new obstacle appears. One would hope their preparation would prevent injuries, but sometimes these injuries can't be predicted by even the best coaches and trainers. They may be the result of an accident or misfortune. The fact is, life happens. Then there are the injuries that creep into existence. They start with a hint of pain, maybe a wince or flinch reveals the injury. At this point, athletes have two choices.

1. They can continue their rigorous workout schedule hoping "it was nothing."
2. They can immediately modify their training schedule to prevent anymore damage. 

The logical reason would be to modify their workout, rest a little more and recover, right? Yet so many athletes choose to ignore the pain. Why would they risk causing more damage? Pride, fear, and sheer habits can lead athletes to ignore the pain.

Pride prevents an athlete from resting because they see pain as a weakness. They push their bodies as hard and as long as possible believing that more is better. They overlook what rest can do for their body.

The fearful worry the injury will inhibit progress and discount all their hard work thus far. To stop training for any amount of time would be heartbreaking.

Dedicated athletes have established habits. These habits include mindsets. They've heard numerous times from inspirational quotes and coaches to "push through the wall." Athletes become accustomed to pain as they train their body to above and beyond. Sometimes athletes misunderstand certain types of pain as "the wall." They don't recognize that if they push through this wall they risk having it crumble on them instead of it being a marker of their success.

The dedicated athlete is committed to their sport. This commitment requires balance. Many athletes come to know their sport intimately but overlook the relationship with their own body. They begin to compare themselves to to others and their workouts instead of discovering what is best for their own body. Not only does the meet or game become a competition, but the competition begins in practice. The trick is learning what schedule works best for each athlete's body. Everyone is different inferring that each body requires a different approach to training. Experienced athletes learn the importance of balancing workouts, rest, nutrition, and recovery days rather than constantly trying to outdo their rival. They balance their relationship with the sport and their body.

These past two weeks I've been in a boot. The boot has served as a reminder of how I need to listen to my body. Tibial micro-fractures are a classic example of overuse. If I had rested my shin splints early on I wouldn't be confined to crutches and a boot. This injury is probably a result of a combination of pride, fear, and habits. I'd become obsessed with my goal of becoming a triathlete that I overlooked the process of getting there. I wanted the result but didn't appreciate the rest, recovery, and the law of progressive overload. When I can take this boot off in a week I am determined to gradually build up my running intensity and volume. I want to do all that I can to avoid another injury.