Focusing on What I CAN Do
If you are a runner, I don’t have to explain to you what it means and feels like to experience an injury. You know, that moment you wake up and things just don’t “seem right,” and you have that sick, deep in the pit of your stomach feeling that running just might not happen for the next couple days.
Yeah, that dreaded day happened to me, Tuesday, when I woke up and felt like I was walking on a broken ankle. And as a runner, it’s kind of important to have happy feet 😉
Above, is my dramatic ‘the world is going to end’ face.
Immediately, I went to my local running store, purchased some KTTAPE, wrapped/iced my foot and researched all the possible problems it could have been. I scheduled an appointment with my chiropractor on Wednesday and she confirmed that I, indeed had a sprained ankle.
So, what a runner to do when she can’t run? Think deep thoughts, that’s what.
You know, it is a funny thing how often we take running for granted. It seems so “effortless (but not)” to go out for that early morning 6 mile run and not even think twice about what a true gift it is.
Every time I’ve battled an injury, I’ve always come back to running with a new appreciation for the sport, my body, and each workout. It is truly such a blessing to be able to run, move, breathe, sweat, and reach for a goal. I know I am guilty of taking workouts and runs for granted and I don’t want to do that anymore. And I also don’t want to wallow in self – pity and drown myself in thoughts of doubt. So, instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I am going to focus on what I can do.
I can
- Focus on super good nutrition
- Strength train
- Spend extra time on stretching and injury prevention
- Cross train
And although part of me wants to freak out and panic about getting an injury right in the middle of marathon training, I need to remember to think realistically and not so dramatically. Will I lose a little running fitness? Yes. Will I bounce back stronger from this injury? Yes. Will I miss the marathon. Probably not. If I do miss the marathon, will it be the end of the world? NO, it won’t. There will ALWAYS be another race, if I need to skip. I would rather be healthy, than push myself and have to take multiple, months or years off of running. The beauty of running is that it is always there for me to pick back up when I am ready and healthy. When I start to freak out about having to take a day or week off of running, I need to remind myself that a week off is better than a month. And when I look at the big picture, the future seems less daunting.
