Rat Race Running

I started taking running seriously in 2015. And I slowly began to run faster and longer. I really thought I was invincible and a 4-minute per kilometer pace was within reach… but then I got injured.

Any injury is a huge setback for aspiring runners. It can make your hard work disappear and bring you back to square one.

I suffered a knee-related injury in my right patellar region. The only “good thing” about it is that the doctor and rehabilitation fees were covered by the health card provided by my company.

Below are some of the lessons that I learned because of my injury.

1. Follow the 10% Rule of Weekly Mileage Increase

A common mistake new runners make testing the limit of their bodies and trying to run as far as they can, even though they have only just acquired the habit.

I am one of those fools. After running 3km on day 1, I immediately ran 18kms 3days later because I felt like it.

As a rule of thumb, runners should only increase the weekly mileage by 10%; if you ran 10km this week, add 10%, so the following week, you may run 11km of accumulated mileage.

2. Never Underestimate the Healing Magic of Rest

Much of this blog is dedicated to reminding me and informing others about the mistakes that I’ve made while starting out running.

As an employee with limited time, I was lucky enough to find the time and build the habit of the sport, but one thing I ignored was the day of rest. I was so excited to improve quickly that I had weeks when I ran every day.

After being injured, I realized that rest is as integral as running itself when it comes to this sport.

3. Cross-training

As runners, we often like to run, ignoring that it is also essential to strengthen other body parts.

Ibodyu would notice triathletes are less likely to get injured because they train their other muscle groups through biking and swimming.

I just started adding strength training to my training plan.

4. Listen to your Body

Itbodyeasier to rest for a couple of days if you’re feeling some pain and discomfort than to miss an entire month or even a whole racing season.

If the pain persists after a week, it would be best to have it checked by medical professionals.

5. The Amazing Wonder of Muscle Memory

I missed almost three months of training and running because of the injury, and I told myself that it would be hard to return to my previous fitness level.

The fantastic thing is that my Body stbodyremembers how to do the proper and efficient way of running. It may take a little more time to regain my lost pace and stamina, but it is a start.

Final Thought:

Our body is an amazing creation of God, and we should take care of it. An injury can sideline you, but try to recover and hit back to the pavement.