Coming Back From Injury - Patience Grasshopper Patience

Unfortunately, this is a post that I could have written several times. This is not my first injury. My first, well it started with a little hip thing that no one could figure out what the problem was. I got pregnant - had to stop running - hip pain disappeared.

My first race back from pregnancy, I ran the Hershey Half Marathon in 2011 (Race Report Here) which resulted in 3 stress fractures in my foot. I didn't know it was broken. I just thought I was sore. I kept running - even speed work - but the pain wouldn't go away. So I finally went to the Dr - I didn't have 1 but 3 stress fractures - ooops.

Fast forward another year or soand we have the torn calf muscle. Fast forward to this year and we have
the hamstring (probably high hamstring tendinopathy) injury. Of my 'major' injury, this one has been the worst. It's lasted the longest, and well, it's still not well. I am better, but I am no where near 100%. Every move that I make is cautious.

I've found with injury, it's easy to get paranoid. "Is that pain or just sore? What was that twinge? Have I always felt that when I run?" I find that it takes me a few minutes, sometimes half a mile or so before I stop 'worrying' about if I'm feeling pain, but settle into my run. But I am listening to my body. I have to. I'm making progress, and I really don't want to do the one step forward two steps back thing.

So I am here to tell you that I went from 30 + miles per week as my usually mileage to my longest in months of 13.5 this week.

And I am so extremely happy that I was able to walk / run 13 miles this week. As an injured runner, progress, even very slow progress, is still progress. And injury can really change your perspective on things.

I'm learning (especially with this one) that I can't compare my pre-injury self to my currently running status. There might not be any PRs this year. I might not see the 7's and 8's that I was pulling before injury - and then again - I might. The point is that I'm finding that an injury of this nature is requiring me to do a total reset.

Instead of comparing my current times/distances to previous times/distances (or heaven forbid anyone else's), it's like I'm truly starting over.

And I'm CHOOSING to see that as a positive thing instead of a set back. This is a fresh start - a new beginning - and each new goal reached is progress.

When I feel myself getting frustrated or anxious, I hear Patience Grasshopper Patience

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