3 things injured runners shouldn’t do

I spent the better part of the last three months laid up with a running injury, and several months of 2015 and 2016 as well. 

While I was injured, I made pretty crappy use of my time. Frankly, I gained a lot of weight and threw myself a long-term pity party.

Now that I’m on the mend (finally!), these are three of the things I realize now that injured runners shouldn’t do. 

1. Let the dog get fat 

Of all the things I regret during my injury, this is probably the biggest one. Mack was my faithful running buddy for the first three years of his life. For the past year, my injury off and on has made it difficult to take him running. We also had a ridiculously hot summer in there, and he is a black dog that attracts lots of heat. 

Those two factors created one chubby puppy and one guilty dog mom.

My advice is, if you are injured, pay a neighbor kid, convince your spouse, or hire a professional dog walker to roam the neighborhood with your mutt. It’s not fair to him that Mom got hurt, and the comeback will be rough on both of us. But he’s eager! 😂😂

2. Stop all forms of exercise

I only have myself to blame for this one. I could have taken a spin class, joined a yoga group, or hopped in a pool. Instead, I didn’t do anything.

Sure, I watched what I ate a little closer, but I didn’t lift one weight and barely did a sit-up or squat. I’m a runner, damn it. Runners run.

Now I can’t button my jeans and I’ve lost a disgusting amount of endurance, energy, and muscle tone. Take it from me – runners should  do more than run. Maybe a little more cross training would have reduced my injury in the first place.

3. Step away from the sport

This was the hardest one for me and likely for many other runners. When you’re injured, all you want to do is run, and it’s hard to watch other people do what you want to be doing. 

But there’s something really fulfilling about volunteering at races. One of the best parts of a race is the great volunteers who hand you water, cheer you on, or set up the course to make sure everyone is safe. 

When you’re able to do that and cheer for your friends and fellow runners, it humbles you when you’re finally able to return to your sport. I’d recommend volunteering to active runners, too, but especially to people on the injured list.

I’m finally back at it a little bit. My physical therapist cleared me to do no more than two miles at a time for the next week or so and then up to a 5K in May 2017. My goal is 4-5 miles at a time by the end of summer. 

If you have a few setbacks during your recovery, remember to take it slow. And don’t give up like I did when I first got hurt. 

Running is a mental sport as much as it is a physical sport. Keep your head in the game, and it will help you get your body back in the race.