A very wise teammate of mine recently picked my pouting chin up off the floor by stating some of the wisest words I had ever heard: there are only two different kinds of athletes; ones that are injured, and ones that are about to be injured.
As a current hurtin’ swampdog, nothing sucks more than being forced to sit out while your teammates carry on getting better, faster, stronger and you’re on the physiotherapist’s table getting your IT band released. Which hurts, by the way.
One or two days of forced time off is okay, perhaps even pleasant. But looking at a looming two weeks full of alternative fitness methods, torturous physio appointments and not nearly as much progress as you’d like can do detrimental things to the mind and body.
I am a runner. I am one of the rare breed that likes the burning, nauseating, vomit-inducing exercise that is pounding pavement for hours everyday and bounding up hills as my quads beg for mercy.
A week ago, I felt a bad pinch in my hip. I kept running. A few days later, the pain was so crippling that I had trouble walking. I tried to keep running, but had to take it easy. Because I’m slightly pigheaded and way too proud, I mentioned nothing to my coach. There was a race coming up and I knew running it would be out of the question if I admitted how much pain I was in.
I raced, knowing I was about to really screw something up.
I was partially wrong. I didn’t make anything worse, but I did run with a torn hip labrum. And just like that, I’m on the shelf. On the shelf for two weeks-plus. A wounded soldier. The walking wailer. An official passenger in the waaahmbulance.
Suddenly, brutal hill workouts and deadly intervals never seemed so good. While the team scoots off to get a good, sweaty run in, I’m on the stationary bike slowly pedaling my way into sheer boredom.
Being injured is a part of the game, you just hope it never happens to you. If it does, I’ve devised a plan to keep you from suffering the same insanity that I am. Take it to heart. From an injured athlete, to a soon-to-be injured athlete.
1. Get help. Physio, athletic therapy, anything. Most injuries that cause enough pain to force you out of your sport are injuries that won’t just cure themselves. There are people out there who know more than you, and they will help you. It will hurt, but you’ll like it. All athletes do.
2. Keep a positive attitude. Okay, easier said than done. On my 92nd minute of pedaling the stationary bike at an agonizingly slow speed, I was ready to pitch the bike out the window and go on my usual 90-minute mountain trail run. Healing is not fun, and it’s slow. But you have two decisions: heal your body and whine/bitch about it, or heal your body and be optimistic about it. Don’t look at the time off as time off. Look at it as time devoted to discovering new ways of developing/maintaining your fitness level, without participating in your beloved sport. Water running, for the elite athletes looking to maintain their cardio level. Pilates, for the injured weight-trainer.
3. Misery loves company. In team sports, the odds of two athletes being injured at the same time are pretty high. Find a rehab buddy, it makes the whole process a lot more enjoyable. You can encourage and boost each others’ spirits.
4. Document your progress. If you’re in slightly less pain today than you were yesterday, write it down. If you could handle 21 minutes on the bike when you could only handle 20 minutes two days before, jot it down. Seeing everything laid out will make it easier when you reach a really tough day– you can flip through your log and see that some days, it really does get better. Often times we think we’re not making progress, even though we are. One more minute of sustained activity is a big deal. Ask Tyson Gay the value of just one second.
5. Stay involved. Being part of a team is a beautiful thing, it’s the best support system you’ll ever come by. These are like-minded people that share a passion for the same sport and the same goals. You strive for these goals together day in and day out. You suffer and go to battle with these people. Keep them by your side throughout your injury. Hang out on the sidelines at practice. Show up at a common meeting place before a workout. Yes, it’s mentally hard to do, but it is worth it. Feeling like you’re still part of the team helps you maintain your positive outlook and gives you the support and encouragement you need to keep on truckin’. Teammates offer the best words of wisdom and they just get it.
6. Be proactive in your healing. Get enough sleep-sleep is crucial when your body is trying to heal the damage you stupidly inflicted on it. Don’t sit on the couch and sulk, follow your rehabilitation program. Lifting a bag of peas up and down ten times might seem and feel ridiculous, but if you’re recovering from a serious tendon or ligament issue in your arm, that one action could be promoting more healing that you can ever dream of. Reduced exercise may mean a restricted diet, but it’s just to be sure you’re in the best physical shape possible when you’re ready for your triumphant return. Eat the right foods- pineapple can help heal sprains. Bet you didn’t know that.
7. Don’t bring the troops down. Some amount of venting is reasonable and even necessary, but don’t excessively whine about your injury. You’re depressing yourself and your teammates. Think of it this way: you tried something that your body clearly couldn’t handle, because now you’re injured. But your body is not only healing, it is becoming stronger-so that the next time you do that stupid thing you did, you might not get hurt.
8. Don’t push it. I roll my eyes whenever I’m told this. The whole part of being a cross-country and distance runner is to push yourself beyond all limits of human capabilities. But when you’re injured, don’t push it. Feeling good for the day doesn’t give you an automatic free-pass to start training again. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. No pain does not mean you’re completely healed yet. Often, you’re half-healed. And an injury that is used and abused when it’s half-healed goes back to being not-at-all-healed.
9. Communicate. Don’t be like me-TALK to your coach. They want you in the best shape possible, too. Often times, they’re also that voice of reason that most dedicated athletes lack. That one voice, the slight presence of rational thought that tells you when you need to push harder, and more importantly, when you need to stop.
10. Set realistic goals. Don’t ever put a time-limit to your recovery. When the date arrives and you’re not in game shape, you’re just going to further depress yourself. Let your body heal and adjust at its’ own speed.that way, you’re never disappointed.
