Patience: How to Return to Running after an Injury

After knee injuries that came about with my training back in the spring, I have taken a bit of a vacation from running. Coming back has been extremely slow and well- measured. I am not the same runner that I was in high school or in college, my body has taken on most likely thousands of miles, and it's telling me to return with extreme caution. Remembering this and actually practicing this approach however, has not been easy, at all. I want to run straight out of the gate most of the time. To rein things in, I've forced myself to remember a few key things to keep positive, injury-free, and successful. All of these things stem from one thing only, patience.

Here are a couple of ways to confidently return to the sport you love with a healthy, patient approach:

- Ditch the watch. When you run with a watch, you're automatically setting expectations. Will I hit the one mile mark at 7:45? Can I do this three- miler in 22 minutes? Unless you are doing a timed workout or want to run for say, 40 minutes, using a watch for the sake of timing yourself is not a good idea. Without it, I feel that I can breath easy, run at different paces based on how I feel, and run with little stress. Be forgiving of your return by running based on feeling. 

- Listen to your body. When returning from an injury your body is in a fragile state, it's important to do a "check-in". To go about this, I usually do a thorough stretch before I head out for my run. What's feeling tight? What's a little ache-y? Spend a little more time on the area that needs it. If you can roll it out before, that will help get the blood flowing. Lately I've been using this puppy, the rumble roller. Then, when you're on your run, start out at a very slow pace so you have time to "sink" into your run. Once everything feels good, you have the liberty to amp up the pace.

- Keep a log. When you write all the details down, like how you felt, what was difficult, what your favorite part was, you are keeping a history and study of your own running. You are your own experiment. A running log is also a great way to see how you answer changes within your running, whether you are fiddling with the mileage or intensity. Once you've got it all figured out, the next move is to keep consistent.  

- Take baby steps. Returning from an injury can be like starting from scratch, depending on how long you have been out. Slowly increasing the workload is key. This ties into the keeping a log. It's good to increase your mileage by small percentages (I recommend 5% a week), find out where you respond best (without pain), and keep with it. And, if you are hitting the track for a workout, start with an easy workout that is flexible. For example, 6x 400m, 2 minutes rest, 80 second laps. You can take away two reps, one rep, or increase your rest. Make it fluid.

- Set practical expectations. If you rush towards lofty goals, you will only be disappointed. Write out them out, make sure they are realistic, attainable, yet challenging. You may not be same sprite runner you once were in college, but perhaps now you have more time to train, as opposed to the three month period of a track season.

- Seek a second opinion. Consult your coach, doctor, or physical therapist so you're not doing the work alone. Having someone to check- in with along the way will give you confidence and security. When I was getting back to running after surgery, my physical therapist was a great resource. She told me the clear can- dos and cannots. And we were both able to rejoice when I made a huge step in recovery. Find your knowledgeable fan. 

I hope you find these helpful! Please feel free to comment below, I'd love to hear from you. 

-Meggie