The war against my (most recent) running injury is over. It was a back and forth affair: “test runs” and setbacks aplenty, the calf pain has finally subsided. This long delay was much more than I anticipated, however, as the saying goes, “it is what it is”. I’m ready to move on and regain some of that great fitness I had in the fall.
It’s not going to be easy to hold myself back; even though the weather is more March-like than May-like, all of the runners I’ll be competing against have had the last 2 months advantage on me.
Here’s what I’ll be doing to stay patient now that I’m back to running:
Staying patient upon your return to running:
Give yourself realistic goals:
Have short term goals:
I want to run 3-5 times a week. Lift 2x per week and take 1 yoga class every week.
By the end of May, I want to be in 18 minute 5k shape.
And long term goals:
Race 12-15 times between now (May and December).
Be in shape to work RunningWorks Camp.
Work on my strength training routine.
Know your running history:
Based on what I’ve done in the past, I should be able to:
Get in racing shape within 1 month of return to running.
My current training plan projects I’ll be healthy by:
June 15th. My goal is to be completely healthy and strong enough to train how I’d like to and be fit enough to recover at the proper speed.
Be crazy, but not that crazy:
Shoot for the stars, knowing that you might land short:
I know if I want to hit my target goals, I need to be a bit risky. I know there’s a difference between being foolish and being aggressive. I’m hoping that my body does too!
Have a realistic (more sane) approach as your backup plan:
If plan A doesn’t go well (racing a lot and making money by winning races), my plan B is to enjoy running, stay healthy and get strong. I need to constantly remind myself that I can still be a great motivator and coach if I don’t race frequently.
With all my free time, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on training philosophies, motivation, and supporting athletes. Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve read:
Proper training paces to race fast
Being Imbalanced is a Good Thing
What do you do to stay sane when you’re injured? How do you cope a prolonged running injury?
TrainwithMarc 
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