It happened so quickly. One minute I am running down Sugar Mama, and the next, I am trying not to fall flat on my face after what turned into a classic trail running injury – catching my foot on a root.
Thankfully I was able to stay upright but in the process I did so something to my right leg. I immediately felt shooting pain up my hammie to my butt. I cried out in pain and dropped to the ground.
June has not kind to me. Instead of feeling fit, strong and ready to take on my races, I am dealing with another trail running injury. This is never fun but it is even worse when you are in the peak training block. It’s frustrating. It’s heartbreaking. And it’s not what I had envisioned for this stage of the season.
We all want to envision a perfect training cycle but that almost never happens. One thing I learned about trail and ultra running is that you have to roll with the punches.
It’s my party, I will cry if I want to
Unlike in baseball, there is crying in trail running. On Saturday, I cried because I was in pain. I cried because I felt like an idiot. I cried while hobbling the three kilometres back to my car. It wasn’t the day I expected but it’s now part of my 2025 story.
If you’ve ever dealt with a trail running injury, you know how hard it can be both physically and mentally. Let’s not forget running can be a highly emotional sport. Hang out at any finish line, and you will see tears of joy, pain and frustration. Runners are emotional people.
What now?
Rest. Medical attention. Recovery. I have been down this road before. The hardest part is not dealing with the injury but with the uncertainty. Am I out for a few days? A few weeks? Will this derail my planned races? I guess time will tell.
We can all agree that setbacks suck. But they’re part of the journey. If trail running teaches you anything, it’s that you can fall apart and still keep moving forward.
What’s the hardest part of injury for you? Tthe pain, the uncertainty, or something else? How do you stay mentally strong when the unexpected happens? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
My biggest struggles are being patient and doing my rehab work (whatever that may be). Both of those pay off when you make them a priority – but so much easier said than done. Moving to other forms of exercise (hiking, swimming and biking for me) at least kept my body moving. Since you are only a few weeks off, you can rest and not worry about losing fitness. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Thank you!
Crystal recently posted…Injuries: Why there is crying in trail running
June has not been kind to me either. As I leapfrogged over a fallen tree, my landing aggravated an old injury in my left knee–something that happened when I tripped over a tree root a few years ago. I’m hiking right now, but have been ok’d to start run walking again. It’s been too hot to run, so it hasn’t hit as hard as it could have. I hope you heal fast!
Thank you! Leapfrogging has gotten me in trouble more than once 🙂
Crystal recently posted…Injuries: Why there is crying in trail running