what you don't know about my injury.

This is what you may not know about being injured. Whether mild or severe, short or long term, injuries can affect runners in ways unimaginable. They can humble you, destroy you, open up new opportunities, and make you realize your love for running. This is what I never knew before, and what you might not know about being injured:

You may lose your sense of identity.

Before becoming injured, I never realized how close running was to my sense of self and identity. Now, whenever someone asks what I do, I want to say that I run track and cross country, and that I’m a ‘runner,’ but then realize I can’t say that, because it has been over two years since I have been that person. Now the word ‘runner’ is foreign to me and I don’t feel comfortable using it to describe myself. I never thought that would happen to me. Without running, I don’t know what I am. It’s hard to build a new identity, even though I know that people are supposed to change and develop throughout their lives. But I feel as if I’m stuck two years in the past and can’t move on. I don’t know how to be myself, because I don’t identify as the person that I am without running. 

You may lose your confidence.

For me, running made me feel strong and capable of achieving anything. Being able to work hard and experience results was invigorating. It made me carry myself more confidently, whether in interpersonal relationships, sports, academics, or anything else. It helped me get over my body image issues and allowed me to accept my mistakes. It helped me gain power in a life that I have little control over. Now that I don’t channel the confidence that came with running, I sometimes feel socially awkward or shy, and it’s hard to appreciate my body. 

You may become depressed.

It is true that both professional and recreational athletes that get injured have become depressed and have even contemplated suicide. Sadly, today mental health is becoming an ever-present concern as a result of things like social media and growing expectations. It may be especially important to raise awareness of athletes’ struggles because typically we are viewed as tough, hardy, or unbreakable. However, mental health issues affects us just as much as anyone else. Although it is not always the case that injured runners develop depression, it is important to be aware that your injured teammate may have used running as a form of self-care for mental health, and may have lost that since taking a break from running. Personally, being injured has not caused me to become depressed, but I often feel hopeless and like there is no point in trying after over two years of failed recovery. But then I remember why I love running, and that makes it easier to keep going. 


Your pride may get hurt.

I always thought that I was a very determined person, because I was told so, and because many runners are, but even so, I had to quit both soccer and track and cross country when I became injured. This spring, I thought I was recovered enough to join my high school’s track team, but after about a week, my shins became inflamed, and I quit again. This hurt my pride a lot. I never thought I was a quitter, but here I was, not able to continue running. I still feel a little bitter towards my teammates from two years ago that said that I should run through my pain. Because I was prideful, I followed their advice, and now I regret my pride because of the terrible place that I’ve ended up at as a result.

You may have tried everything to recover, and it may not work.

Whenever I tell people about my injury, the response always seems to be, “Have you tried (insert common recovery method here)?” And I know they have my best interests in mind, and I appreciate it, but yes, I have probably tried all of that before, to little effect. Yes, I have iced, yes, I stretch, yes, I foam-rolled, I got massages, I have tried both hot and cold showers, I cross-train (joined the swim team for that), I do resistance training, I did physical therapy with a physical therapist, I did physical therapy with a sports medicine doctor, I have seen many doctors, I tried tape, I tried electrical muscle stimulation, I had needles poked into my legs (dry needling), yes I continue to do my prescribed exercises consistently, no I do not have any muscle imbalances anymore my hips are strong enough, I got inserts in my shoes, I run in the correct shoes for my feet, I know the rules for increasing mileage slowly, I have improved my running form, I eat and sleep well enough for an AP student… The list goes on. (sorry you had to read all that!) Anyway, just know that your injured teammate/friend/student/child/etc. probably loves running and is doing all that they possibly can to recover. It is especially important to them that you be empathetic, listen, and most importantly, believe them. 

You may come out with a greater appreciation for running. 

I won’t go on a rant for this one, because this site has many posts about how amazing running is, all of it true. But if you are a runner and have been injured, then you know that being injured can make you appreciate running even more than you did before. Although it can take weeks to years, recovery is down the road if you want it badly enough. The journey may be long and hard, and the end may not be in sight, but you have done this before! Think of it as a long run. Recovery IS POSSIBLE. To the injured runners out there: if you ever give up hope, remember your roots and why you love running. Realizing this will give you the motivation to come back from your injuries even stronger than before. You are not alone, and I believe in you.

- Madalyn C