As I am sure many of you know the past few months (late October to January) have been a bit of a disaster! Starting off with a few kidney troubles, then when that had all finally passed, first run out I managed to sprain my ankle. All in all 2016 didn’t quite kick off in the way I would have hoped. For me my whole life is sport – it’s how I socialise, relax and recharge, so not being able to get out and about as much as I would have liked has been a bit of a nightmare.
Anyway race entry fees, moaning and self-pity aside it’s not all doom and gloom! I’ve come out of the other side and have been lucky enough to defer most of the larger race entries. Plus this minor blip has served as an excellent reminder of a how much I do enjoy what I do, and I think coming back into things now, I have even more appreciation for getting outside.
This also prompted me to put together a few points on how to stay sane and make the most of injury time:
1. Recognise you need to give your body enough time to heal
I know this is hard, but enough rest is crucial to avoiding a repeat injury. It’s often longer than you think (and would like) but rushing into things again can quickly result with you back at square one.
2. Use this time to discover something new
Use the time you would usually spend training, racing and generally getting active to try something you wouldn’t normally have time for. The more different, the better – you never know what you will discover!
3. Be proactive in your recovery
Yes we all know stretches and strengthening work can be boring, but it will get you back in the game faster. Plus if you can build it into your routine now it will be so much easier to maintain when you are back training.
4. Get inspired
Use this time as an opportunity to work out what you love about the sport(s) you do. Read, research and watch videos all around what you do. You never know what you will learn and are sure to pick up a tip or two.
5. Get outside still
This can be slightly injury dependent but don’t stop getting out to the places you love – you just may have to get there or enjoy it in a different way. Take photography, for example, heading out with a camera can be an excellent way to see an area you may normally run/cycle past quickly in a different light.
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