The Injury Spiral: A Guide to Patience and Recovery.

Yes! These are my taped knees, perfectly demonstrating my ability to hear 'rest' and translate it to 'run anyway'.

It’s fair to say I’ve had my share of injuries over the last couple of years—some from my own mistakes, others just from bad luck. Recently, I trapped myself in a frustrating injury spiral where a new issue would pop up the moment the last one healed. Looking back, I realise I was in denial. By refusing to accept the injury and pushing through the pain, I altered my biomechanics. This compensation triggered the next injury, creating a vicious cycle.

I recently read a book called The Brave Athlete written by Simon Marshall & Lesley Paterson.  If you suffer from race-day nerves, self-doubt, or negative thinking, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is funny, insightful, and it has helped me so much.

There is a chapter in the book about how we cope—or don’t—when we get injured. It outlines the stages of injury grief that most runners know only too well:

• Denial: "It’s not that bad, I can definitely still run."

• Anger: "Why me? It’s so unfair."

• Bargaining: "I’ll probably be back training sooner than the physio says. I’ll just find a physio who tells me what I want to hear so I can keep running."

• Depression: "This sucks, I can’t run and my fitness is dropping."

• Acceptance: "Right, I’m injured. It is what it is. Here is what I need to do to fix it. Worse things happen, and I’ll be back running if I stick to my rehab."

  
  

Now, I’m not suggesting everyone goes through every single stage. We all react differently; some people are quietly glad of a forced rest, whilst others take it much harder.

For me, it was the acceptance bit that really struck a chord. I realised I hadn’t actually accepted that I was injured. Because I was fighting it and trying to push through, I was just setting myself further back. As soon as I accepted that I had an issue that needed fixing, I was able to adapt my training, do some cross-training, and do some proper rehab that would stop the injury spiral I was in.

I used to try and hide or downplay my injuries. I felt like I was constantly injured, and who wants a coach or personal trainer who can’t keep themselves in one piece? The thing is, I had all the tools in my toolbox. I knew exactly what I should be doing—I just really wanted to keep running. I hate not running!  I realised that I have learnt so much from my recent injury woes and that it might be useful to share!

Section 1: My tips on coping with injury

• Patience: Easier said than done—and something I don’t have a lot of!—but essential to stop you from coming back too soon and getting caught in that dreaded injury spiral.

• Don't panic about losing fitness: You have built up a good base, and your fitness will not leave you overnight.

• Focus on what you can do: Shift your running energy into something else. Cross-train or just go out for some nice walks (if your injury allows).

• Avoid the social media trap: Don’t wind yourself up scrolling through Strava. Take a break from fitness apps to stop the FOMO.

• Find other ways to get involved: Go and marshal at your local parkrun. Yes, you will wish you were running, but volunteering is incredibly rewarding and a great way to do your bit for the Parkrun community.

Section 2: When things are improving and it’s time to start running again

• Drop the comparisons and the ego: You won’t be back to full fitness straight away. Don’t compare yourself to others—just focus on your own journey back.

• Start back gradually and listen to your body: Build back up slowly. You will get back to full fitness much quicker this way, whereas doing too much too soon will land you right back at square one.

• Expect a bumpy road: Progress is rarely straightforward. Don’t view minor setbacks as a failure.

• Separate discomfort from pain: As runners, we all push through discomfort to achieve our best. However, learn to distinguish between normal training discomfort and actual injury pain. Learn when to stop and when to press on.

• Keep up the good work: You may be on the road to recovery, but keep going with the strength, conditioning, and rehab work to stop the injury from coming back. Even once fully recovered, S&C is key to staying injury-free.

• Celebrate the small wins: Think positively and try to feel grateful that you are able to run again. Replace negative thoughts ("I’m so unfit now") with positive, grateful ones ("it’s so nice just to be running again"). For me, post-injury is when I love running the most—sometimes time away reminds me just how much I love it.

  
  

If you need help returning to training after an injury, get in touch. Whether it is sorting out your strength and conditioning or structuring a safe comeback plan, we would love to help you get back on track.