I’ve been struggling with a chronic and obnoxious case of proximal hamstring tendinopathy for the past six months. If you haven’t experienced that particular joy, be relieved. If you have, I’m sorry. If you don’t even know the medical term, feel free to look it up, but you don’t have to to read the rest of this article.

Most running injuries are caused by the same simple things and are ultimately resolved in the same simple ways, but we runners don’t easily accept the most fundamental aspects of physiology when it’s inconvenient for us. If that’s insulting to you, hold on. What I mean is that runners, me included, don’t readily accept our limitations. This is part of what drives us to run. We push ourselves beyond what most people consider reasonable and ignore or even embrace physical discomfort. Therein lies the trap.

We train ourselves to accept and manage the pain of exertion, but we mistakenly apply this line of thought to our potential injuries. Ignoring a niggle in your shin (or hamstring) for a day isn’t necessarily an instant recipe for a severe running injury, but every training run that makes that shin hurt is an exponential risk to your running health. And, we runners are exceptionally gifted at convincing ourselves that “it’ll be fine.” “I’ve had this before.” “I’ll take a week off next month after [insert goal race].”

Soon, you’re searching the internet for the magic fix for your injury, trying new exercises, popping a few NSAIDS, and blaming your shoes. If you’re like me, and I know you are, you’re still trying to run, even if it is in a reduced way. Finally, after a few days, a week, or a month of mentally managing your pain, you accept that you’re injured—again.

Next comes the doctor for a referral to a physical therapist and months of rehab. Who knew it was possible to max out your high deductible insurance so quickly. If you’re lucky, you’re back on the trail or road in a few weeks. If not, it’s months; rarely more.

That’s a long set up for an advice column—advice I’ve gradually, if imperfectly learned to accept myself. Here it is.

Don’t be a moron.

You’re a smart person who knows the difference between good pain and bad pain. Heed that voice in your head that tells you to rest. Shut it down for a few days or a week when you don’t feel right. Yes, it sucks to miss out on your favorite hobby. Yes, you might lose a little fitness (those who say you won’t are trying to make you feel better). Here’s what you should do: remember your last injury.

Remember how miserable you were not training for a month or two. Remember how you said you’d start listening to your body better. Call your running partner to ask her or him to remind you what a pain in the ass you are to deal with when you’re injured. Then suck it up and rest. It stinks, but it’s better than the alternative.

Now, don’t fiddle with your aching shin all day long. Don’t search the web for ‘evidence-based treatment protocol for medial tibial stress syndrome.’ Just chill out until your shin doesn’t hurt anymore. Then, gradually resume running. Gradually, doesn’t mean that you jog across your living room one time, feel no pain, and then head out on your usual hour loop. Be nice to yourself.

Speaking as somebody who’s not followed any of this advice on numerous occasions (and paid the price the same number of times), I urge you to learn your lesson this time, fool.

Here are a few closing thoughts acquired from conversations with smart people and/or picked from running injury readings that I most likely read while injured.

-You are much better off training less and avoiding injury than overdoing it and having to take extensive time off. Consistency over weeks, months and years is superior to a few impressive workouts that lead to injury. Consistency is superior for your performance and your physical and emotional well-being.

-Running injuries are not an act of god. Legendary running researcher Dr. Timothy Noakes reminds of this in his masterwork The Lore of Running. You’re not being punished by a higher power. You did something that led to this injury. Maybe you twisted an ankle on the Superior Hiking Trail. That happens. More likely, however, you did something that was just too much for your body to handle at the time.

-There’s a difference between being tough and being dumb. Be tough. Don’t be dumb. Learn your body’s cues to know the difference when it comes to pain.

How do I know how much training I can handle?

How do I build injury resistance?

It’s too late. I’m already injured. What do I do now?

Those are topics that deserve their own articles. Stay tuned!

Photo by Andre Mouton on Unsplash