
Here's a photo of me running in a compressive knee sleeve that remained as a part of my running attire for nearly a year.
As an athlete, I can tell you that I've made nearly every mistake a runner could make.
Running through an injury? Yep.
Making up for lost days? Oh, absolutely.
Racing every weekend of the month. Guilty.
Doing more and running harder than I was told. That was me.
I could probably list 100 foolish things I've done that I'd never recommend to my current athletes.
The fact is, most runners repeat the same mistakes.
Some learn and become better runners because of it; some never learn.
That's the nature of our sport.
You either learn and grow or keep reinforcing bad habits that will undoubtedly set you back in due time.
As highly motivated individuals, we tend to go to extremes, using force instead of finesse to tackle challenges.
Now, don't get me wrong; you've got to put in the work to get anywhere, but there's no need to keep slamming yourself into the same wall, thinking you'll break through it. What's likely on the other side is just another wall.
We're capable of a lot and willing to go to extremes to get there.
But just because we can doesn't mean we should.
Runners get away with A LOT before it comes back to bite them, you know where.
I don't think runners are completely oblivious to this, either.
Most people know when they're acting foolish. But for some reason, it's a surprise when that foolishness turns into catastrophe.
This is me speaking from experience.
One of my biggest mistakes was sabotaging my final year of collegiate running. First, I ran a 7-mile road race with 2,000+ feet of elevation gain, then ran down that same route to log 14 miles in a day, all with a considerable amount of pain in my quad.
The following day, I decided it was a great idea to run to the river and back at the Grand Canyon.
After making it down to the river (in pain), I continued to climb out of the canyon as fast as I could, with several extended stops to nurse my quad.
I should have never made that trip.
That's the day I tore my quad and kickstarted a recovery process that derailed every goal I had set out for myself that following cross-country season.
You see, I knew I was being foolish, but I was stubborn.
That stubbornness can get you into trouble.
As runners, we are indeed capable of incredible feats. Yes, we can tackle challenging workouts, jump on the latest trends at the last minute, or run marathon after marathon with no regrets.
But just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Not if you care about your personal progress and more importantly, your mind and body.
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