A broken culture
Should we be normalizing injury?
We all know that one person in the local run club or tri club who always has an “injury.” Most of the time, it’s nothing serious but rather more indicative of poor recovery habits, training mistakes, or simply overreacting to normal aches and pains. Of course, everyone experiences pain differently, which can make it difficult to know what is truly significant.
But there is also a broader acceptance of this mindset within endurance sports, to the point that real injuries are often viewed as “part of the deal” rather than a serious warning sign that something needs to change.
This week, we’ll look at whether injury should be normalized at all, where the line exists between a flare-up and a true injury, and how athletes may be able to stay out of trouble in the first place.
If you train hard with meaningful performance goals season after season, there will be times when your body pushes back. None of us are invincible. A sore hamstring, a nagging knee, a tender ankle are often early signals that you may be getting close to the edge.
Most of the time, these issues do not completely derail training. A short period of reduced volume, better recovery, or a few days off can often calm things down. In many ways, that is normal. But it is still worthy of attention, because when athletes repeatedly ignore these warning signs, true injuries eventually arrive like a hammer — and that is when progress really takes a hit.
Somewhere along the way, endurance culture began treating this progression as heroic. Pushing past the warning signs became admirable. Training through actual injury became proof of toughness. Even limping through sessions or forcing your way to a start line is often celebrated more than making the mature decision to back off and listen to the body.
Then, when the inevitable breakdown happens and races are missed, the response is usually sympathy rather than honest reflection about the decisions that led there.
I can say this confidently because I have made these mistakes myself. I have ignored warning signs. I have trained through things I should not have. And as a physical therapist, I also spend much of my professional life helping people avoid making the same mistake for the second, third, or fourth time.
The bottom line is simple: your body gives you free feedback every day about how it is tolerating training. You can choose to listen or not. I do not believe recurring injury is normal, necessary, or something endurance athletes should simply accept as “part of the sport.”
That does not mean training should be soft or overly cautious. It means athletes need to learn when to adjust the sails before you turn yourself into a piece of driftwood.
Let’s clear up some of your burning questions:
“My _____ hurts. What do I do?”
Pain does not always mean you need to panic. Sometimes you are simply sore, fatigued, or experiencing a temporary flare-up that needs monitoring rather than a complete overhaul of your training plan.
Other times, you are dealing with a true injury and continuing to push through it may put your health, season, or long-term progress at risk.
The challenge for many athletes is learning the difference between normal training discomfort and a legitimate warning sign. The article below goes into more detail on how to identify what you may actually be dealing with.
Soreness vs injury
The following is an excerpt from my book, HowExpert Guide to Triathlons, which launched in February:
Can I keep training?
Once you identify the likely source and contributing factors behind an issue, you can begin building a plan to keep moving forward without digging yourself into a deeper hole.
In many cases, athletes can continue training in some capacity while injured. The key is understanding how to modify load, intensity, frequency, and recovery so the body can calm down while fitness is maintained.
The article below breaks down several important principles for training through injury intelligently rather than emotionally.
“How do I keep this from coming back?”
This is ultimately the most important question.
Working with a physical therapist and ideally one who understands endurance athletes and the demands of the sport can be an invaluable investment in your long-term health and performance.
The ReBUILD® Program through Elite Edge Coaching has helped numerous athletes go from injured and frustrated to healthy and competitive again. The goal is not simply getting athletes out of pain, but helping them understand why they broke down in the first place so the cycle does not continue. You can get started on your path HERE.
If formal coaching or rehab is not something you are looking for right now, the article below is a great starting point. It is the first in a three-part series focused on returning from injury and staying out of trouble long term.
The Resilient Athlete
The next three weeks on Study & Sport are dedicated to talking about injury management including:
Injury should not be viewed as a badge of honor, a personality trait, or an unavoidable cost of chasing performance. Yes, hard training comes with aches, fatigue, and occasional setbacks. That is part of pushing limits. But there is a major difference between respecting the stress of training and blindly normalizing breakdown after breakdown.
The athletes who stay healthy long term are usually the ones willing to listen early, adjust intelligently, recover appropriately, and think beyond a single workout or race.
Your body is constantly giving feedback about what it can and cannot tolerate. The question is whether you are paying attention before it is forced to make the decision for you.