I think over the last few years I have made all sort of mistakes – over-training, not training enough, wrong shoes, not enough strength training, no foam rolling. And I have been injured time and again except last year (when I behaved). No matter how many times I get injured, it always seems to follow the same cycle, just the time spent on different stages varies. So, it goes like this (inspired from the Kubler-Ross model)  –

Denial – Nah, it’s just a niggle .Oh! this pain is temporary, it will go. My head is making up this pain as it wants my body to stop. Yes, I’m living in denial.

Anger – Is it really happening to me? – It’s been a few days and let me press where it’s hurting and see. Damn, the pain is for real. And it’s here to stay. Why me? I have a run coming up?

Bargaining –  Let me just do short runs. No harm really. This is the worst stage where I’m trying to fool myself in to believing that short runs won’t worsen the injury. But they actually do. Let me try, ice and foam roll, which I should have done after stage one!

Depression – Too late, shit has happened. Now what! Physio asks me to take a couple of weeks off. With too much time in my hand, I don’t know what to do. I’m already perceived as anti-social, how will I explain myself? I will put on weight. Worse still, I will forget how to run! Damn, it’s the end of the world.

Acceptance – It is what it is. After a few days of sulking, loitering around without any sense of purpose, I get into the yoga and do-any-exercise-to-stay-active mode. Only once I accept it’s going to take time, do I relax before getting restless again.

What is it like for you?