The Part of Running We Don't Talk About

By Brett Farrell

This lingering injury snuck back up on me. I’m stuck not running, and unsure how long it will be before I’m back at it. 

As runners, we all deal with injuries—but we don’t really hear much about their emotional toll. It seems when runners get injured they disappear into the shadows, then reemerge like nothing ever happened. 

I’ve noticed four layers to a running injury that I want to open up.

First, there’s the toughness layer.

When I’m injured, it's my least favorite thing to talk about with other runners. It feels like I’m complaining. I worry I sound weak or like I’m not handling my training properly.

In my head, other runners are never injured, and they’re thinking, “this guy is always injured. He needs to be more on top of his shit.”
Are people actually thinking this? Most definitely not. But it’s hard to quiet that chatter.

Then there’s the sanity layer.

Running anchors us. It brings calm and contentment. When we can’t get out for our daily miles, how do we feel okay?

Some of us turn to cross training like biking or hiking. But it can be hard to switch things up. We have our rhythm, and the alternatives don’t always feel appealing.

We can find ourselves slipping into unhealthier habits—more screens, more eating or drinking, a bit of giving up on fixing the injury.

Then comes the identity layer.

Who am I when I’m not running?

For many of us, running is a big part of who we are. It’s our community, our passion, how we spend our time. We relate to other runners through what we’re doing. If we’re not running, what the hell do we talk about?

We see our running buddies out doing the fun stuff.

And we’re not. It can be crushing. 

Then there’s the uncertainty layer.

Maybe the hardest part is not knowing what’s actually going on or how long it’s going to last. The body is complicated. We all heal differently. There are a lot of approaches to rehab.

Run through it or take time off?
Massage or acupuncture?
Glute work or more intense glute work?

And a big part of getting through it comes down to belief in the plan. How much we commit depends on how much we trust it’s actually going to work. It's hard to get there sometimes. 

And when all of those layers stack up, it’s a lot.

Injuries affect more than just the body. They affect how we feel, how we think, and how we show up each day.

But they’re part of running. It’s baked into it. I don’t know a runner who hasn’t gone through it— and for most of us, more than once. 

So if you’re in it right now—or the next time it comes up—

maybe remember there is more going on than just the injury itself. 

We don’t talk about it enough. 

Comment below and let us know what layer stands out the most for you.