Rethinking Injury
Dealing with an injury can be one of the most frustrating situations that an athlete will face. In fact, injuries are likely second on the frustration list only to coordinating your racing outfit with your participant number! There is a great deal of information related to injury prevention and treatment available on the Internet and in running and health-related magazines. Most articles suggest that the most effective way of dealing with an injury is to work to prevent it in the first place. Of course, this is often easier said than done. Properly developed training plans that build slowly over a period of time and that incorporate rest weeks, adequate recovery, good nutrition and stretching after each and every run can work to decrease the chance of injury. Strength training has also proven to be beneficial, with a particular focus on core stability.
But, as we all know, despite our best efforts injuries still occur either through overuse or trauma. Dealing effectively with an injury usually includes the RICE principle (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and a trip to a qualified therapist (physiotherapy or active release therapies). What many articles fail to address however is how to mentally deal with an injury, in particular in North American society, which celebrates injured bodies. Take Kerry Strug, for example. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the petite American gymnast became a national hero when she nailed her vault routine with a badly injured ankle. Think also about the numerous athlete profiles on both American and Canadian sport broadcasts—it is rare now to hear a profile that doesn't include a long list of injuries with which the athlete has dealt.
A typical response to injury, regardless of level of ability, is "I can run through this", or "It only hurts a little bit, I can take it". In many instances, recreational and elite athletes are encouraged to "suck it up" and are chided by training partners, friends or other competitors if they choose to withdraw from a race, or take a break from training. Researchers have linked these ideas with traditional notions of masculinity, suggesting that one must gain ultimate control of their body, and if running with pain is part of that control, than so be it. This mastery of the corporeal is equated with aggression, physical and mental strength - all traits linked with traditional forms of masculinity. These traits are part of what is celebrated in our society.
Many sport sociologists and psychologists however, suggest a rethinking of injury. At its most basic level, an injury is a physical signal that the body needs time to rest and recover. Instead of encouraging those who run or play through pain, we must support those who give their body this time, by stepping back from training or competition. Such a move will create a much more body-friendly sport environment and one that promotes life-long participation and activity. So the next time you feel a little tweak in your hamstring, or suspect that your IT band may be acting up, take a day or two to recover and celebrate the fact that you are rethinking injury in a way that is far friendlier to your body and that moves beyond typical "jock" mentality. Doing so will allow you enjoy the sport (and to look fabulous in a jock) for many years to come!
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