Thursday, May 5, 2016

Listen To Your Body

There is no one who knows your body, like you do.  When you tune into it, you can learn a lot more than any machine or doctor who just has you to listen to.
Over the years I have fought various injuries and pains in my training.  From tendonitis in my shoulders to a weird genetic thing that bothers my knees.  My physical therapists and chiropractors have been great in giving me the resources to help my problems, but it has always been me to know when there is an issued potentially when I can prevent major issues from coming up.  Part of listening to your body, is also knowing what to do when it's talking to you.

This morning I originally thought I had eaten too much at a party and wasn't going to run all that far, but then I started and this magical thing happened... I forgot all about my limits and knew that if I really wanted to, I could do a long run.  It was a beautiful day, the temperature and humidity had dropped, so why not?  Then my body reminded me why it might not be the smartest idea to just go...

At first it was my knee, which I had been able to run through in the past, but then that pain spread to my calves and felt like a shin splint threatening to develop.  So I had an inner battle all through mile 3, but decided to call it a day a little after mile 4 and calm my knees and legs down.  I figured I would relax, stretch, and let my legs recover and next week hit it hard again.

Gardening was a bit rough, but that was like doing a super long squat workout, but now my legs are feeling pretty well.  A little tight when I stretch, but not as bad as I feel like they could have been if I had pushed it more.  We'll really see if I made the right decision in the week to come...

Do I actually know if this feeling was going to develop into something worse?  Of course not, but it was a slightly painful feeling and I trust my body to give me these warning signs for a reason.  If it wasn't for learning to listen to my body I feel as though I could be a lot worse off than I am today... probably with knee surgery and what not having happened at far too young an age.

Trust yourself, only you know what's best for you


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