When I look back from 3 years ago until now, to see how many hours of running and scrambling around in mountains I´ve got, I see a slight incline. A few girls have been emailing me with questions about my progress in to the world of running and questions about injuries. And here is some of my thoughts about those subject. It is a bit unclear at the start but it leads somehow to a summary the end :).
To start with: I grew up in the 90`s and that means that televisions and computers didn´t take my time from being outside exploring what the nature is like. You spent whole days running around in the forest in every kind of weather. When I became older I had a big passion for ball sports. I played football, handball and then basketball which became my favorite sport for some years. To get to the training sessions I never asked for a ride, I had my cycle and my legs to transport me. All this kind of movements made a good background to be better at endurance sports. Skiing and running have been a complement to the other sports I have been practicing and the amount of practicing those have varied a lot according to what I´ve felt like doing at the time. When I was 16 I stopped all the ball sports and started to climb. Running and skiing was still my way of moving even though for around 5 years I didn´t do too much of that either.
Then 4 years ago I just started to realize that I need running. I needed running for so many reasons. I missed it for those years when I didn´t run so much. So I just started to run more. I loved running and wanted to do it all the time. But still I just have the small incline in hours of running. I think I stayed injury free just because of the small incline in hours of running. Why didn´t I ran more? Was it because I was lazy? Or is it that I really listened to what my body was telling me? It´s hard to know, and jess that sound so pretentious to speak about listen to our bodies, but I think we in general need to do more of that. But it is a fine line, if we start to listen too much we can easily get lazy..” I feel a bit tired maybe I should rest today, my body is telling me something”.
I can easily overreact when I feel that something isn´t perfect. If I feel something I´ve never felt before I get afraid! I´m asking people with more experience and then I make a conclusion if it´s ok or not. I´m sure that kind of worrying have made me rest/cross trained more then I normally would have done. But it doesn´t matter because I´m so keen on keeping my body healthy. I´m going to need it to be strong for so long! It doesn´t matter if I need to rest from running one week just to be sure that my body is really following me if that is what needs.
Of course you can get injured anyway. I´m not saying that all those who are injured are not listening to themselves. For sure they are. We get injured. But of course it is a reason behind. And that is what is interesting. We need to find what is behind so we can learn and then solve the problem. Then make our own way to do our best. And we do our best when we are healthy and happy.
For me, taking time is the key of being happy, healthy and relaxed. I need time to figure out the next step. Time to think about school, work, general everyday life and training. For some years ago I could be really stressed and feel lazy if I didn´t succeed in all my projects and the time I had wasn´t enough. But what is more waist of the time then to feel like a failure? People are different and therefore have different approach to everything. We just need to find our own way.
And to continue about staying healthy; and as a lot of people are commenting about me is that I´m not thin. Very funny comments about this:
– How can you run so fast in the uphill’s when you look “normal” ?!
– I absolutely couldn´t believe you were so strong and fast looking that way. But hey that´s awesome.
– You are a fat runner! But that´s good.
– I am sure you would be faster if you where a little thinner.
So funny right? !
Yes. We look different and yes I´m not super thin. But hey! It´s the way that I believe is good for me. I think that is what´s going to keep me away from getting stress fractures, other injuries and osteoporosis when I´m old. Yes I´m some kilos heavier than other people that is running. But it works for me. And for others it works to be thinner. And we all look different so please don´t think you will get a lot better if you lose some kilos (of course it´s getting a bit lighter to run but find a good line!).
Conclusion about my fast progress in the running world and about staying injury free:
The progress of running more was very slow. And that slow progresses build my endurance, my muscles and tendons to be used to run a lot! So hurry slow and take time have been good for me.
Stay healthy and find your own way to that.
Love what you are doing and do what you love.
Love!
Emelie
