Injuries without pain are the most frustrating

For the past 6 weeks, I’ve been sidelined with a hamstring injury.

I want to call it a minor injury, mainly because it comes with no actual pain. I can run (3-4 miles) without any pain at all. No pain when I wake up… at my job… sitting… standing… stretching. It’s just not painful.

But does this really make it a minor injury? I say no.

Truth is, I don’t care if it’s painful. In fact, I’d rather it be painful. As an ultrarunner, I think I speak for many of us in saying that we actually like pain. We welcome it, embrace it, and often times actually seek it out. Pain is what we love about our sport. It’s part of what separates us as ultrarunners.

If my injury was painful, it would be much easier to tell when I’m fully recovered. Pain goes away… time to start running again.

See, all I really care about is being able to run again. The frustrating part is – I don’t know how to recognize when that time comes.

2 thoughts on “Injuries without pain are the most frustrating”

  1. awe man, that sucks. But it does answer the question as to how you seemed to run so comfortably with us last week, and then publicly declared war on the hamstring the next day.

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