We are all lead to believe this and feel guilty for not putting in massive “peak sessions” every now and again.
So what happens when your physio or alternative therapist tells you that there is NO quality exercise to be done UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE?
“Pah sounds easy ey?” Or so I thought.
Running in super supportive shoes, then orthotics, then physios who just poke and prod then this is probably a longer path than you expect.
That is certainly the situation I have found myself in for the last 4 months.
I am not injured as such in the same way that a bike with a flat tyre is still a bike (I hope). It just does not have all that it takes to go down Chappies (or up for that matter) at full speed. The question is “Do you have what it takes to painstakingly examine the problem and fix the tyre (with a patch) and nurse the whole thing back together?”. Think back to the days before quick release wheels and when we still fixed punctures rather than chuck the whole thing away.
Well I find myself in this exact situation at the moment.
The last 4 months have been agonisingly slow. I have run less than in the most off season period over the last 4 years. I have been reduced to sub 30 min efforts of walk, running to keep the pain under control. I have run slower that I have ever before. I have turned down invites to go for an easy run from most. I have been grumpy and depressed.
Fianlly I see a light at the end of the tunnel.
I am making progress and am into my second week of post injury training. The only reason I can say this is that I can see that I will finally improve. A 10 km run is still far for me at the moment and I have turned down most invitations to races for the rest of the year mostly because I do not want to go back into the pit which I am crawling out of.
I hope that I have learnt from this time. I know I will have to be super vigilant and listen to my body more than ever before. I hope to be able to differentiate between pushing hard enough and pushing too much. This is the etternal battle we all have to face.
This morning’s run along Tafelberg Road brought back memories of when I trained there regularly. The hills seemed bigger than I remember and I walked some of them but I hope to be back stronger than before soon.
leo rust 
Hey Trailhead, hang in there. And if it's any consolation, I know just how you feel.
Do hang in there. Persevere, just as you know you would at the 36k mark of a really tough marathon – you WILL get there. And, you'll be the stronger and faster for it.
See you on the trails soon,
L
Thanks L. Every few days I see the light at the end of the tunnel and that is what keeps me going. But it is bloody hard! Hope you are getting back on the trails too!