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The Strength to Back Off...

Created: Wednesday, 11 March 2015 09:01

Last Updated: Thursday, 19 March 2015 07:33

Thursday, 19 March 2015 01:10

By Angie Anderson (usatriathlon.org)

“One of the most important keys to success is having the discipline to do what you know you should do, even when you don’t feel like doing it.” –Unknown

This quote is typically read as a motivator. Be inspired! Be great! To quote Nike, “Just Do It!”

For a highly driven, motivated athlete, getting the work done is seldom an issue. Photos of professional athletes training through sleet and snow, wind, hail, cold, hills and heat are everywhere. We are inundated with inspiration. The harder our session, the stronger we are. Athletes are defined by their last challenge.

The problem with this innate drive however, can be a resistance to stop when injury or illness hits. Athletes want to race. They want to train. They are terrified of losing fitness. They train because they love it. They have a goal, and there is work to be done to accomplish their goal! ...

Unfortunately training through injury or illness often extends recovery time. On top of this the line of when to push and when to rest is often a blurred line at best.

Driven athletes often lack the strength to back off. “I’ll do this workout and see how my ankle feels.” “I’ll keep it slow but I need to do my long run.” “The pool clears my nose.” There are numerous ways to defend training through illness or injury.

A better way to think however, might be to ask yourself:

“Will this workout make me sicker?”
“Will this workout make my injury worse?”
“Will this workout increase my healing time?”...READ MORE