One-hundred and twenty-seven days since my most recent injury: left knee contusion.
Most contusions only take you out for a few weeks-2 months at the most. I guess mine has been exceptionally severe.
I know how to grind to get what I want but this time away from the track has taught me two main things so far:
- To be patient and enjoy the things I can do during this “off season” (compared to if I was actively in-season running at Indoors right now)
- To really appreciate the hard ass training sessions I’ve experienced where everything from my calves up to my glutes locked up (sprinting physically hurts but I still love the art of it)
I know as soon as I have my first 300m-repeats workout again, I might regret typing out that second point. But as the general consensus goes, extended time away from your sport makes you even hungrier to return and exceed where you left off. At the same time, I also realize that I’m worth more than what I can produce from day to day. I can still grow now even while being completely out of the game and away from what’s familiar to me.
It’s nice to know that I still have that drive, that hunger inside of me. I believe in my potential and attention to detail and know I will get it right once I’m finally cleared to sprint again. My purpose may or may not include being a future Olympian or signing a deal with multiple sponsors in the future… but I will say that I know how to bounce back time and time, and time again. I can put that on everything.
Mental Health for Athletes 