Stress & Running: How to Achieve Better Results With Fewer Injuries

As we know, I do my best thinking on my runs and in the shower. I had this thought in the shower the other day that I want to share. We hear a lot of talk about how injuries occur more as we age. We chalk it up to just something that happens to an aging body. We feel like we need to work harder, train more, find “better” workouts… It’s the training’s fault. We aren’t doing the “right” things.

While I definitely feel we can be more strategic and efficient with our training, what if we are missing the bigger picture?

Yes, our bodies change as we get older, but so do our lives.

We are busier and have more responsibilities with work and life. Many of us have children to take care of as well. Life gets lifey a lot more often. When life gets lifey, we struggle to stay consistent. We miss a few days or weeks. When we are ready to “get back to it” we expect to be right back where we left off and immediately start progressing from there back to where we “should” be. We do too much, too soon.

Truth be told, too much too soon is at the root of most injuries. Life getting lifey doesn’t just mean inconsistency with training. It also simply means more stress overall.

Stress is stress.

When we train we purposefully stress our bodies - just enough to stimulate the body to make adaptations then rest and recover to let the adaptations happen. That’s how progress is made!

Too little stress = no progress. Too much stress = injury and/or burnout. We have to operate in our window of tolerance. Ideally, over time that window grows, we can add a little more stress (progressive overload) and make progress.

Life stress can decrease your window of tolerance for workout stress.

What if more injuries happen when we get older simply because we are less consistent, and more stressed overall but with the same expectations of performance and progress? We cycle between not doing enough to make the adaptations we need and doing too much, too soon, and then end up back at square one. Y'all know I love getting into the nitty gritty of form, positions, muscle actions, and running biomechanics. But this is why all the things you can’t see, your physiology, are so important too!

 There are definitely some seasons where training may need to take more of a backseat to life. Most of the time, however, the solution is not simply to wait until life is less stressful. We know that never really happens. We've all seen the memes.

Did you know you can train your stress resilience?

Did you know there are strategies you can build into your day (some that take less than a minute) to increase your window of tolerance? We are going to look at the whole big picture, your physics, and your physiology, in The Runner’s Lab.

We are going to look at the role of biomechanics and practice my 5 skills for an efficient running stride to help minimize the negative impacts of ground reaction forces on your body and improve your performance. AND we are going to look at your physiology. We are going to look at how what goes on inside, in response to your training and the outside world, affects your training and practice strategies for improving your stress resilience and increasing your window of tolerance.

I’m going to teach you to breathe, slow down, move intentionally, and step INTO your body (not tune out) and your power as a runner. To help you understand what your body is telling you, to learn its language, and to support its needs.

Click here to register now and nerd out with me on all things running.

But remember, underlying it all, the most important (and for many most difficult) skills are simply meeting yourself where you really are and having patience.

Next on your reading list: 

Get Your Blood Pumping with a Quick 5-Minute Running Warm Up!

Running Injury Prevention: Strategies for a Stronger, Safer Run

Unleash Your Potential: Essential Runner Core Exercises for Peak Performance