Taking Time Off Between Seasons

Now that my cross country season is officially over, I have a few months until track season will begin. What do I do during this time in between? Other than go absolutely crazy, I take some time off. According to this article from Runner's World, some well-timed layoffs from running are needed. 

Runners will always have different opinions about how long you should take time off from running in between seasons. Some people opt for two weeks, some two days. It all really depends on your body and what you know will help it rather than hurt it. For me personally, I'm a very injury prone runner. If I take too long off from running my body goes into a kind of hibernation mode and becomes especially vulnerable to injury. I've learned the best method of time off for me is about two weeks of running every other day. Nothing crazy, maybe 2 or 3 miles a day, at a nice slow pace. This gives my body enough time to recover from the season but also doesn't set me back into the injury zone. 

When the two weeks are up, I get back to it. I slowly build my mileage back up, because again, I'm injury prone. I can't go blast a 50 mile week after a 10 mile week. Some people can do that and God bless 'em, but I am unfortunately not part of that percentage. 

For the rest of the semester, I can almost become a normal student! I no longer have to be at practice at 6:00 a.m., which means I can stay up a little bit later than usual to focus on some schoolwork. This also allows me to go for more evening runs, which I absolutely love doing in December around Tampa because everyone's Christmas lights are up. 

I'm excited because for the first time in a few years, I'm not injured during my off season which means I can actually train! I'm looking forward to putting in work over the next few months and getting ready for my final track season. 

Bouncing Back From Injury

Nearly every runner of any ability level has experience the dreaded 'i' word: injury. Whether you're a newbie runner with some shin splints or a collegiate athlete with a stress fracture, being hurt is still a huge bummer. I myself am no stranger to being hurt, and have fought my way through many injuries. College was when I really became injury prone, and I think it was a combination of a few things, but the biggest one being that I've been running at a high intensity for a LONG time now. My body has been taking a beating essentially for eight years, so I realized just how important it is to constantly be taking care of your body and always listening to it. When that dreaded day comes and you are sidelined from running for a bit, here's some advice I have.

• Do rehab, physical therapy, or RICE - To fix the problem, you have to get to the root of it. This means treating the injury directly and putting all of your focus into getting healthy. If you see a physical therapist for the injury, they will give you some exercises to not only heal but also get stronger so it doesn't happen again! If it's something pretty common like shin splints, follow the advice of RICE - rest, ice, compression, elevation. 
• Cross train - There's a good chance you'll be taking some time off of running, and to prevent yourself from completely losing your fitness it's important to cross train! Whether it's swimming, biking, aqua jogging, or others, find something that won't worsen your injury and stick to it. 
• Take care of your body - Often times, an injury happens when your body is vulnerable or you're not properly taking care of it. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, stretch and foam roll, drink plenty of water, and try to eat a balanced diet. Most of all, do not ignore little aches and pains, those are usually what turn into a bigger problem! 

There's nothing I hate more than having to stand on the sidelines and watch my teammates instead of being there next to them. I know if I want to minimize my time off while injured, I have to do everything mentioned above. Injury may be inevitable, but it does not have to be indefinite.