Dear me,
A hamstring tendinopathy is going to be a real pain in the butt! There is no quick or easy fix and your hammy might not feel fully itself for a long long while yet, maybe ever. You will need to pump the breaks on your aspirations of running 100km within the next 12 months and you will be really frustrated that you did your first ultra in a great time feeling so excited at the opportunities only to go backwards with injury. You will be even more frustrated that you won’t be out on the trails exploring solo and with friends helping them train for their runs – your Sunday morning will be suddenly wide open!
But on a positive note, you will discover strength work and how important that is for running and you will learn to tolerate the gym! You will learn to listen to your body, not to push through and the importance of slowing down. You will also get really into physio and running podcasts and learn about the other ways you can protect yourself from injuries in the future.
It’s a rollercoaster, strap in for the ride!
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This letter is part of a collection of “collective wisdoms” curated through Reframe Sessions. It is an ever-growing bank of letters and notes for people up against injury, by people who have an experience of injury. Submit yours here.