Tuesday Shakeout: We back

Runner, heal thyself

A funny thing happened on the way to physical therapy: I wound up fixing myself. I literally had the phone in hand and was about to call for a referral when a thought bubble appeared: I think I’m better.

There wasn’t a set number of recovery days or a magical series of exercises that got me off the injured list. Rather, it was a series of gradual physical progressions made over the course of time. Real boring day in and day out type of stuff. Also, yoga helped. Meditation too. Turns out, my body really likes feeling balanced. Who knew?

If there was any one thing I would credit with getting over the recovery hump it was simply paying attention to how my body moves and how I move my body. Little things like how you stand while making dinner or doing the dishes can have a big impact.

The secret, if there is one, involves making an effort to engage your core as much as possible. Every time I’d catch myself slouching or starting to pull in one direction, I remind myself to engage the core and straighten my head, neck, and shoulders.

It sounds crazy obvious, yet paying attention feels transformative in a way nothing ever has before. This week for paid subscribers, we’ll get deeper into the rehab details and take a look ahead at this week’s training. Two words: TREADMILL VERT!