Running through an Injury

When I was a college athlete, I had an injury which sidelined me for about 8 weeks. The injury to the knee, specifically a collateral ligament tear, was caused by running a 400 meter race on a flat 160 meter track. This type of track was something my body was not used to, thus it was not prepared for the stress caused by running on a flat short track.

What ensued for me was two months of sheer hell, having to give up everything that I had worked for through the winter. But this doesn't have to be. One of the greatest training methods we have is resistance training. What is resistance training one may ask?

It is the ability to put stress on a muscle by pushing or pulling against the motion that it is taking. In the case of a leg or knee injury, we can achieve this type of resistance training by walking or running in the pool. The water provides the resistance, while the entire exercise is low to no impact on the body. The muscles still get worked but the lack of impact protect the injury allowing the leg to become stronger while the injured area heals.

I have since used this methodology when ever I have had a leg injury and each time, I have usually come out stronger than before I injured the leg or knee.