Running recovery: Liberty's journey

My Running journey

I used to run 3 to 4 times a week for a long time. I discovered yoga along the way and wanted to deepen my practice, which resulted in less running and of course more yoga. Yoga not only made me stronger physically, but also mentally. There were days where I would put on my trainers and run a 10K without practising or building up on the distance. Mentally I was strong and determined, so before I knew it I would pass 5K and continue running for a few more K’s. Daily yoga practice also increased my lung capacity which made me capable of running even longer, without getting out of breath.

Sadly after months of intense physical practice and exercise I injured my knee and stopped running. I though a few months of rest would be enough to recover, but that was not the case. After months and months of avoiding running, I decided to get back on track and start again.

Road to recovery

A good friend of mine helped me with some exercises that would make my legs stronger, and ready to rack up those K’s again. Also a few deep tissue massages really helped my muscles to recover. I started all over again. Exercises for strong legs (I use the NTC app), daily stretching and slowly picking up distance. I started with long walks, followed by speed walking and eventually back to running. From 1 to 2K, 2 to 3K, and so on. Listening to my body and stopping whenever I feel like it became too much is what I did. There are many ways to recover, but this is what worked for me. I’m happy to say that I finally have my running back under control and I’m feeling great. I try to run 2 - 3x per week (depending on how much free time I have) and still practice yoga every day. I also foam-roll and do some specific yoga stretches after my run.

Just like yoga, running makes me feel alive and present. It doesn't matter how far of fast you go. Just go out there and start again. Make sure to check out my next post “Yoga for Runners” for some good stretches.

xoxo

Liberty