The most frustrating and devastating day I had almost 15 years ago was being told I’d never play football again by a consultant.
I’d gone through the process of having an MRI done after having months of physio from my reoccurring back injury.
I thought I’d beaten the agonising pain in my back and legs, but as soon as I started playing and working again the same feelings cropped up again.
Being injured can often be a huge blow mentally and physically. Injuries can range immensely from strains to fractures and can have a huge range of affects from bruising, swelling, cuts and surgery.
This is why it is important to monitor your training appropriately to prevent long term injuries happening.
Stretching is so important when it comes to keeping up with a good training routine and ensuring you don't get injured.
I always recommend clients so dynamic based stretches as part of their warm up to increase blood flow, mentally prepare themselves for the training they're about to do, and some movement patterns that are likely going to be part of the exercise they're about to do.
Now that races are starting to make a slow reappearance in the calendar, training is starting to feel like it has a purpose again, other than stress relief.
Mental imagery is when you use all your senses to rehearse a scene or movement you need to perform. You want this to end positively to set you in a good mindset.
This time last year me and one of my clients Cheryl, were in full training mode for the Obstacle Race World Championships, that were being held at Nuclear Races.
It seems like a lifetime ago now, especially as this years races have been cancelled.
We’re half way through the year now and it got me thinking about why I train and exercise and what I’m training for now.
Previously all of my training was building towards races and focusing on different obstacles that would appear on a course.
Any level of runner should be looking to incorporate cross training into their weekly sessions.
With the current government guidelines and only exercising from your front door this might mean the routes your run have changed or the distances your doing have altered to take into account the current climate.