#15: On Running Injury Recovery
Hi friends,
Last week was HOT in SF. 🔥 Finally I could pretend the city had transformed into my dream California super city combo of SF architecture and public transit plus LA sunny weather and beaches.
I was finally able to share a video from a recent Waymo ride I took with Elva. Hoping to share more videos and real in-person rides with you in the future!
Reflecting on running injury recovery
At the beginning of 2022 I vowed to do tons of rad trail runs and races this year. I ramped up my mileage from 0 to ~25mi/week… then quickly developed an overtraining injury (posterior tibial tendonitis).
After a couple months of physical therapy (shout out to Soma Sport and Physio), I’m back at it. The most important things I learned were:
Rest isn’t always #1. Completely stopping running for 2 months would definitely help reduce inflammation, but I’d return to running with weaker muscles, which would further increase risk of injury. Better to keep running at a much lower intensity.
Speed isn’t as important as just being able to get out there. I’m usually of the school of thought that if I don’t feel completely wrecked and wishing for the sweet release of death by the end of a race, I didn’t run hard enough. But deep down I’d much rather be able to run anything at all than to chase PRs and be ultra competitive. Whenever I’m injured, I’m reminded how incredibly lucky anyone is to just be able to run 1 mile.
📚 Reading corner
Silicon City: San Francisco in the Long Shadow of the Valley
I’m always composing my resignation letter in my head, that’s what I do in the shower. It’s always like, Dear Larry and Sergey, I am leaving because this place is perfect. You guys have done such a good job of insulating us from anything that would introduce any worry into our lives that I literally cannot relate to a normal human being. Because I don’t pay any of my bills, because I don’t have to think about my rent. If it doubles, I don’t care. Doesn’t matter. You have completely turned me into a person who is incapable of doing his job.
Things I’ve been enjoying
Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.
—Brenda Ueland, journalist, editor, and writer (1891-1985)