Just for injured runners
			I am not going to tell you that being injured is easy, and that taking some time off of running is a piece of cake. But just because you have to cut back on running or stop running altogether for a while does not mean that you have to totally throw in the towel until can run normally again! My best advice to you is this: Try to keep everything the same in your life as when you are 100% healthy- and that includes eating right, sleeping well, exercising in other ways if you can, and keeping a positive mental outlook. Don't just totally throw in the towel and let yourself go to pot just because you cannot run. Life is too short for that, and you've got some healing to do! Make sure you see a good physician, who specializes in orthopedics and running injuries. Do not try and self-diagnose, internet-diagnose, or be diagnosed by your buddies. Take care of yourself and see a specialist. Do all of the exercise that you are able to do, and that your physician and/or physical therapist ok's you to do. If you are unable to run at all, see if you can do something else- aquarunning, swimming, cycling, yoga, elliptical training, and upper body strength training are all viable options. Hire a knowledgeable, qualified personal trainer to introduce you to some new things, and help you to design a program that you can do and keep fit, while working around your injury. Work on your mental health!!!I cannot stress this enough. Keeping a positive mental outlook is hard while you're injured, I understand that completely. There is a lot of evidence to show that there is a mind-body component to healing, and keeping positive is a major component of that. Take some time to try some visualization: visualize yourself running- healthy, fit, and pain-free.  Find a good book on visualization and relaxation, or splurge and hire a sport psychologist for a few sessions. You deserve it! Follow the recommendations of your doctor and physical therapist. Go to physical therapy for all of your prescribed visits, and complete all of your home exercises diligently! This will expedite getting back on the trail! Get lots of sleep, just like you would be trying to do if you were still running and/or competing at a high level. This will help to allow your body to heal appropriately, and will help you cope better with the stress of injury and loss of running. Eat right! Take some time to address weaknesses in your diet, and design an optimal diet for you as a runner. Try to maintain your weight while injured by making some dietary modifications as needed. Eating well also promotes healing. Get some friends together to do your cross-training with! Especially if you are used to running with a group...group support is key!
			Copyright 2006, Amy Gayle. You may not copy, give or sell copies to members of the public; perform or display this work to the public; or modify this work without copyright owner's permission.