The body’s ability to adapt is incredible, and it happens daily, whether we’re aware of the progression or not. We make all sorts of small changes throughout the day without thinking much about it: picking up heavy materials slightly differently because of a small lower back discomfort, favoring holding a toddler on one hip rather than the other because the other knee compains a bit, or leaning into a computer screen at work a little because we’re becoming farsighted… When this is applied in endurance sports, the impact of these momentarily small adjustments add up quickly because our motions are repeated at such a high frequency over a small period.
During my junior year of college, my hip labrum started fraying because I ran a half marathon without any training. I went to physical therapy then, but I fell off the strength training program and eventually my body learned to compensate, creating imbalances in the muscle groups that support my trunk. That was all well and good when I was running ten to fifteen miles a week. Once I started to train at a volume beyond that, I incurred other overuse injuries in my ankle and foot because of an imbalanced system.
Rather than identifying the root of these injuries, I would switch tacks to a different endurance sport. I learned to swim laps and ride bicycles for endurance, which put me on a different path that I’m happy about. But the underlying problem was still at large: I have been trouncing around without addressing the basics of proper hip strength, mobility, and form.
As I look to the longer-term cycling training regimen coming up, the message my body has been trying to send me is clear. I must develop a strong, balanced muscular system starting at the foundation of mobility and form to progress in any sport I practice. This will require a structured, weekly routine developed by my physical therapist; I clearly need professional guidance in this area otherwise I would have done it right ten years ago.
I’m finally turning my aged nemesis of a setback into a lesson and it is empowering to have a fresh perspective on the problem. What has been my “running issue” is actually impacting me across all aspects of fitness. That injury will haunt all goals I set until I harness my body’s ability to adapt proactively and regularly.