Are You Injured?
Gaining fitness and staying healthy is a juggling act. It’s always a tough call to delay or skip a workout if something hurts, but remember that the goal of your training is not to simply get as fit as possible, it is to get as fit as possible while staying injury-free.
As an online running coach who has no medical education or qualifications, my recommendation is to never run if you’re unsure, and to seek professional treatment in all cases of concern.
That being said, we can’t expect to feel perfect all the time, nor can we expect to make gains if we take a day off every single time we feel a tiny bit of soreness. If your pain is very low you can maybe still train.
Here are some reflection questions that can help you determine how to navigate pain and discomfort:
1: What is the level of pain?
Evaluate your pain or discomfort while running. On a scale of 1-10, my general rule is you can probably run through a 1 or 2 out of 10. Any higher on the pain scale and the best bet is to be conservative. Skip the run, get treatment, and cross-train if appropriate.
If the pain is low to start, but getting worse, you should definitely stop running.
If the pain is low and going away, or low and steady, you can probably keep running as long as you’re not compensating your stride or form in any way due to discomfort or pain. (Limping is a definite no!) That being said, I do not recommend anyone run through any pain at all if they feel worries about it.
2: What kind of pain do you have?
Runners tend to learn over time the difference between soreness pain and injury pain. Some kinds of pain feel familiar and not worrisome, while other pain may be unfamiliar and concerning (or familiar and concerning!). This is different for each person. I always encourage runners to be conservative when they are unsure. If the pain is just soreness, you are probably fine. Try running for a few minutes and evaluate. Stop if the pain is getting worse or is 3 or more on the pain scale.
3: How will you feel tomorrow?
Ask yourself this: “what do you think will happen if you were to run or workout with your current level of pain? Do you think it will feel worse later on, or worse the next day? We can never know for sure without actually doing the workout but very often we have a gut instinct telling us not to run the workout. Don’t ignore that instinct.
4: Can you make adjustments?
Training doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” For example, if you have some pain and a big workout on deck, it’s probably not a good idea to do the workout. But can you possibly do an easy run instead? Or some cross training? Very often there are alternatives available that won’t cause pain and will allow you to rest your injury while still doing some work. If you make adjustments to your training as soon as you notice something amiss, you will often be able to prevent a niggle from becoming a full blown injury.
5: What treatment do you need?
All pain should be respected whether it’s a 1, a 10 or somewhere in between. Rest without treatment rarely solves a problem. Seek professional medical advice and guidance sooner rather than later. (Read more here: Your Injury Needs Treatment)
Ultimately, it’s hard to make gains if you are constantly managing an injury or managing pain. Do whatever you can to move past an injury and get to the start line 100% healthy even if that means missing some training time. You will perform better at 90% fitness and 100% health than the other way round. When in doubt - be conservative!
Check out my other resources on how to stay healthy and survive your training.
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.
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