Q&A

The Great Healer—Coping with Injury

Q “I recently fractured my ankle. I know the most important thing is to heal that bone, then rehab the muscles around it to the point I can run again. I know you suffered injuries going into your last World Championship in Kona. How do you keep positive during your healing process?”

SANDY JACKSON

A I’m really sorry to hear about your ankle. As athletes, we are pushing our bodies and unfortunately will all encounter injury at some point along our sporting journey—it’s something that we must expect and accept. The important thing is to minimise the risks of them occurring and, if they do, deal with them correctly.

The psychological impact of being injured can be just as debilitating as broken bones, and so healing means addressing both the physical and emotional aspects. While I urge you to consult a sports doctor for individualised advice on your specific injury, my experience in this area means that I can nevertheless guide you along the path of positivity and offer some practical tips for getting you back to full fitness.

Staying positive despite my broken bones, in January 2010.

A brief meltdown

By all means, have a brief “toys out of the pram” tantrum and spend a few days wallowing on the sofa watching Pretty Woman for the hundredth time, but then look forward and choose the path of positive action.

If applicable, take responsibility

Could you have prevented it? If yes, learn from that and try not to make the same mistakes again. For example, choosing to ride outside on 2 January 2010 with ice on the ground was not the best decision I have ever made. Reminiscent of Humpty Dumpty, I crashed. Rather than engaging my brain, I engaged my arm and my two friends landed on top of me with a resounding crunch. A passing driver took me to a local pub (I resisted using whisky to numb the pain) and thereafter the hospital where they diagnosed impressive fractures in my radius, two metacarpals and fingers. I had my arm in a cast for six weeks. This gave me the time to reflect, and realise that the accident had arisen because I failed to make the correct decision about my training—a lesson I banked and learned from. However, if forces have intervened beyond your control, rather than carrying bitterness or blame try to accept that sometimes bad luck does strike. You can’t turn back the clock, you can only deal with the situation as it stands.

Understand your injury and treatment

Take control by learning about your ankle injury, preparing yourself for the road ahead and alleviating the frustration, confusion and fear that come from the unknown. This means seeking expert medical help, getting a clear diagnosis and prognosis, discussing various treatment methods, possible complications, duration of recovery and rehabilitation. Ask questions and inform yourself. Are there techniques or therapies that expedite healing? What foods should you consume? Internet searches can be useful, but excessive or even contradictory information can confuse, and so try to focus your research and only use trusted sources.

Lean on, and be inspired by, others

Often, we want to appear invincible and self-reliant. However, just as it’s much more enjoyable to share good times, you also need to lean on others for support when the going gets tough. Surround yourself with positive, cup-half-full people and don’t be afraid to ask for practical help (for me this was washing my hair, doing up my bra, opening a jar of Marmite) and emotional support. This might also mean seeking inspiration from others. For example, while injured I watched videos, read books and spoke to those who faced, and overcame, adversity. Their strength and courage motivated me, ensuring I retained perspective and belief in the power of the human body and mind to heal.

Adapt and do what you can

Focus on what is possible. You’re not helpless. You’re in control. Dealing with this simply requires adaptation and adjustment. Replace “If I hadn’t broken my ankle I could have done this or that” with “Even if, or because, I’m injured it means I can do X, Y, Z.” You can still set—and progress towards—measurable, achievable goals. In addition to seeking advice from medical professionals regarding what you are able to do, you could also speak to para-tri athletes who haven’t got use of their legs and find out what they do to train—and then see if you can emulate them. There’s also the option of doing land-based swim-stroke work or upper body strength exercises (see here for more details), and training your mind through visualisation and relaxation. Gyms sometimes have hand-cycle machines or you could even try something totally new, like wheelchair basketball. When I broke my ribs later in 2010 (yes, 2010 was a challenging year!) I replicated all my run sessions on the cross-trainer, and won Ironman 70.3 Kansas four weeks later with my fastest half marathon. Concentrate on what you can do.

Alternatively, perhaps you could spend time giving something back to the sport; for example, helping out at your local tri club, volunteering at an event or mentoring a novice triathlete. Or perhaps set a non-triathlon goal, such as learning a new language, taking an art class or simply spending more time with family and friends. You’re more than just a triathlete. Your sense of self and self-worth shouldn’t be tied to ticking the training logbook, so use this as a window of opportunity to do something you may not have otherwise made time to do.

Remain positive

Of course, any injury is a short-term setback in the pursuit of specific sporting goals, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel, which you must focus on—even when it might seem dim or extinguished altogether. If it helps, remember that I broke my arm in 2010 and five months later won Challenge Roth.

Be patient

A final word: when your ankle heals, don’t rush back. Rehabilitate slowly and effectively, with sporting longevity and your overall health in mind. A few months may feel like an interminable period of time, but when you reminisce a few years from now—fully fit and with multiple finishes under your race belt—it will be a small speck on your triathlon landscape.

In the words of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest basketball stars of all time, “Don’t ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body.” Your ankle may be fractured but I truly believe that these injuries, accidents or problems can make body and soul stronger, more adaptable and increasingly resilient, as long as we learn the lessons they have taught us. Good luck and heal well!