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My love for running began when I was a freshman in high school. I was lucky enough to come from an athletic family and consider myself to have good genetics when it comes to both endurance developing muscle mass. My mom forced me to learn proper run form when I was young as she was a former gymnast, triathlete, and marathoner and had undergone multiple knee surgeries.
As a result I knew I NEVER wanted to go through a traumatic injury that would keep me off my feet for an extended period of time. As I have learned after well over a decade of running is movement is medicine. For almost every injury I have experienced, continuing to move has been my saving grace.
As I’ve said before, obviously there are cases where you are extremely limited in what you can do immediately following an injury. But the theme is the same: DO WHAT YOU CAN. My friend recently tore his pec and went straight into surgery. He was on the air-bike almost right after, walking and continuing to train legs. There is ALWAYS something you can do and it’s up to your doctor’s recommendations and your creativity when it comes to how fast you actually recover and what you do physically during the recovery period. For myself in every event that limited my ability to train, I did what I could. I would strength train where I was still mobile and condition with equipment/activities that didn’t trigger pain where I was limited. As I posted on IG, I PR’d my 5 mile only a few months after breaking my foot.
Immediately following the injury I was still mobile. Able to walk with a boot and do upper body lifts in the gym. Later on I was able to front box squat and use lower body machines and row. After a few weeks I was out of the boot, taping my foot extremely tight and able to walk. I remember walking for miles in the afternoon/evening and slowly starting to incorporate tiny bouts of jogs in between runs for a few seconds at a time. It was a slow progression that felt natural. I continued to push my body and let the pain act as feedback for my recovery towards 100% every week. I rapidly went from jogging for a few steps to a few seconds, to minutes at a time to full on runs for 20-30 minutes. This isn’t necessarily easy. My foot would ache and at some points the pain was excruciating. But I also knew the difference in types of pain. One is hyper limiting and associated with injury. The other was a result of calcified bone around the soft tissue in my foot straining from a movement I hadn’t done in weeks.
All of this to say: my addiction was present. I literally couldn’t stop running if I tried. Low points are normal following an injury, a withdrawal from addiction. My mood did an entire 180 when I could get in the sun and MOVE. And there is no replacement for that feeling.
One thing that’s surprised me since starting Acid Gambit is my ability to introduce a passion for running (and other styles of training) to other people. I’m like Santa Claus for physical supremacy at this point, bestowing the gift of the joy of being a JACKED AND STACKED FREAK upon those willing to put in the work. It’s not an active effort. I believe it’s mostly due to sharing what I love and some people adopt a similar mentality after doing it themselves for a long enough time.
I remember being introduced to the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall in high school, and that instilled an even greater passion. To this day it is still an all time favorite book and have multiple copies at this point. Regardless of if you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete I highly recommend giving it a read. An honorable mention in the ‘running book category’ is 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi.
Another excellent write up that details my passion for running is The Brutal Wonders of the Late Summer Run. It’s a weird balance of absolute misery and elation from what running can do to you and for you. Running is a form of meditation, almost spiritual, as well as a stress reliever, and one of the best activities you can do for both current health and longevity. A favorite quote from that article is:
Why not such devotion toward our own athletic participation, an undertaking in which more is at stake for us than in the distant game on TV? Running makes a claim on our entire bodies, and because of the sorts of spiritually restless creatures we are, that claim is most keenly felt in our souls.
It’s a personal stake. You are (I hope) completely invested in your own body and it’s long term health. This only feeds my addiction. The last line in the article is the most telling: “No matter how far or fast I go, the horizon always recedes.” Running is one of the best sports because you NEVER achieve the goal. It’s always there, teasing us forever. As a result, I can’t ever stop running. Sometimes I tell myself I want to go into a period of cultivating mass, run less. It never works. I always end up running, ramping up the volume, and feeding the addiction.
If you want to read more on running, the above three recommendations are an excellent starting point. Additionally, I have written previously on the topic:
Additionally, I have a completely free 6 week speed program available in my Discord here, and a 12 week run progression here.
As always, if you have any questions/comments don’t hesitate to reach out. Now go for a run.
Cheers ✌️
DISCLAIMER
This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.