Learning to run again

There’s certain things in life like walking, running and riding a bike you think you’ll only need to learn once.  I’ve not been able to run for some time and after knee surgery 6 months ago I’m slowly on the road to rehab and starting to run again. 

As the old saying goes, we must learn to walk before we can run, it’s slow progress.  It’s not that I’m likely to be training for a marathon any time soon but running is useful – it’s a handy skill to have if I’m late for a bus or being chased by lions.

My first physio session 6 months post surgery when we tried running involved 10 seconds on a very slow treadmill with me holding on to the sides – we all start somewhere.  It turns out my body has forgotten how to run.

This makes sense as it’s been a long time and we forget things, muscle memory in particular if we’ve not performed an action for a while.  It’s also a safety thing psychologically.  Running caused me harm so it’s not a surprise that my body is reluctant to do it again.

With the help and support of my Physio and rehab team, we’re teaching my body how to run again and that it can do it safely.  It’s a long process but one in which we’re making progress every day.

The point behind sharing this story is to help us all reflect.  What do we need to relearn to do?  What have we not done for a while due to fear or risk?  What support can we enlist to help make that happen and get back on track?  And of course, the knowledge that we’re always beginners, even when we’re experts and learning and relearning is part of life.  Even for the things that seem to come naturally, there are sometimes events in our lives that require us to relearn the basics and that’s ok. 

Of course, this doesn’t just apply to physical injuries but I think you’ll have figured that out by now!

Arohanui

Jess