We often read about elite runners when they are at the peak of their sport, so it’s easy to forget that they face the same challenges with injury that we do. Just as we can learn from their training, we can also learn a great deal from their injury recovery process.
Grayson Murphy
Even when they are short-lived, injuries are frustrating and stressful for runners who just want to get out and enjoy their sport. Runners can get trapped in an injury cycle when they don’t allow enough injury recovery time, or fail to change the training mistakes that caused the initial injury.
As much as we never want to be side-lined by injuries, they can act as a wake up call and force you to do a better job tuning into your own body. The more you learn to listen to your body’s small niggles, the better you’ll be at addressing problem areas before they turn into a long term problem.
Even when you are young, strong and fit, injuries can still find a way to wreak havoc on your racing season. This week’s guest on the podcast is an elite runner who had come off several successful years on the track, on the roads, and in the mountains, only to face a setback with multiple injuries.
Grayson Murphy on Injury Recovery (over months and months)
Grayson Murphy is a five-time Division 1 All-American, the 2019 World Mountain Running Champion, and the 2019 and 2021 US Mountain Running Champion. In addition to her racing success, Grayson is working on her Masters of Sustainable Natural Resources at Oregon State University. She also has her own small business selling a self-designed training log and planner.
Catch her contribution to Episode 160: 5 Of The World’s Fastest Women On Injury Prevention & Recovery!
Grayson and I discuss her year of injuries, and she shares how she has approached her injury recovery both mentally and physically. Her openness about dealing with injury is a tremendous resource for all levels of runners. Some topics we touch on include:
- Her sequence of injuries, from her plantar fascia to her hip
- How cross-training both hindered and helped her recovery process
- The importance self-assessment along with professional help
- How a written training journal can help with injury prevention and recovery
- What she learned about recognizing different types of pain
- How she is beginning to trust her body again post-injury
Grayson’s thoughtfulness and self-reflection on her recovery process will help any runner, whether injured or not!
Subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or Google Play
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Visit Grayson’s website
- Follow Grayson on Instagram
- Learn more about Grayson
- Read about Grayson’s cross training adventures
- Let me help you prevent injuries!
Thank You InsideTracker!
This episode is brought to you by InsideTracker, one of the most reputable blood testing companies in the world. They were founded in 2009 by aging, genetics, and biometrics scientists to help you analyze your body’s data and get a firm idea of how well you’re responding to training.
Understanding your body’s biomarkers, from stress hormones to testosterone to Vitamin D, can help you figure out if you’re over-training, under-training, optimally training, or if you have a health issue that might be affecting your running. But the best part is that they give you personalized optimal ranges for each of these biomarkers and a host of ways to improve these markers through diet, lifestyle, or exercise changes.
I’ve gotten several Ultimate tests from them and the process is simple, easy, and very eye-opening if you haven’t done a deep dive on your biomarkers yet. Of all the investments you can make in your running, this one is like getting a detailed checkup or regularly scheduled maintenance for your internal physiology. Get yours today!
Thank you Elemental Labs!
A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. And you can get a free sampler pack of 4 flavors and 8 individual packets when you pay $5 in shipping.
Elemental Labs’ products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.
The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I’m drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It’s tasty and delicious and I find that I’m not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn’t eating enough sodium.
There’s now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you’re worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor or get a free sampler pack.
