Emmie, I have to say when I was trying to run I had lots of sore bits and wondered how good it was for me. I saw a trainer at the time who told me to focus on the exercise I love (group classes etc) and perhaps – down the track (in 20-30lbs) I might want to start again.

I sometimes do small amounts of running in bootcamps and circuit classes, but not much!

It’s a great lesson to relearn, and a good point to write about. Listening to your body will be important throughout your lifelong health journey. Sometimes it takes more willpower to skip your run/workout for a week or two while you heal than it does to exercise in the first place. 

As someone with an auto-immune disorder who is a FORMER marathon runner (Does running 1 marathon count as being a marathon runner??) I really appreciate this post.  I want to do what I want to do.  Patience is not my strong suit either, and my husband says I am “a bad recover-er” as I always want to do more the moment I feel better.

I loved your quote here; don’t beat yourself up about this because it’s what you needed then.  We are working in progress, constantly learning and growing!

This post is just what I needed. I tore my plantar fascia tendon about a week ago. I was overtraining and I am too big to be running on the hard surfaces I was running on. I think in the back of my mind I knew this, but that wise voice was drowned out by my new-found zeal for fitness.

Now, about 10 days of bed-rest later I wish I would have listened to my body. Everything is difficult, every step I take feels like a knife stabbing my heel. I miss exercise. I hate being cooped up.

But after reading your post, especially that quote, I kind-of see this more as a lesson, not a punishment. Which reminds me of another quote I love by Ani diFranco: “Some lessons must be lived in order to be learned.” I think now that I’m finally learning to pay attention, my body has a lot to teach me.