How To Cope With The Injury Blues — and Turn Your Injury Into a Blessing
If you’re injured right now, let me say this first: what you’re feeling is normal.
The frustration.
The restlessness.
That panic when you realise running—your outlet, your anchor, your identity—has been taken away.
This isn’t just about a sore tendon or a stressed bone.
It’s about losing a part of your rhythm, your routine, your sense of progress.
I’ve been there. Most serious runners have. And if you run long enough, you will be again.
The good news?
Injuries don’t have to break you. Done right, they can sharpen you.
Let’s talk about how.
The Injury Blues Are Real (And There’s a Reason for Them)
Q: Why does being injured hit runners so hard?
Because running isn’t just something we do. It’s something we are.
Research shows that runners often experience injury-related distress similar to grief responses—denial, anger, sadness, and eventually acceptance (Wiese-Bjornstal et al., 1998).
When you’re injured, you’re not just losing training time. You’re losing:
Your primary stress outlet
Your daily structure
Your sense of momentum
A big part of your identity
Understanding this matters. It means you’re not weak or dramatic—you’re human.
The 4 Emotional Stages of Injury
Most runners move through some version of these stages:
1. Shock & Denial
“It's probably nothing. I’ll run through it.”
2. Anger & Frustration
“This is unfair. Why now?”
3. Low Mood & Disconnection
Feeling flat, isolated, or disconnected from the running world.
4. Acceptance & Adaptation
When you stop fighting reality and start working with it.
You don’t move through these stages neatly. You oscillate. That’s normal too.
The Real Risk: Fighting the Injury Instead of Working With It
Q: What makes injury blues worse?
Trying to rush your way out of them.
Common mistakes I see:
Forcing training before tissue is ready
Constantly comparing yourself to uninjured runners
Treating rest as weakness
Measuring self-worth by kilometres logged
This mindset doesn’t speed recovery. It delays it.
The Best Way To Respond To The Blues
1. Allow the Emotional Response
You don’t need to “stay positive” all the time.
Acknowledge:
Frustration
Disappointment
Fear
Suppressing emotion prolongs it. Processing it shortens it.
2. Stay Connected to Running (Without Running)
You’re injured, not exiled.
Ways to stay connected:
Go to group runs and walk the warm-up
Volunteer at races
Study training theory, pacing, or physiology
Journal about what running means to you
This protects identity while your body heals.
3. Replace Running With Purposeful Alternatives
Q: What can you do instead of running?
Depending on injury:
Strength training
Pool running or swimming
Cycling
Mobility and tissue work
The goal isn’t “burning calories.”
It’s maintaining momentum and self-respect.
4. Shift the Goalposts (Temporarily, Not Forever)
Injury is a forced reset. Use it.
New goals might be:
Rebuilding strength asymmetries
Improving sleep consistency
Developing patience and discipline
Strengthening mental resilience
You’re still progressing—just in a different lane.
How Injuries Can Become a Blessing (If You Let Them)
This is the part most runners miss.
Injuries can give you:
Better movement quality
Greater self-awareness
Improved recovery habits
Mental resilience under uncertainty
A healthier long-term relationship with training
Many runners come back stronger not because they healed—but because they learned.
Coming Back Without Breaking Again
When you return:
Progress gradually (no hero jumps)
Separate ego from execution
Respect tissue timelines, not motivation
Focus on consistency over intensity
Injury recovery isn’t about proving toughness.
It’s about earning durability.
Because you are not broken.
You are not behind.
You are not failing.
You are in a phase.
If you approach it with patience, humility, and intention, this phase can shape you into a better runner—and a more grounded human.
If you’re injured right now, here’s your homework:
Write down one thing this injury is forcing you to improve that you’ve been neglecting.
That’s where the blessing starts.
Yours in running and life,
Daniel Lucchini
References
Wiese-Bjornstal, D. M., Smith, A. M., Shaffer, S. M., & Morrey, M. A. (1998).
An integrated model of response to sport injury: Psychological and sociological dynamics.
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 10(1), 46–69.
— Foundational paper outlining the grief-like emotional response athletes experience following injury (denial, anger, depression, acceptance).Ardern, C. L., Taylor, N. F., Feller, J. A., & Webster, K. E. (2013).
Psychological responses matter in returning to preinjury level of sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.
American Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(7), 1549–1558.
— Demonstrates how psychological readiness and emotional state significantly influence recovery and return-to-sport outcomes.Gustafsson, H., Kenttä, G., & Hassmén, P. (2011).
Athlete burnout: An integrated model and future research directions.
International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 4(1), 3–24.
— Supports the role of identity, emotional stress, and over-identification with sport in injury-related burnout.Clement, D., & Arvinen-Barrow, M. (2013).
Psychology of sport injury and rehabilitation.
Routledge.
— Explores emotional regulation, self-compassion, and adaptive coping strategies during injury rehabilitation.Brewer, B. W. (1993).
Self-identity and specific vulnerability to depressed mood.
Journal of Personality, 61(3), 343–364.
— Establishes the link between strong athletic identity and increased emotional distress during injury.Herring, S. A., Kibler, W. B., & Putukian, M. (2017).
Psychological issues related to illness and injury in athletes and the team physician.
British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(8), 667–673.
— Reinforces the importance of mental health management during injury and rehabilitation phases.