The Injured Athletes Club

"How do you navigate phantom pains and constant re-injury fears after recovering from a bone stress injury?"
—Marija
 
Fear is one of the brain's ways of protecting the body when it's injured. But often, our anxiety lingers long after it's useful. Our bodies and minds don't always recover at the same rate, Coach Carrie explains in this week's listener Q&A (that's why deliberately working on your mental skills is so important!).
 
Phantom pains and fears of re-injury are totally normal after a bone stress injury, she points out. To reset your nervous system and ease excessive fears, she recommends focusing on breathing. 
 
You can also coach yourself through in the second person, telling yourself you're safe and strong. Or, you might try experimenting with naming your injury, creating a bit of psychological distance that turns an anxiety-provoking moment into a thoughtful conversation with your body. 
 
Resources/links:
Sign up for our mailing list to get the free mp3s, including diaphragmatic breathing

 
A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They're the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here. 
 
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards
Access webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work
Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.

" Representation does matter. Because I've been to Zambia, Ethiopia, and Kenya with this same team, and when they see somebody who looks like them and is also walking on prosthetics … this child might be 18 and has never had a prosthetic. Now they're like, 'Oh, I have the motivation to not only try it, but know that I can live a normal life."
 
On Oct. 12, 2019, marathoner Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier in the marathon distance. The next day, his compatriot Brigid Kosgei shattered the official women's marathon world record, running 2:14:04 in Chicago. Between the two, another historic athletic event occurred in Kona, Hawaii. Roderick Sewell, a Paralympic swimmer, finished the Ironman World Championship. In doing so, he became the first double above-the-knee amputee to cross the line of the grueling endurance challenge.
 
In some ways, he barely had any time to train, as he shares in this week's episode—he'd been invited to compete via the Challenged Athletes Foundation only three months prior. Although he was already an elite swimmer, he didn't have a bike, and his longest run was a half marathon (half the distance he'd run in Hawaii, 26.2 miles—after a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike). 
 
But in other ways, it was a mission Roderick had been preparing for his whole life, from the time he was born without tibias and his mother made the difficult decision to have his legs amputated. He writes about their relationship and her sacrifices beautifully in his recent memoir, Iron Will. Through the book and our conversation, it's clear that his accomplishment in Kona is more than a personal victory. Along with the rest of his athletic career and his life, it's a gift back to her, as well as an example to others about what's possible.
 
Resources/links:
Roderick's Instagram
His book Iron Will: An Amputee's Journey to Athletic Excellence
No Legs, No Limits: The Roderick Sewell Story, a GameChange Original film about him
 
A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They're the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here. 
 
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards
Access webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work
Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.

"The most frustrating thing is when older women in their 70s and 80s keep pestering me when I'm injured. I call them the 'I-told-you-so ladies.' I feel like they're giving me unsolicited advice and discouraging me to go back to lifting. Sometimes their comments hurt. One lady is a retired bodybuilder and a personal trainer in her 80s who had a hip replacement and the other lady is just an average Joe who doesn't lift weights but got a knee replacement. Please help me how to deal with those two! I just hate it when people in general give me unsolicited advice."
—Nicole
 
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions—but when they have unwelcome ideas about your recovery and then share them with you, the result can impact your mood and mindset. In this week's listener Q&A, Coach Carrie offers some insightful guidance on exactly how to cope with people like the "I-told-you-so ladies".
 
You can start by realizing that often, their advice has way more to do with them than it does with you. Then, you can apply a mental filter so your brain perceives it as merely an opinion rather than a threat. From there, you can decide how to respond based on how you want to feel after the conversation. She even offers a few simple scripts that may help you defuse tense interactions, so you walk away feeling positive and confident.
 
Resources/links:
Buy our book Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, and turn to page 135 for the Found in Translation exercise
Download the worksheets that go with the book
 
A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They're the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here. 
 
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards
Access webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work
Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback
 
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.

" I think this is also what helps with the athlete transition—and even when you're dealing with injury and you're going to recover—is your relationship to the sport. Because that's what I realized: There's this feeling of loss and grief, and it's like somebody died, but at the same time, it doesn't really actually have to be like that. I've learned that sport's always gonna be in my life … but my relationship with it changes."
 
For years, Lacey Jai Henderson found joy and purpose in sport. Not long after losing her leg to cancer at age 9, she was enthralled by the movie Bring It On, and her parents encouraged her to pursue her goals despite the obstacles. So she took gymnastics lessons, tried out for her high school cheerleading team, and made it, then continued to cheer at the collegiate level.
 
After graduation, Lacey transitioned to para track & field, quickly setting records and making teams. Soon, she'd made a career out of elite sport. It took her all over the world—including to the Paralympics in Rio—and gave her a sense of purpose and identity.
 
But eventually, the grind and the power struggles wore her down, and she knew it was time to move on. The retirement process was like an unraveling, she explains. On the other side, she shares just how much she learned about identity, mindfulness, and more along the way—lessons that serve her well now, in her career as a mental performance coach and a broadcaster.
 
Resources/links:
Lacey's Instagram
Video about Lacey from the Portland Timbers
Cindy's article in SELF about retiring Paralympians, featuring Lacey
 
A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They're the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here. 
 
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards
Access webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work
Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback
 
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.

" How can I be resilient in a long-term recovery program?"
—Kim
 
Recovery always takes longer than you want it to, because you don't want to be hurt in the first place. But some rehab periods are lengthier than others, and that can be physically and mentally exhausting. 
 
To cope, Coach Carrie stresses in this week's listener Q&A, remember that staying resilient isn't the same as being relentlessly positive. You'll have ups and downs, and times when you have to come to a newfound acceptance of the process.
 
Luckily, she has tools for doing so, including using the three Rs ( regroup, reset, recommit); bringing some novelty into your routine; and creating reward loops. It's also helpful to periodically take a look back at how far you've come—it will remind you of how much progress you've already made and give you strength to keep going toward a brighter future.
 
A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They're the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here. 
 
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards
Access webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work
Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback
 
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.