Quitting Division 1 Track

Do not give up I am coming back from losing vision in one of my eyes and even though I am not allowed to run I still run and do workouts by myself. I understand you can not even run and I myself am a Division 2 athlete, but hang in there it may be tough when you first come back, but worry about your grades and slowly build back your mileage for cross next year even if you are only up to 30 miles by the time the season starts remember it is the healthiest athlete that competes well not always the fittest and I know you are going against some fierce competition at the Division 1 level but if it does not work out make sure your grades are good and transfer to a lower Division where you can get back on your feet. I assume you have not lost any of your eligibility because you could medically red shirt. Hope this Helps.

High school and college make the sport rougher than it has to be. Each represents a four/five year cycle where you try to get the most out of your performances. The rest of your running life isn't like that. You have years to improve and nobody is trying to milk a high performance out of your in just a few years. It's a lifetime sport and one that won't be at all based on scholarship one day. Take it easy for now, but there's no reason to think you need to hang up the spikes forever. Good luck figuring out how to handle the next year or two.

OP.

Hang in there.

I always thought it was best if athletes were injured in HS. But anyway, any injury, ultimately can be a good thing as it makes you realize how special and precious running is.

I think what you are experiencing is pretty normal. You've never been injured. You get injured and now can't run. That sucks.

I always said the very worse time to get injured is freshmen year. Freshmen need running to help them transition to college. Without it, the transition can be especially brutal (it's hard for many but nearly impossible without running to fall back on).

But in the big scope of things 1 year is nothing. It seems like a lot for a 19 year old but it's nothing for a pro. Your freshmen year is largely a waste anyway - you should be better each of the other years. Think of it positively, you got your redshirt of out of the way.

I think you should just chill out. It's April. You have a stress fracture. Just chill out and do nothing for two months. You've got plenty of time if you start up on June 1 or even July 1 to get back for xc.

But even looking ahead to fall 2016, remember it's your freshmen year. The goal should be just to be healthy. Did you accomplish anything that really helped your HS team as a frosh? I doubt it. Same thing in college.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or call.

I think you'll be more miserable not running but trying to cross train sucks. Sometimes it's best just to do nothing and let the fire come back.

Don't give up just because you had a rough last 7 months. It's a long time until next cross country season. Get healthy, then train hard and smart over the summer. Youre young, and haven't realistically taken that much time off, You'll be surprised how quickly running fast comes back.

This.

Slightly different story but I got injured start of indoor my senior yr, forced myself to get back and compete at conference (poorly) and then got a stress fracture at the beginning of April from coming back to soon. I was sick of cross training and sucking at running and being in pain. I took the rest of the year off, went home, hung out with my hs coach and friends and figured out why I loved running. Starting training easy in the summer and slowly built my mileage back up. Came back my 5th year to get a school record, conference medal and NCAA qualifier.

Take a little time away from the sport to clear your head and come back slow with no expectations until August or September.

OP

DI can be difficult if you are off your game. I found that changing your situation is best. I transferred to an NAIA college and found that being needed helped get my juices flowing and resparked my passion for the sport. While my peak may not have been as high, I still achieved a lot that I am very proud of, and most importantly, I was able to raise the profile of the program. It was a lot of fun and competitive.

I would recommend taking a step down to a small school that will support you and that you will be important to building team success, and doesn't have formal or informal "depth charts".

If you haven't read "Running with the Buffaloes", it's a excellent profile of a D1 XC team and season (at the University of Colorado). There's a lot attrition of the team members down to the final seven who go to the NCAA championships. You're experience is not too different from what is described in the book. On some level, you will need to be responsible for yourself about training smart, staying healthy, balancing out classwork and other activities, and deciding if you want to continue competing on your D1 team. But for now, take it easy and finish the school year and see where you are in June/July to train for Fall XC.

there is nothing magical about college athletics . . . there are lots of interesting things to do in college. just don't fritter you time away hanging out or partying

that you will regret . . . not running you won't

You get a few injuries, and you're calling it quits?! Pros get hurt all the time, over and over again, but they stick it out-- that's why they're Pros and continued to get better, while guys like you quit when the going gets tough. Don't give up! I had a rough 6 yrs between high school-college (freshman year being the worst), but I never gave up on my body/ability. College gets much, much easier. I had it all figured out by my 5th year, and that's when my body started to come around as well. 10 yrs later, made the Olympic Trials a few times, while many teammates/top college runners quit after college and never reached their full potential.

You'll miss seeing the bun huggers.

dont give up wrote:

You get a few injuries, and you're calling it quits?! Pros get hurt all the time, over and over again, but they stick it out-- that's why they're Pros and continued to get better, while guys like you quit when the going gets tough. Don't give up! I had a rough 6 yrs between high school-college (freshman year being the worst), but I never gave up on my body/ability. College gets much, much easier. I had it all figured out by my 5th year, and that's when my body started to come around as well. 10 yrs later, made the Olympic Trials a few times, while many teammates/top college runners quit after college and never reached their full potential.

appreciate the feedback but don't exactly appreciate the "guys like you". since my junior year of highschool I've suffered from compartment syndrome, a torn hamstring, a stress reaction in my hip and shin, the stress fracture... I've run 1:53 in the 8 through all of that I don't appreciate the statement that I'm merely "giving up" it's hard to keep the fire burning. I haven't done a workout since april of my senior year of highschool.

Whew talk about being injury prone! Do you see a physical therapist through your health insurance provider?

Anyway in decreasing order of priority here is my advice:

1. Professional continuous advice from pt

2. Lifelong Strength training and stretching program flowing from 1.

3. See regular doctors for any other possible health issue that could frustrate the assumption of all things being equal

------------------------

Biomechanics is king. 1.-2. Most important.

The extra steps below are considerations in affecting the degree of recovery and healing (or preventing an excessive and imbalanced unproductive work load and work flow) and are icings on the cakes.

4. Training smarter in running: increase proportion of a. low intensity, b. active recovery and c. Aerobic base volumes in contrast to anything of high intensity.

5. Do the same for weight training, even more cautious because with d1 program demands, schoolwork, partying, it can be too easy to burn out between running and lifting

(Note: 4.-5.: obviously with D1 demands this may not even be possible)

6. Stretching process to tune-in to your body's voice and its needs and auto directed blood flow and healing

7. Health pillars: hot and cold showers, oral hygiene including floss, skin care including face regimen and body moisturizing

7. Sleep quality and volume ok?

8. Nutrition

Increase of healing whole raw green leafs and fruit, essential to fighting illness, parasympathetics, deinflammation, stress load management, good mood and sleep.

Decrease: preservative chemical laden highly processed micronutrient and natural compound deficient fatty salty commercial grocery and fast foods

9. Total stress and it's sub components

Is there chronic stress in the life? Social, programmatic, lifestyle? Brain never turning off? A life in need of meditation and tuning in to "the breath"?

10. Self reflection and self management habits:

Do you journal, keep to do lists, self reflect and evaluate on your life? Maybe you need a vacation?

Good luck. Easier said than done but if you put me in your shoes this is how i myself would go about it.

I should add that I've been unimpressed by what I've seen with athletic trainers, conditioning coaches and staff at D1 running programs for healing coming back from injury and that professionals through health insurance have always been better and more scientific. To make matters worse female and make runners in the former situation never seemed to take those bits of biomechanic corrective work (that were wise) assigned seriously enough. In my opinion, pool and cycling work does jack squat for the biomechanic issue and mostly is harmful fodder to soothe battered immature athlete egoes who only know running and not biomechanics. Glory to biomechanic based strength training system . Glory to the knowledgeable high standard physical therapists and their science testing and instincts.

This is true. If you really want to get better it takes a lot of work, but also the right kind of people to help you get there. I have a few friends that are extremely injury prone. Namely one dude who ran 2:05 as freshman (I mean sure not that amazing but decent time overall) in hs and was injured for two years after that. He had to go through chemo for his "rare" ailment but returne for his senior year to run...2:01. Finally in college he broke 2 several times, but reoccuring stomach issues put him out...most likely a cause of the chemotherapy.

Anyway, maybe you'll have to redshirt another year to get healthy and maybe you should "quit" because being a top runner at the potential you once promised isn't something you can rush back into so there's no point in risking further injury and distress. You can reevaluate your goals for a longer return because the time and energy you put into being healthy will have larger dividends in the future when maybe it is harder for you to have the time and resources to get proper therapy.

You can also start playing ultimate frisbee.

Coming back from an injury when you are at the Division 1 level can be so tough, but it can be done. I did it, and many before and after me have done it, and you can too. Rojo's reply was excellent, a lot of wisdom there. I was stale and considering quitting the sport, too. I received good advice from a close friend who said I needed to first re-kindle my love of the sport. Best advice I received, by far. First thing was to make sure I had healed, which involved a long break that ended just a couple weeks before summer break began. Then I went on easy runs on my own on courses that I enjoyed running. Getting out, sweating, and letting the love of the sport come back. No peer pressure to keep up with others, run a certain pace, or do prescribed workouts. Just running by myself at whatever pace felt comfortable. Doing pickups, or not, when I felt like it. Fortunately, my love of the sport came back, I finished my collegiate career without further injury, and I have kept running over the decades since college. A life-long love of the sport will likely be much more important and beneficial to your life than whatever you achieve competitively in college. Learn to love the sport again and you'll be fine. Continue to do all the other things noted in other posts here - sleep, PT, good nutrition, proper footwear, etc. etc. You'll probably soon want to compete again, too, as I did. I wish you well. And soon.

Gator0000 wrote:

appreciate the feedback but don't exactly appreciate the "guys like you". since my junior year of highschool I've suffered from compartment syndrome, a torn hamstring, a stress reaction in my hip and shin, the stress fracture... I've run 1:53 in the 8 through all of that I don't appreciate the statement that I'm merely "giving up" it's hard to keep the fire burning. I haven't done a workout since april of my senior year of highschool.

I had it a whole lot worse than you. Could write a book about the struggles (not just running, but life too). I didn't give up! You give up, you become the "dime a dozen" that gave up before you. Let this be a life lesson on perseverence. You think you've had it hard? Read some books about pro runners. Many, many have used their struggles as fuel for the fire. They didn't quit.

Sounds kind like my freshman year.

Looking back, I wish I would have:

-studied, so that I'd have more options in case I did want to give up D-1

-had a hobby outside of running

-partied less

I've been injured all but two of my high school running seasons. Been self-trained my entire junior and senior year of HS. Never broken 4:40 for 1600 or gone to a state meet. Committed to a D1 school for this fall and have a small scholarship as well to run there. One of the biggest and best NC schools. Things do get better dude, I know how injuries can be (I've spent more time injured or recovering than actually running) and you cannot lose that passion. And even if you aren't on the team this year, find a good local track club or coach to help coach you. If he knows his sh!t, and you have the drive, you can be back at it within a year and be able to try out and make the team if they do let you go this year. If you don't want to do that, join the intramural running club at your uni, do swimming or triathlons, local road races, etc. Boxing or martial arts even. Bodybuild. There are many options that are just as rewarding if not more so than running. But if you are set on D1-or-bust, then get a good support circle behind you and kick some ass. Do some cross training. Just don't quit, whatever you do. Hell, I'm a sh!tty runner by LetsRun standards, a scrub basically. But anybody, I mean anybody, can go D1. That's not the truth LetsRunners don't want to admit to, but if you're even halfway decent you can go D1. So go look at your PR's and tape them to the mirror or something. Look at them everyday before and after you work out. Let the thought of beating them carry you to NCAA's.

Hey OP, I was a top DI recruit who struggled freshman year and missed sophomore year with injury. At times I felt like quitting, but once I healed up and got a few months of solid training under my belt, I came back stronger than ever, running big PRs at all distances and making AA in my main event. My advice: Be patient, take the pressure off yourself, be diligent about rehab, and once you're healthy begin a gradual return to full activity. I think you'll find that once you start running and getting fit, your enthusiasm and zest for training will return.