How ‘passion’ can help – or harm – your running

Runners often put a lot of effort toward avoiding injuries. Things like stretching, yoga, and strengthening come to mind. But if your brain continues to run once your legs have stopped, you could be setting yourself up for failure. A new study shows how we think can protect us – or predispose us – to injury. 

The study asked runners questions that put them into one of two categories: those with “harmonious passion” for running and those with “obsessive passion.”  

Harmonious passion is the ability to have running as a meaningful yet not overwhelming part of one’s life. A runner is able to mentally detach from the run once it’s over. This leads to “flexible persistence” with training, which is the ability to train hard when it’s appropriate and pull back when training becomes harmful, like when an injury crops up. 

Obsessive passion involves searching to overly control one’s running, and mentally fixating on an effort, even once a race or workout is long over. This “rigid persistence” can lead to making risky training decisions that can lead to injury, like sticking to a training plan despite pain. 

The interesting aspect of this study is that it links a runner’s thinking and beliefs to a physical outcome. Runners who demonstrate harmonious passion have a balance between running and other aspects of their lives, which leads to a decreased risk of running-related injury.

Now, I have never met a runner who is short on passion. Who doesn’t like discussing a new PR or a recent training milestone? It’s part of the fun and the culture. But if your mind is dominated by training and it’s difficult to take a day off, an injury could be brewing. Our bodies and minds need the chance to recover from hard efforts, so having the ability to ‘let go’ is important. Over-analyzing every detail of a race or perseverating on a training schedule uses precious energy that could go toward physical and mental renewal. 

As runners seek better fitness and performances, it can sometimes feel like a precarious balancing act between supreme health and musculoskeletal demise. But your health doesn’t have to be so delicate and your thinking is an important piece of the wellness puzzle. Check in with yourself now and again. Is running your only outlet for stress? Are you willing to train through injury in order to stick to a schedule? Are you connecting your running to your value as a person? If yes, it may be time to recalibrate to a healthier balance between life and sport. This can include speaking with a physical therapist who specializes in treating runners, who can advise you on crucial recovery techniques to minimize your injury risk. 

Katie Noble is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a journalist, and a runner. She enjoys empowering and supporting female runners with evidenced-based education.