The Case of Runner's Brain

Running in the 2021 Maine Half Marathon against all sanity.

No matter how educated, wise or experienced, runners will sometimes ignore the higher-level processing part of the brain, the decision-making part, and end up making counterproductive choices with disastrous results.

In the case of Runner’s Brain, the ego, like a fog, will veil common sense. I treat athletes in the CoachAmyPT clinic who have succumbed to this affliction. More often than not, it is a contributing factor to their injury. It is my job to mop up the mess it leaves behind.

Last year (2021), I came down with a raging case of Runner’s Brain. If you are a patient or athlete of mine, don’t be alarmed, this affliction is selective only to its host. It was a severe case that was resistant to my inner coach and the warnings, flailing arms, and monkey emojis disseminated by my hired coach.

It all started when I set unrealistic goals. I mean, who should run a marathon and train for a half Ironman triathlon after two years off of training and racing? It’s not something I would suggest to my worst enemy. Yet, as I advised others against making this mistake, I was making it myself.

The descent into Runner’s Brain snowballed as I made multiple training errors. I pushed the pace and the volume while repeatedly ignoring my body’s warning signs of fatigue and pain. And there were numerous areas of pain!

And then I hit bottom when I kept running despite feeling a pop and sharp pain in my foot with three miles left in the Maine Half Marathon, which I shouldn’t have been running in the first place. I limped across the finish line straight to the medical tent. But that’s not all! I then popped therapeutic doses of anti-inflammatories to hike the trails of Acadia National Park with my friends the next day. Those who know me professionally know just how antithetical this is to my treatment protocol and philosophy. More evidence of the big bad Runner’s Brain at work.

It will take patience, time, perseverance, and a lot of rehabilitation to clean up the mess that Runner’s Brain left behind. It’s a frustrating and daunting task, but I will give myself the same speech I deliver to my patients, “Yup, you made a mistake, you will learn from it. Don’t dwell on the past; move on to the future. Take steps to get well and get back out there.” But, I swear, if I succumb again, sign me up for a lobotomy…

Hiking in Acadia National Park with friends, 2021.