Accentuate The Positive

ANDREW BUTCHART ON WHY AN INJURY HAS PRESENTED HIM WITH AN OPPORTUNITY HE HAS FIRMLY GRASPED WITH BOTH HANDS

- Andrew Butchart

I WOULD never recommend getting injured to anyone but I’ve found that having some enforced time out has given me the opportunity to learn a great deal and acted as a reminder about how lucky I am.

Since breaking the navicular bone in my foot during a race in New York back in February, I’ve come to realise that so much of the recovery process is mental.

When it comes to injuries, you need to stay really positive and set little goals every day. Even if it’s something as simple as going from 20 press-ups to 25 press-ups, give yourself a pat on the back because that’s an improvement.

Positivity and waking up the mind to help me heal was absolutely massive for me. If you’re an unhappy athlete then you’re going to have an unhappy body.

It’s good to be back running again but the whole injury/rehab process has not been that bad. It was actually nice to have a little break from putting all of those miles in and to do something different.

I’ve enjoyed cross training and getting outside on the bike around where I live with Lynsey Sharp in San Diego and I’ve been enjoying swimming, too, so if I find I’m not able to run fast again then I’ll just do triathlon instead!

Recovering from injury really has been an education. I would say that, before I had my injury, I didn’t really know my body that well, so I didn’t really have a connection with body parts because I wasn’t taught about it all, if that makes sense.

But now I understand my body a lot more, which I find very interesting.