The Injured Athletes Club

"  You already got hit with an arrow, right? You got hit with the first arrow. Don't hit yourself with another arrow. Don't contribute to your suffering by judging yourself and being mean to yourself and creating narratives that are unhelpful."
 
We're wrapping up our ninth season, after 7.5 years of podcasting. Don't worry—the Injured Athletes Club isn't going anywhere.
 
But we are taking our regularly scheduled podcasting break. To send you into the off-season, we're going back over three of Coach Carrie's clips that co-host Cindy found most valuable this year.
 
These include:
How to consider other versions of your story
The difference between comparison and clarity, and why it matters
Why second arrows make injury or any other obstacle worse, and how to avoid them
 
We also share a bit about what's ahead for the show and the whole Injured Athletes Club endeavor—watch this feed, your email, and our social media for ways to share your feedback and shape our future. 
 
Resources/links:
Watch a 9-year-old coach herself up a very high climbing wall
Join our Facebook support group, where we'll be hanging out all off-season
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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com 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.

"It's so important to pay attention to how you are talking to yourself, because your words influence everything. So you really need to understand your self-talk and start to dive into it a little bit and know, OK, is the way I'm talking to myself right now—is that helping me or is that actually hurting me?"
Imagine you're walking past two sets of coaches and athletes on the tennis court, track, or soccer pitch. One coach is yelling at an athlete for her poor performance, telling her it's all her fault and she'll never improve. The other is offering encouraging words, letting the athlete know she may have fallen short this time, but if she tries again, success is achievable. 
Which coach would you rather play for—and which athlete do you predict will do better in the long run?
Most of us would gravitate toward a leader who's empathetic and builds athletes up rather than tearing them down. But so often, and especially when we're injured, we serve as our own nightmare coach—blaming ourselves for any setback and constantly pointing out our own shortcomings.
Coach Carrie sees this all the time in her clients, and in this replay of an episode from season 5, we're dedicating a whole episode to turning this equation around. Your self-talk matters, and there are many ways to notice that inner dialogue and shift it so you're nourishing your inner athlete, rather than feeding the monster of self-doubt and criticism.
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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com 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 do you date as an injured athlete when you identify strongly with specific sports and are drawn to others who also do those things … but you can't do them at this time? It becomes a source of anxiety and insecurity. Like, who would want to date a fellow runner who can no longer run? Or someone who seems to be perpetually in physical rehab?"—Evan
 
Navigating relationships can feel difficult as you're riding the roller coaster of injury recovery, Coach Carrie explains in this week's listener Q&A. And there are good reasons to consider not dating for a while: For example, you don't want to spend the time and energy, or you're feeling angry or jealous.
 
But if you're truly seeking companionship, it might just be a better moment than you think to get out there, she says. After all, your physical ability as an athlete is only one of many things you have to offer. 
 
Because you know what it means to strive for big goals, you also understand how to support someone else in doing so, something athletes tend to appreciate in a partner. If you find a person you're compatible with when you're injured—something that can happen to any athlete or human, at any time—you can feel a lot more confident that your relationship can go the distance (pun intended).
 
Resources/links:
Injured Athletes Club merchandise
Injured Athletes Club Facebook support group
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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com 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 got to the bottom after that jump and I started having thoughts of—'I've come this far, it's all gonna slip away if I can't compete and do well in this competition.' And as I walked across to the bottom of the jump to go back up the stairs, I basically said, 'I'm not gonna let that happen.'"
 
The first formative moment of Matt Petri's ski jumping career was probably when a coach convinced him to try the sport, rather than pursuing only alpine skiing. At that point, the event went from the scariest thing he'd ever done to something he couldn't wait to do again.
 
The second was at the 1984 Olympic Trials, when he bounced back from a bad first jump to take his longest leap ever, along with first place and a spot on Team USA  headed to Sarajevo in 1984. 
 
But then there was another, when a serious crash before the Games even began that year threatened to take all he'd worked for away from him. On this week's episode, Matt shares what all these experiences taught him about the importance of focus and mental health—lessons that shaped his life, both on and off the slopes.
 
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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com 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 do I adjust my training mindset now that I'm a masters athlete? I have a hard time accepting that my body is no longer 20. I'm 35, about to turn 36."
—Kelly
 
Society often tells us that getting older is something to be feared and refused—think about the concept of anti-aging. For athletes, there's an added layer of performance changes as we move into the masters categories. 
 
The problem, Coach Carrie says in this week's Q&A episode, is that aging isn't an optional activity. By fighting against its reality, we often keep ourselves miserable and stuck. If instead, you accept that your body is shifting and has different needs and vulnerabilities, you can then take active steps to make the most of your current capabilities. 
 
Rather than comparing yourself to others or to a past version of the athlete you were, seek clarity. Then, the focus isn't on how you measure up, but on what you need to make meaning of your athletic experience. That choice—to define what success means to you, and celebrate it—is always yours to make, and gives you the freedom to enjoy new and glorious paths forward.
 
Resources/links:
Aging and Athletic Performance: Injured Athletes Club Webinar Recording
Cindy's article in Runner's World: I Compared Myself to the Runner I Used to Be—I'm Learning to Let Go and Move Forward
 
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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com 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.