Feeling strong but still getting injured?

Here's something I feel like most runners only ever discover after they're injured.

When the physio is explaining why the injury occurred, even though you thought you were doing everything right.

It seems to me to be far more useful to know this info now, so that you can use the knowledge to avoid an injury to begin with! 

Your body doesn’t adapt all at the same speed.

Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints each have their own recovery and adaptation timelines. And if your training only keeps up with the timeline that your muscles are working to, then the rest of your body can get left behind. 

That’s often where injuries start to creep in.

What does that looks like 👇

💪 Muscles adapt quite quickly.

They have a rich blood supply, so they get a lot of nutrients and hydration.  This means they can repair and strengthen quite fast. 

Within 2–4 weeks, you’ll start to feel stronger. By 6–8 weeks, you might notice real power gains, you know those runs where you think, “Yes! I’m back!”

Although muscles can adapt relatively quickly, it does rely on you providing them with sufficient rest, hydration and nutrition to make those adaptations possible. Without those you can still end up in trouble even if you're be sensible by slowly increasing your running.

Common Injuries - calf and hamstring strain, tight quads and hip flexors, sore lower back 

🦵 Tendons and ligaments are slower. (In case you've ever wondered; tendons attach muscles to bones and ligaments attach bones to bones)
They take months, not weeks, to adapt to load and strengthen. You'll need around 3–4 months of consistent, progressive loading before real changes begin. 

That’s why the runner who jumps back into speed work after just a few strong weeks often ends up side-lined again.  

And it's helpful to keep in mind, that rehab after an injury can take 6-12 months, and you're more at risk of another injury once you've had one in the same area...so sit tight and take your time. I promise it'll be worth it.

Common Injuries - Achilles tendinitis, IT band syndrome, patellar tendinopathy (runner's knee), plantar fasciitis 

🦶 Joints and cartilage? Slowest of all.
These tissues rely on movement, not blood flow, to stay healthy.  Every time you do mobility exercises and move through your fullest range, loading and unloading the joint, you’re literally feeding it nutrients and hydration. 

But full adaptation can take 6–12 months of consistent, smart training.

Common Injuries - Patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner's knee) , meniscus damage

So if you’ve ever wondered why a niggle keeps returning even though you feel “stronger,” this is probably why.

You’ve trained your muscles, but your connective tissue is still playing catch-up.

What can you do now?

1. Remember that time matters. Patience matters. And the slower adaptations? They’re the ones that last.

2. Get the right mix of strength, mobility, and stability work into your week.

You’re not just getting your muscles stronger for your next event, you’re building the resilience in all your soft tissue. Helping you to run injury free for years to come.

3. Don't worry if progress feels slow, that’s not a setback, it's normal.  It’s your body doing the work.  Keep supporting it with gradual increases to your running, good nutrition, hydration and rest.

Start building a body that can truly support you without constant injuries.

Happy running stronger,

Liz x

P.S. Not sure what exercises to do to support and promote the soft tissue adaptations your body is making? 

👉 Start your 7-day free trial today and feel the difference in how your body moves, recovers, and performs.