Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re struggling with an injury just as the start of the season or a major competition is approaching? The events are right around the corner, and you can see you’re not at 100%. You try to train and do everything you can, you put in the effort, but deep down, a part of you knows you aren’t ready for this upcoming competition. What do you do in a situation like that? Do you go to that competition at all costs just to go because it’s “according to plan”? Or do you stay patient and skip it so you can fully heal?
Compete or Take a Break?
There are situations where athletes have an overwhelming desire to compete and want to do so at all costs, despite feeling and knowing deep down that they aren’t ready due to a nagging injury. Sometimes, coaches insist on their athlete competing at all costs simply because it’s “the plan.” On the other side, we have coaches who, regardless of the training and competition schedule, know exactly when to adjust those plans to the athlete’s current situation and health, and when it’s best to skip certain competitions.
What type of athlete are you?
If you are the type of athlete who likes to go to a competition at all costs – even when you know you aren’t healthy enough to compete, thereby putting yourself in a position where your health could worsen – I would ask you to pause for a moment and look at the bigger picture. If that competition isn’t crucial, it would be much better to skip it to give yourself more room to heal, fully recover, and ultimately, over time, become even better than before.
I know this is sometimes a massive challenge, especially if you love to compete and can’t wait to show what you’ve been training for all this time. However, unless we are talking about the “Olympic Games,” it is better to skip the competition in these situations and continue your recovery and training process until the moment you are completely healthy.
Why Is It Sometimes Better to Stay Patient and Skip a Competition?
From a psychological perspective, it’s because you are giving yourself the chance to recover fully and be in peak shape for the next opportunity that comes along. Throughout this entire process, you will become mentally stronger and better prepared for what lies ahead. If, on the other hand, you go to a competition half-injured and unprepared just for the sake of competing, you might find during the warm-up that you just can’t do it. You might start competing but fail to perform properly because the pain is holding you back. Consequently, your dissatisfaction will grow, and your mental state will suffer. All of this combined is highly critical for your actual recovery and your attitude toward the goals and opportunities ahead of you.
When you find yourself in a situation where a competition is nearing and you aren’t fully healthy, pause for a moment and think about what is best for you in the long run. Set aside your heart, which desperately wants to compete, and listen to the voice of reason. Also, remember: even if a coach pushes you to compete through an injury, you still have your own head, and the final say should be yours. Voice your opinion, your emotions, and your fears.
Listen to yourself and your body; it always signals you when it’s time to “take a beat.” Listen to the experts – physiotherapists, massage therapists, doctors, and sports psychologists. Take the facts into account and keep in mind that an athletic career is a marathon, not a 100-meter dash. Stand up for yourself.
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Mental Training Blog guest: Lucija Cvitanović, mag. psych.
