Running Injury-Free Is Similar to Creating a Masterpiece Of Art

Running is supposed to be fun, but getting injured is never fun.

I have a running companion that gets irritated when I talk about the joy of running injury-free for almost five years now.

When I toss in the caveat of running nearly 3,000 miles in each of those years, I believe this person may want to do me bodily harm.

This person once said, “you’re obviously not running hard enough if you never get injured?”

My response was where I got the idea for this article. “Maybe running injury-free is like being a master artist. Your work of art takes a lot of time and effort. Unfortunately, your work of art won’t be appreciated by all.”

I grew up the son of an artist/creator so my mom influenced me to appreciate all art, even art that didn’t suit my interests.

Running injury free is just my form of creating art. Instead of a canvas, I’m using my body. Instead of learning the technique of different brush strokes, I’m using body movement and form to propel me continuously forward without injury.

Developing your work of art takes time and discipline. It will take focus and sometimes, it will take being willing to sacrifice something else in order to create a work of art that results in an injury-free running body.

Creating This Wonderful Work of Art

As I dreamt about writing this, I was taken by the fact that I could write about two of my passions in life — art and running and bring them together in a way that moves a reader as much as beautiful artwork moves me.

What I didn’t realize as I began researching this subject were the similarities between creating a masterpiece and creating an injury-free running body.

The number one article that spoke to my art as I searched for a way to communicate how important it is to view your running body as a masterpiece of art may actually shock some.

I am a huge fan of The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. These guys are Netflix stars, podcasters, and best-selling authors that inspire me to do more with less.

Their article, Creating a Masterpiece: A 16 Step Guide, is a must-read for anybody wishing to create meaningful art-whether that be the written word, stunning photography, art that moves people’s emotions, or a running body able to move injury-free for miles and miles.

Another article that spoke I found on the website, is Relentless Pursuit of Purpose. Alex McElroy’s website and blog are always full of great insights and I highly recommend them.

A Masterpiece Takes Time: The Process of Creating Fine Art is a simple but profound read on creating great art.

“However, if you weren’t involved in the process it would be easy to miss the intentionality and precision that went into creating such a work of art. Likewise, the full manifestation of your purpose will take time to come out but as long as you remain committed to the process and maintain attention to detail in the sub-steps of life, you too will be a work of art.”

When one reads both of these articles there is one common stream that is applied to creating a masterpiece. That one commonality is FOCUS. In The Minimalist article, this is Step 9. In the Relentless Pursuit of Purpose article, this is intentionality.

You can do everything else, but if you don’t focus on the end goal, you will work for ages without getting the result you desire.

However, when you focus and become intentional, what you are trying to create becomes much clearer and you are able to dial in precisely on what you are trying to create.

So, what does this have to do with creating an injury-free running body?

Similarity Between an Injury-Free Running Body and a Masterpiece

When you study running injuries, there is a common thread that is found with the most common running injuries. The most common running injuries occur in the knees, feet and ankles, calves, and shins. Backs, hips, and thighs are also susceptible to injury.

The common thread with these injuries is not the actual running, but what you do before and after you run. Yes, you can roll your ankles no matter what you do before or after a run while running trails. However, what you do before and after a run can strengthen the muscles surrounding and in line with your ankles to lessen the impact of an ankle roll or sprain.

Ankle sprains were a common theme for me running in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming from 2014–2017. When I began studying how to strengthen my ankles instead of trying to run with ankle braces, high-top running shoes, and other devices I thought would prevent me from rolling my ankles.

Focusing on areas I could strengthen and being intentional with how I conducted my life between runs has made all the difference in running the past five years with no running injuries.

Have I rolled my ankles, tripped over rocks and roots on trails, skinned my knee running on a flat sidewalk, and had other running incidents in the last five years?

Anybody who has run with me will tell you I can trip on a crack on the sidewalk and remove a layer of skin from my knee better than anybody else.

However, because of the methods I use to strengthen the rest of my body, I have not taken time off running for five years for anything other than planned rest days.

I am intentional and focused on creating an injury-free running body that can get out nearly every day and run miles happily and with great joy. My weekday runs go anywhere from 5–10 miles per day and my weekend runs go anywhere from 10–40 miles both Saturday and Sunday while training. I recently finished my fiftieth ultra-running race and am running stronger and happier than ever before.

The following are the methods I have used in the last five years to create my masterpiece. I am not a running coach, not a physical therapist, am not an elite athlete nor do I hold any of the qualifications that would qualify me in the eyes of the world to suggest these will work for you also.

I am simply a back-of-the-pack runner who loves running and believes everybody is capable of running injury-free if they desire.

Methods to Developing an Injury-Free Running Masterpiece

The first method I used in developing my injury-free running masterpiece was to study what muscles and body parts are involved in running. I did not pay attention in science class during high school so this was a new pursuit for me.

Heading over to Healthline.com, I began researching what parts of the body are involved during a run. One of the articles I read was What Body Parts Get Used When You Run? and the diagram the author used at the beginning of the article painted a great picture for me.

Another article that was pretty much the genesis of my study is a 2011 article by Kim Nunley on Sportsrec.com. What Body Parts Work While Running? is a great study of everything involved with building an injury-free running body.

The common thing that stood out to me was and continues to be how important core strength is in building a running body capable of withstanding the effort.

Core strength allows the pelvis, hips, and lower back to work together more smoothly to expend less energy. Core strength will improve balance, which is what helps you recover from small and large missteps.

Once I knew what I needed to strengthen, it was time to move on to my second method of creating a masterpiece. In creating a masterpiece of art, this is referred to as remaining committed to the process.

I believe the reason that most people struggle with creating an injury-free running body is that they want long-term gain with short-term effort.

A long-term gain in the form of creating a masterpiece of a running body takes time and it takes staying committed to the effort even when you don’t see the results at first.

Staying committed to the process is the part where most runners just say, “ah hell, I am just going to go out and run fast and see when I blow up.”

When you commit to the process of building an injury-free running body, there are going to be times when everybody you run with is running faster than you. There will be days when you feel like you’re running in a vat of molasses and can’t move anything.

However, when you stay committed to the process, the long-term results are worth every moment of the short-term sacrifice.

My third method is to create a sustainable routine. This is a routine that has served me well in everyday life as well. It doesn’t matter if you are creating a piece of art, words on a page, or a durable running body. A sustainable routine should be a focus of yours.

Foremost in this routine is to create a space that you use for creation. A helpful tip for those who are married or living with other people — do not try to create a space that is just for you. Create a space that is easy to move around. Your spouse and/or roommates will also do things to infringe on your space if you try to create one space just for you.

As I was working a full-time job and now as a business owner, time is of the essence. There is a shortage of time, so I needed to create a core strengthening method that didn’t include hours in a gym or spending money on weights and other devices. Since I also strive to live with less, that minimalist living style, I also needed to be mindful of space.

My routine involved finding exercises I could do anywhere. I do them in my office, at home, in the parking lot of my condo community, and can even break a run into two parts with a core session in the middle.

The nine exercises I use were created by reading many different articles on core exercises, but I found one that includes all nine exercises I do on a regular basis.

The 9 Best Ab Exercises You Can Do Without Equipment on Myprotein.com wrapped up all nine exercises in one nice, neat package.

My fourth method is simply to keep on working at it. The best works of art don’t look much like anything special in the beginning.

I used to watch my mom oil paint. When she first began putting a brush to canvas, I could never tell what she was painting. It just looked like color. The more she worked at her craft though, suddenly this blank canvas began to take on shape and meaning.

My favorite painting and the only one I have ever asked her for is one she created off a church bulletin. It’s a painting of Mary holding a toddler Jesus and to look at it today, more than forty years after she painted it, I still look at it in awe.

The way she brought out the emotion on Mary’s face with paint and the way she painted Jesus as a confident toddler who looked like he knew what he was going to do one day has always stood out in my memory.

That painting exemplifies why I am willing to put in the hard work of creating an injury-free running body.

Running without injury is my way of creating. It may not look like it to many of the people who watch me run, but sculpting this work of art takes all the same steps as creating a masterpiece.