Injuries, soreness, and uncomfortable things

[Dogwithrabiez]

Recently, I've discovered an interesting trend with how I progress in parkour. If I'm injured, even in some small way, fear will grip me whenever I'm doing even the simplest things, and more often than not, I'll be unable to complete simple vaults that I've done a hundred times before(See: Turn vaults). This was a big thing for me when I had shin splints, as it was difficult for me to hang on to the things I already knew, much less learn new things or get better at all.

Which brings me to a month ago. After allowing myself to rest for a few weeks, taking it light, my shin splints healed, as did all my cuts and scrapes. Suddenly, I was able to do things that I've never even practiced, like konging over the length of a table, or being able to do a decent pop vault out of nowhere. Unfortunately, I had forgotten how to do a decent underbar, but that's a different story.

Fast forward to the present. Just a week ago, I felt my shin splints coming back after a series of bad landings. Once again, I was frustrated as I was unable to do all these things that I practiced daily, so I decided to give myself a week's resting time again. Lo and behold, after I healed up, I was able to learn quickly again, and I was no longer deathly afraid of everything. This applied with even the smallest of injuries, like a skinned ankle or something similar. The point to this whole story is, does anyone else get anything like this? If so, what is the best way to deal with that sudden fear besides giving yourself time to rest?


TL;DR version: If I get hurt, no matter how small, I get really scared of doing anything for no reason. What's the best way to deal with this?

[Kirill]

My best advice to you--

Listen to your fear.
Do not dismiss it,

And as Alex said, Avoid the small injuries.

And I also Support Alex's 2 cents.

[hillexallen]

I think the best way to deal with this is to slow down, do more repetitions, and try to avoid getting the small injuries.

I faced the same problem, and I think I know how you feel. Of course I don't have much experience, but this is just my two cents:

I would practice with a lot of repetition. The second you get something new, be sure to repeat it at least ten times, so you will be able to do it the next day without having to relearn it. That way you will have to take less of a risk the next time you try it. Also, practice new movements with repetition a few times a week so it becomes second nature, instead of one of those more risky, difficult movements.

Also, don't worry about progressing quickly as much as progressing safely. If you find you are getting a lot of little dings and scrapes, as I did, you may want to try not doing a lot of big stuff, and working on the more simple, basic movements a little bit more. As a result, you might see that you are able to practice more often and with more confidence, because you will not be afraid of getting hurt. In the end, you will be able to practice more often, and for longer periods of time, which will lead to being able to progress safely and constantly, instead of progressing dangerously, and in "stages".

Again, I'm no authority, that's just my opinion. Good luck!