I strained my hamstring about a month ago. I’ve been getting physical therapy and thought maybe I could train through it, but the injury gods have spoken. I’m off the bike for at least a week.

As athletes, we walk fine lines in the face of injury. Where should we draw the line? When is it ok to train and when do we need rest? It’s often difficult to step away from the bike because our minds play tricks on us. My hamstring seemed like it was getting better, but after being struck with sharp, localized pain during all my recent races and my solo rocket ride on Saturday, I realized that I have to take a step back. All athletes struggle with injury management, but there are ways to make it more bearable.

1. Be calm. Worrying will not help you heal faster. An injury will take as long as it takes to get better. You have to be patient. A few weeks off the bike will not kill your season. It’s important to let it heal properly, otherwise you can prolong the injury for months or years.

2. Be proactive. Stay on that physical therapy, and make sure you get to the root of the problem. Months off the bike won’t help you if you don’t figure out why you are injured in the first place. It could be due to bike fit, a need for shims, a pelvis imbalance, or other biomechanical imbalances. You need to make sure you address these issues as you work through the injury.

3. Massage. Deep tissue massage can help break down the damaged tissues so they can rebuild themselves the right way.

4. Focus on the small stuff. You can still do core training and respiratory muscle training (spirotiger) so that not all is lost. It’s easy to stop doing everything when you aren’t riding, but its important to do SOMETHING! Don’t completely fall apart.

5. Listen to your body. Be realistic and honest with yourself, and let your body take the time it needs to recover. If you think you need time off the bike, you probably do. Learn when to pull the plug.

6. Stay on the nutrition. It’s easy to slip when there is no riding in the picture, but don’t wash away your sorrows with ice cream and cup cakes. A little is ok, but you don’t want to gain a lot of weight on top of being injured. Good nutrition is important so your body can repair itself.

7. Enjoy yourself. Time off the bike doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Use it to catch up on house maintenance (clean the grout, work in the garden), spend time with your family, read more books, volunteer at a race or provide feed zone support to your team.

If you take care of the injury the right way, you will be back at it in no time.