I used to believe pain meant progress. No pain, no gain — right?
That belief wasn’t just a common belief. It was personal.
I grew up training surrounded by men. I was a ski racer.
Later, I studied sports science.
Everything around me screamed: push harder, go faster, tolerate more.
So I did. Until my body broke.
But pain didn’t make me stronger. It numbed me out.
My body whispered its warnings through cramps and tightness.
I didn’t listen. So it screamed.
After an Ultimate Frisbee tournament, I tore several muscle fibers in my left thigh.
I couldn’t walk. Before the MRI, they thought the whole muscle was gone. It turned out it was “just” the half.
More than four months of rehab followed.
I still have a valley in my leg where the fibers never fully grew back.
This injury didn’t come out of nowhere.
I ignored the signals, because I thought I had to push hard. I had trained myself to disconnect from my body’s signals.
That injury became a turning point.
I realized: real performance isn’t built on override mode. It’s built on presence.
Pain isn’t a sign to push. It’s a sign to pause.
Recovery, rest, and regulation aren’t optional.
They’re strategic.
And I carry that lesson with me every day, in my work, my coaching, and my left leg.
Today, I train differently. I pay attention to the whispers, not just the screams.
I focus on recovery as much as performace. Because pain isn’t proof you’re growing, it’s often proof you’re ignoring something essential.
This is one of the key shifts I guide my clients through.
Because presence beats pressure. Every time!
Curious what that could look like for you?
– Michi