Inquisitive.me

In doubt, don’t.

Sounds overly cautious, right?

Almost like the opposite of everything we preach in rehab—push through, stay consistent, don’t overthink it.

But here’s the thing.

I’ve written a whole series about pain—how to understand it, how to train with it, why recovery sometimes stalls even when you’re doing everything “right.”

And still, one piece was missing.

Something simple.
Something practical.
Something you can actually use in the moment.

In doubt, don’t.

Let me explain.

A few years ago, I learned how to paraglide. Instead of going on vacation, I decided it would be a great idea to run off mountains attached to a giant piece of fabric.

And honestly? It was incredible.

Floating through the air for up to an hour, just you, the wind, and a very healthy respect for gravity.

But I was never the type to push it. No crazy conditions. No unnecessary risks. I liked the feeling of flying—but I liked landing safely even more.

Eventually, I stopped. Life changed, I moved away from the mountains, and flying once or twice a year wasn’t enough to stay sharp (I still miss it sometimes. The feeling was amazing).

But one thing stuck with me.

An older instructor used to repeat it like a broken record:

“If you’re not sure whether you should start… don’t.”

Weather can change quickly. Wind picks up. It gets late. The conditions on paper don’t match what you feel standing there at the edge.

And in that moment—when something feels off—you don’t negotiate.

You don’t try to be brave.

You don’t “just see what happens.”

You don’t start.

This is exactly how I think about pain.

We often talk about the 0–10 pain scale.
0 is nothing. 10 is please take me to the hospital.

And somewhere between 0 and 4, most things are fine.

It’s not perfect—but it’s manageable. You’d still go to work. You’d still move. You’d still live your life.

But then there’s this grey zone.

Around 4 to 5.

That’s where things shift.

Not dramatically. Not catastrophically. Just enough to make you pause.

Should I really do this today?
Is this still okay—or am I pushing it?

That feeling?

That’s your “standing on the mountain” moment.

And this is where most people get it wrong.

They either:

• push through because they don’t want to lose progress
• or stop everything because they’re afraid of making it worse

Both extremes miss the point.

Because the real skill isn’t pushing or stopping.

It’s deciding.

I tested this myself over the past few weeks.

I was dealing with a tendinopathy while preparing for a half marathon. Not ideal timing—but also not unusual.

So I used my own rule.

Every session started with one question:

Where am I on the scale today?

• 0–4? → Keep going. Maybe adjust slightly, but train.
• 4–5? → That’s doubt. That’s the line.

And when I hit that line?

I didn’t negotiate.

I didn’t try to be tough.

I adapted.

No running that day—bike instead.
Gym session—lighter load.
Same structure, different input.

And it worked.

I ran my half marathon exactly how I planned it.
No flare-ups. No setbacks. No drama.

Not because I pushed harder.

But because I knew when not to.

That’s what “In doubt, don’t” actually means.

It doesn’t mean doing nothing.
It doesn’t mean avoiding movement.

It means respecting the moment where your body—and your intuition—aren’t fully on board.

Because that hesitation?

It’s not weakness.

It’s information.

And if you learn to listen to it—not fear it, not ignore it—you stop guessing your way through recovery.

You start making decisions.

And that’s where progress actually happens.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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Don’t stop training—change the input.

“In doubt, don’t” is often misunderstood as “do nothing.” But recovery doesn’t reward inactivity—it rewards smart adjustments.

🎯 Try This:

Pick one “backup option” for each type of training you do:

• Running → Cycling / walking
• Heavy strength → lighter load / machines
• Deep squats → reduced range / tempo work

Now set one rule:

➡️ If doubt shows up (around 4–5), you don’t skip—you switch.

Make a decision within 30 seconds. No overthinking.

This keeps the habit alive while respecting your limits.

🧠 Final Thought:

Clarity beats courage. You don’t need to be tougher—you need to be clearer.

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊