Maranoia: When Your Body Feels Broken… But Isn’t

I stood on the start line of the Milan Marathon ready to run my goal race.

I’d trained well. I was fit.

But 10 days before the race I honestly thought it might all be over.

Here's what was actually happening...

The Week Everything Started to Unravel

On the Thursday before race week, I completed my final session:

16km with 4x4 minutes at threshold.

Nothing excessive.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

But that evening, I noticed an ache in my left hip.

Not pain. Just… an awareness.

Why This One Felt Different

The year before, I had to pull out of a marathon 8 days before race day with a hip injury.

So this wasn’t just a niggle.

This had context, and almost immediately, my brain went to: “Here we go again.”

The Initial Response

To my credit, I didn’t ignore it. I:

• Took 3 days off running immediately

• Switched to impact-free cross-training

• Missed my final planned long run

That wasn’t easy.

That session was supposed to be:

10km easy + 5km at marathon pace

But I made the call to prioritise the bigger picture.

Testing the Waters

By Monday, I tried a short jog.

It was fine.

No worsening, but the sensation was still there.

Tuesday:

20 minutes easy + strides

Still okay.

Wednesday:

20 minutes easy + 6x400m

After that session, the ache increased slightly.

Still not pain.

But more noticeable.

The Confusing Nature of Symptoms

This is where it got interesting.

The symptoms didn’t behave like a clear injury:

• Worse at rest, better when moving

• No pain with hopping or impact

• No painful muscle contractions

• No consistent aggravating factor

• Tenderness in soft tissue… but inconsistent

Clinically, it didn’t point towards anything serious like a bone stress injury.

But…

👉 It was worse in the morning

👉 Worse when I was lying there thinking about it

When the Mind Takes Over

By Thursday and Friday, I had already convinced myself:

👉 “I’m probably not racing Sunday.”

I’d even come to terms with it.

I was gutted but accepting it.

And this is what I call Maranoia.

What is Maranoia?

Maranoia is that phase in marathon training where:

• Fatigue is high

• The race is close

• Every sensation feels significant

And your brain starts connecting dots that may not actually be there.

What’s Actually Happening in the Body

1.⁠ ⁠Training Stress & Cortisol

During heavy training blocks:

• Training stress increases cortisol

• Cortisol has an analgesic (pain-dampening) effect

So while you’re deep in training, you often feel better than you should and small issues can be masked

Then taper begins:

• Training load drops

• Cortisol drops

👉 Pain sensitivity increases

So suddenly:

• You feel more

• You notice more

• Things feel worse

Even if nothing has structurally changed

2.⁠ ⁠The Nervous System’s Role

Your brain is constantly scanning your body for threat.

And it doesn’t just look at tissue — it looks at context:

• Previous injuries

• Timing (race week)

• Importance of the event

In my case:

Same hip.

Same timing.

So my brain turned the sensitivity dial up.

👉 More attention

👉 More awareness

👉 More perceived risk

3.⁠ ⁠Stress Amplifies Everything

This wasn’t just physical.

There was:

• Fear of missing another marathon

• The pressure of performing

• Identity (as a physio and running coach)

• Social expectation

All of that feeds into your nervous system.

And your nervous system influences how symptoms are experienced.

What Helped (More Than I Expected)

On Saturday, my wife helped with some light soft tissue work.

We found a slightly tender area in the outer quad.

It helped, but more importantly, I wasn’t dealing with it alone anymore

That reduced the mental load.

Physios always need a second opinion when it comes to their own body, so I also spoke to a physio friend.

We agreed:

• Nothing clearly serious

• Manage symptoms and take a calculated risk

And made a plan:

• A few isometrics pre-race

• Keep things simple

Race Prep (Or Lack of It)

I made a very uncharacteristic decision:

• No shakeout run

• No proper warm-up

Instead:

• 20–25 minute walk to the start

• Some skipping (pain-free)

• 2 short accelerations

Then I sat in the start pen… waiting

The Turning Point

On the way to the race, I could still feel it slightly.

Just an ache.

Nothing dramatic.

But once I got into the start pen…

👉 It disappeared

The gun went off…

👉 And I didn’t feel it once

Race Outcome

No hip pain during the race.

Ironically:

👉 My other hip fatigued instead

(Because it’s a marathon… it’s not meant to feel perfect)

24 hours later?

👉 The “injured” hip felt better than it had all week

So What Was It?

I’m not saying the brain “makes things up.”

But I am saying this:

👉 Symptoms are not purely structural

They are influenced by:

• Training load

• Hormonal changes

• Nervous system sensitivity

• Emotional context

• Previous experiences

The Key Lesson for Runners

Not every niggle before a race is an injury.

Sometimes:

• You’re coming out of the fatigue of training

• Your hormones are shifting

• Your brain is more protective

• And you’re paying closer attention than ever

What Should You Do If This Happens?

• Don’t ignore symptoms… but don’t catastrophise them

• Reduce load, don’t completely panic

• Keep some movement if tolerated

• Use simple strategies (isometrics, cross-training)

• Get a second opinion if needed

• Zoom out to the bigger picture

I stood on that start line unsure if I’d finish.

And I left with a 2:39:50 PB.

You’re not always breaking down.

Sometimes…

👉 You’re just tired

👉 Your system is more sensitive

👉 And your brain is trying to protect you

If you’re in a marathon block right now and something feels “off”…

Don't ignore it. Take a breath. Speak to a professional about it.

It might not mean what you think it means.