Sports
Pietra Palma: From Treadmill to 21K and Overcoming Injuries
The content creator reflects on her first half marathon cycle and the chain of physical compensations that followed a foot injury.
During an interview on Girls Who Run, Pietra Palma detailed her rapid progression in running, from her first treadmill kilometers to tackling a 21K. The influencer explained how a foot injury triggered a series of physical compensations that forced her to rethink her training.
Pietra Palma's journey with running began inspired by her home life. The daughter of a runner, she initially tried to keep up with her father, but felt the sport was not for her. That changed when a treadmill was installed in her building's gym. During a 3 km run-walk session taking between 40 and 50 minutes, Pietra experienced her first endorphin rush and decided to document her entire journey on social media—from her first steps to longer distances.
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Rapid Progression and the 21K Challenge
Her training progression with a running coach happened much faster than planned. The initial goal of running a 5K in six months was reached in just two weeks of working with coach Lari. Soon after, the 10K mark came naturally during a one-hour easy run. Already comfortable with weekly mileage between 15 km and 16 km, Pietra accepted an invitation to run the Rio Half Marathon.
The training cycle remained consistent until the final month before the race, when a foot injury raised alarms. Despite the pain and risks, Pietra and her coach determined it was viable to line up at the start. The race required significant effort and Pietra even felt unwell along the course, but she crossed the finish line determined to take on another half marathon cycle that same year at the Venus Race.
The Chain Reaction of Physical Compensations
The toll of that effort became clear right after the finish line. The foot injury prevented her from continuing training and set off a domino effect across her body: altering her movement pattern to compensate for the pain caused hip and glute issues, triggering a draining cycle of successive injuries.
Even with consistent strength training and preventive physical therapy, the accumulated overload meant her body could no longer handle the volume required at that time. This prompted Pietra to hit the brakes and drastically reduce her running mileage in 2025, redefining running as a light, occasional hobby in her routine.
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