When Tiger Woods revealed how 5-6 years of running workouts took a toll on his body and knees

Being a professional athlete requires a high dose of commitment to physical training, and Tiger Woods is no exception. However, the 15-time Major champion once admitted that hat if he could go back in time, he'd probably choose to run less due to the damage it's done to his body.

Tiger Woods made the admission during a Q&A on Instagram in 2020 when a fan asked him the following question (via GolfTV):

"If you had one thing you could go back in time to tell your younger self, what would it be?"

Woods replied:

"Not to run too much. Running over 30 miles a week for probably my first five, six years on Tour pretty much destroyed my body and my knees."

Woods has suffered numerous injuries throughout his career, many of which required surgery. His knees and ankles alone required eight surgeries between 2002 and 2012. He also had to undergo other similar procedures on his back and feet.

Tiger Woods and his commitment to training

Tiger Woods has always known the importance of physical fitness in his success on the golf course. According to journalist Brandel Chamblee, Woods is in the habit of texting other professional players at 4 a.m. to let them know he is training.

In 2019, Peyton Manning asked Woods about his training routine during a round of golf the two shared. Woods revealed that his gym sessions were scheduled between 3:30 and 5 a.m. every day.

A much more recent example occurred a few weeks ago. A group of student members of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program were filming a promotional video at the Cape Club in Palm City, Florida when they were surprised by Woods in person.

Woods shared with them a few tips on how to improve their game but also gave them a real lesson in hard work. The 15-time major champion revealed that his preparation for each tournament includes making a staggering 1,000 contacts per day with his clubs.

As he specified at the time, it is not 1,000 swings with the driver. Rather, his routine includes hitting approximately 100 balls in the driving range, 300 chip shots and 600 putts.

Tiger Woods has a 27-year career in professional golf, with 82 victories on the PGA Tour, 15 of them in Major championships. He is one of only two players to have won the career grand slam three times (Jack Nicklaus) and the only one to have won all four Majors in a row.