How am I doing?

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How am I doing?

It has been 3 months and my life is finally returning to a state of normalcy, after weeks of being primarily homebound, unable to do much besides sit in a recliner chair. I can drive again, so I don’t have to rely on a chauffeur (mom and dad), to take me to work or to doctor’s appointments. More importantly, I am regaining my wellbeing-both physical and psychological, as I am able to run and ride my bike, and I am back in the pool at 5am Master’s swim practice. 

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Trying to Tell the Story of a Year with Numbers

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Trying to Tell the Story of a Year with Numbers

For many, a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the data-driven world of science and evidenced-based medicine it is a graph that tells the story of a thousand words. In an effort to objectively tell the story of this past year, I created numerous graphs depicting weekly training hours, number of training sessions per week, and the percentage breakdown of S/B/R during the phases of my training through injury, progression, re-injury, progression, and finally being healthy and training at full volume and intensity.

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Burying My Fears

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I am going to be honest, I am terrified. I am terrified to be making the jump to the next level having done so little training. I am nervous to be starting my season  months from now when everyone else has several races under their belts and completed loads more training than I have. I am scared that I won't get my fitness back. I panic every morning before I get out of bed not knowing what the first few steps are going to feel like and if the stiffness and soreness in my knee is going to linger and I will practically be crippled after a day of rounding in the hospital. I go to bed each night with the worry that the little training I did was too much and I will be set back 3 weeks in my recovery.

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The Bright Side of Injury

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The Bright Side of Injury

Through the depths of frustration, anguish, and the depressive state that I sometimes find myself in secondary to a deficiency of endorphins, I have found a silver lining. After spending the better part of the off-season struggling with an injury (then illness, then injury, and then yet another injury), I have resolved to not let it drag me down, instead it is an opportunity. And no, not an opportunity to spend my Saturday nights at the bars and become a slothful couch potato, but instead I have a chance to take a step back and get in touch with my body in new ways that do not involve putting it through the rigors of intense training.

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Injured, now what?

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Injured, now what?

Even if you do not say it aloud, these words most certainly cross your mind when that little twinge becomes a nag that then becomes a pain in the you know what, literally and/or figuratively: “I am injured, so now what?” An injury, especially for someone who relies on daily exercise to feed their endorphin addiction, is a life altering experience. It takes you out of your routine; it robs you of your outlet for stress relief and sends you spiraling into a state of despair. You become envious of others who are working out and training for races. When you hit rock bottom you are laying on the coach stuffing your face thinking you should just retire now, no one will notice.

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