Friday, March 20, 2015

Injury as a Lesson in Acceptance

The past year or so has been all about learning to accept a whole bunch of things. I wasn't doing very well at it, but life has a way of showing us what we need to know, nudging us along, if only we'll listen. In late January I injured my back, and found myself flat out for days. I'd keep starting back up training and having repeated setbacks - boom, flat on my back again and again, while my snowshoe racing season went down the drain.

 One day, walking back from yoga, when I'm typically rushing rushing rushing to get back to work, this time I was forced by the icy sidewalks to take the most gentle, deliberate movements, slowly navigating so that it didn't tweak my back. Suddenly it dawned on me that getting to where I was going was not important, but how I got there was crucial. It felt peaceful. I was feeling acceptance in a visceral way, and how different that felt than just knowing it philosophically but not actually buying in. We tend to think mental changes happen in the mind, but this time I felt the difference in my body first, and my mind is following along, trying to catch up. 

 My back is now feeling good, and I'm starting to get into a training groove again. It was months after I thought I'd be ready to get training hard again, but the happy magic of motivation seems to have its own timeline. It comes on suddenly like an itch that needs to be scratched. I always have to meet it half-way, with it usually appearing during a harder run like a tempo effort. It is a wave that washes over me, and leaves me with an instant desire to run all the time, craving that feeling of strength and freedom.  

La Sportiva Mutants are an awesome new shoe for 2015. They love snow and mud!
My huge thanks to La Sportiva for all the years of support. I'm thrilled, honoured, and humbled to be continuing on as an ambassador this year. 


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