I AM A Tortoise, Darn it!!

Somehow we have a way of being so hard on ourselves, even when we’re doing the right thing. Have you ever taken time away from training or a favorite sport, only to find out that when you were ready to get back into it that somehow your body “forgot” how to do it right (or at least fast enough)?

I took a period of three months completely off of training (five months off of running; three months off of running and cycling). I did a check-in with my adrenals, found out I was “overdone” and needed to go through a period of healing. It was a good time for me to do an all-stop and pull back in a lot of areas to let myself truly heal. Do we do that often enough?

So, I was doing the right thing in giving my body a break. My healing has come along beautifully. But I was more than ready to start getting back slowly and, truth be told, my favorite women’s running event is coming up and I need to give myself enough time to properly train. But starting over is hard, mentally and physically.

Today, I am the tortoise. Somehow I think we forgot to revere the tortoise for his commitment, perseverance and accomplishment. You remember the story: he finished and in his case, even beat the hare because the hare was screwing around. But I don’t even care so much about the hare here. There will always be someone faster than me; I can’t let their accomplishment stop me from reveling in and appreciating my own. The tortoise did not sit on the couch eating bon bons, he did the race!

I do need to tell my brain to chill out and love on me a little. Would I tell a patient or client that they weren’t “good enough” because they didn’t go fast enough? What is it with us and comparing ourselves to…even ourselves? Haters be hatin’ in our own head!

My running and cycling adventures are times when I have been at one with nature and have nurtured some of the most amazing relationships. That is, when I can get off the beaten path and enjoy some of the hidden splendors near my home and find someone adventurous enough to get out there with me. When I am able to get out of my own head and enjoy the beauty, I can lose sense of time and perceptions of distance. Today was gorgeous, but I was definitely a tortoise and you know what? I am okay with that…today.

My goal is to still be doing and enjoying my sports at 90. Call me crazy, but when I set a goal, I achieve it! But in order to do that, I will have to take breaks every once in a while, check in with my own health, make course corrections and come back slowly. Let’s learn to revere and celebrate those comebacks rather than dreading and cursing them.

I am a healthy athlete, even if a tortoise. How about you?

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