Tracy N has a stress fracture and she has done an amazing job of showing up to Rough-Fit with her foot in a boot and continues to do all the core/leg/arm exercises. She has a little disabled partner with Wendy who has been hobbling for nearly 3 months now but still shows up to work the limbs and parts of her body that are still attached. They are managing through their setbacks. Yes it’s disappointing that Wendy couldn’t complete the training for her first half. Yes, it’s disappointing that Tracy had to bail on the first marathon that she’s committed to in a couple of years - that’s no small feat! BUT, their strength lies in their ability to get back on the wagon and do what they can. Tracy is now a speed demon in the pool. At least she hasn’t resorted to what I did several years ago when I had something or other that ailed me and I was relegated to running in the pool - I attached the old yellow Sony (pre-Ipods!) Walkman to my hat with some tape and ran in the pool for 3 hours with a walkman on my head! Hey, I needed to entertain myself. Wendy has one extremely tight rear end right now - the one which has a foot that works.
Marc and I signed up for Costa Rica last minute and did so because it was a long training run for us but I knew my foot may not cooperate. It didn’t and at mile 9ish, it started to nag. By 12 it was yelling and I decided to try and find a cab to give me a ride back to the beach! It took 6 more miles of gimping before I was able to flag down a Columbian cab driver. A woman from Mass caught up to me at about 16 and tried to reassure me we weren’t last. Being last was the last thing on my mind. She then was disgusted when I said I was really looking for a cab to catch a ride back to spend the rest of the day on the beach with my hubby.
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“You’re kidding me, right, we’re almost there!” Almost there? Lady, we had 8 miles to go, it was 90 plus degrees with 90% humidity and I was limping. I had already wrung out my skirt countless times because it was so hot and the steam was rising off the wet grass. She was relentless, “You could finish you know and get your marathon in South America.” (She was with the “marathon on every continent” group.) “Seriously lady, here’s the upside, if I really wanted another marathon notch, guess what, I get to come back to Costa Rica or I get to go somewhere else in LAR”…that’s what I really wanted to say. But, instead, I waved and smiled at her scowling face from the cab as I drove by.
This day was about me managing a setback in a way that was not destructive to my body. There’s a balance between slugging it through and knowing when to pack it in. It’s not about all or nothing, but what’s the best that you can do with the things that are within your control. Note, I said the things that are within your control! If you’re looking for some tips on how to prep yourself to manage through setbacks, check out the e-learning on “Managing Setbacks”.
After 7 years of Rough-Fit, I’m taking a little sabbatical and headed on vacation for 3 weeks. I’m grateful to know that you are in the capable hands of a very competent team. Jeannine will spearhead the gang from afar and Greg and Jenni will be there mornings and nights. Lauryn will keep the ship afloat from my desk and Celeste will keep you all on track through the Holiday Health Challenge!! I will be celebrating my 45th Birthday in South Africa and would love to come back to a great gift - a whole lot less of you all!!! In the meantime, be PJ! |
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