SHOWING UP FULLY FOR MYSELF

 

AM I SHOWING UP FOR MYSELF?

WELLLLLLL…….After writing the last blog post…. I was in for a rude awakening when I sprained my ankle.

My last post was about racing in 2025 and I was going to do a half marathon in Richmond after having the flu. Not so fast.  I am sidelined from running.

First: the sprain. I’ve sprained that ankle previously (in 1994, so 31 years ago!) and also broke 2 bones in that foot in that incident.  I had a cast on (this was my first year at uva, so it was highly memorable crutching around campus because I of course, being me, refused to take the bus). Anyway, I have had no foot problems in the time since, thankfully.  I think of my ankles and feet honestly as unbelievably strong.  Next time you watch any gymnastics on TV, watch the close ups of the gymnasts feet on the balance beam.  Those toes are like GRIPPERS. Anyway, long story short, I was training someone, doing high single leg jumps with them and, I must have been distracted or I have no idea, I literally came down AT 90 degrees on my ankle. I heard it.  I thought it was broken. I was frozen in shock and wanted to puke and also essentially was still working… ha… so I quickly ended that session- it was just 5 minutes to go, dragged myself to my freezer for ice and still had my eyes bugging out of me thinking, can I Just go back and NOT DO THAT??!!!

So, I cannot backtrack.  I cannot run for approx. 4 weeks apparently. And so I’m highly bummed about that.  I’m bummed because I love it, because I have plans, because I Had spent January and February until I got the flu really training myself solid and getting into a fitness level that I was proud to be consistently working at. AND, I know I’ll lose my run fitness. HOWEVER…. Within 24 hours, I thankfully, was able to adjust my mindset to an athlete’s mindset that I try to follow when I am coaching people who are injured or at a setback.  It is disappointing, but you can ALWAYS LOOK TO THE OPPORTUNITY.  So, I made myself do the same thing.  What is the opportunity here, Sharon? How can I continue to FULLY SHOW UP day to day for myself.

And: there is an opportunity.  There are MANY.

There is an opportunity to train much harder and more consistently on the bike.  I don’t have to “share” my training time with running right now, so I can really get in some good hours on the bike. I can do an “experiment” in what it is like training harder on the bike than on the run.

There is an opportunity for strength and more core and more other things that I love (handstands and yoga).

And this is a chance to practice handling hard things. (I mean, there is frankly enough hard things going on in the world and my life already at the moment and I don’t really need this addition, but here it is, so… I will learn from this). I will practice being resilient with my mindset, not giving up, but just taking a pivot and side road to get to the same destination.  I am seeing the positives- OH MY GOODNESS I realize how lucky I am: so lucky this did not happen in the summer, lucky it wasn’t closer to my marathon in Kauai, lucky it didn’t happen when I was hiking by myself on a mountain in Kauai! GOSH, I do feel thankful for those things AS WELL AS EVEN MORE INSPIRED to do all the rehab- all the things in my power to make sure that I have done my work in strengthening these ligaments that are now more susceptible to a future sprain and ankle roll. So, I’m on it.  I’m fired up. Last blog post, I wrote from this place of calm contentment in my training and outcomes.  I am now fiercely and furiously motivated to attack my days with all the things possible that I can do to get back on track, in the short term and in the long term. I feel almost like I am being reminded of who I am in my core, my essence, the days of Sharon the one who will rise to strength and not let disappointments be the end of my story.

I’m excited and interested to see where this takes me.

For now, I’ll be on my bike, in the pool with a pull buoy, and staying strong, SHOWING UP FULLY FOR MYSELF.