…begins with one step. And that’s what it took to get me out of bed this morning. I’ve definitely taken full advantage of having two weeks off from doing any sort of exercise or activity. This was all due to a slight injury I suffered about a month ago now when, during a soccer game, a girl from the opposing team pretty much tackled my right knee. In all of my years of being an athlete, spraining my knee was probably the first “real” injury I’ve ever suffered. Eh- but what the heck-it forced me to take some time off and gave me a great excuse to be lazy.
So, with that said, I played in my last soccer game of the season two days ago, and today I ventured out to go for my first run in well over two weeks. As I sit here typing, I could probably be spending my time better by stretching- but the point is, my knee felt great. Over the past few weeks since this mishap took place, I’ve noticed how having one thing go wrong can sorta’ throw a wrench into things if you’re not careful. For example, one of the first things I would do each morning was go for a run. However, after this happened, I decided to try to sleep in (although somewhat unsuccessfully). I’d wind up laying in bed tossing and turning because I was too awake to go back to sleep and too tired to get out of bed.
Looking back over the past month, the mistake(s) I made when I found out that I hurt my knee were:
- I should’ve NOT played the rest of that game.
- I should’ve given myself the full two weeks off versus coming back only a week later to play in my next soccer game.
Sometimes, when you’re an athlete (or really, just depending on your personality), it is really difficult to hold back the reigns on yourself. All I could think about while the doctor was looking over my knee was “Please say it’ll be ok so that I can play in my next game!” I wanted so badly to play in my next soccer game, that I ignored how my body felt. This is the mistake that we too often make, and one which usually results in us further injuring ourselves. So, even though I wanted to go for my run this morning and sorta’ pick up right where I left off, I had to remind myself to take it easy….just take it easy, girl….
Frustration is the first step towards improvement. I have no incentive to improve if I’m content with what I can do and if I’m completely satisfied with my pace, distance and form as a runner. It’s only when I face frustration and use it to fuel my dedication that I feel myself moving forwards. -Anon