Drama, Drama...

One of the most challenging things about living the lifestyle of an athlete is that every few years or so, my body seems to stage a full-on rebellion! It started with a little thing like a rib popping out, and has escalated to a pulled shoulder, prompting my chiropractor to suggest that surgery could be in the near future. -sigh- All of this led, of course, to me laying off the shoulder and overdoing it in bootcamp with the plyo's leading to the shin splints, which led to... drama, drama, drama. I really could go on, but I'm already tired of hearing myself whine; I won't submit you to the same torture.
As usual, I fell right into negative self-talk, "I have sponsors, expectations, goals etc..."

In the midst of all this frustration, I was blessed with a voice of reason. One of my friends pointed out that triathlon is not about any particular race, but rather a lifestyle. I love cycling. I love swimming. I love running. I love all things physical. It's more than that, though. It's about facing the reality of your authentic self again and again. It's about accepting where you are physically and being willing to put in the hard work to get your body to perform how you would like it to.  I want to be able to live like this for a long time; for a lifetime.  I read that one of the most difficult things for an injured athlete is to be patient. And so, I will be patient. I just wish patience didn't take so long to acquire.