Therapy For Athletes

Here I’ve been complaining about how miserable the weather can become as winter approaches in Michigan.  Well, mother nature must have been listening because we’ve had a string of beautiful days.  The problem is that I’m supposed to be recovering and laying off my feet.  But this warm weather seem almost like a gift and it would be a crime not to take advantage of it.  So I’ve been lacing up, but taking it fairly easy.  I tell myself, there’ll be stretches when conditions will be icy, the Arctic winds will blow, and looking out the window from the pool or gym will be just fine.  Any minor setbacks from enjoying the sun and tepid breezes of this Indian Summer are acceptable given that its not going to last.  When the bike trainer comes up from the basement and the short sleeves and shorts are substituted by much heavier cloths, it can only mean the inevitable.  Still, I want to hold on to the last rays of a fun racing season as long as I can.

As I mentioned, stepping out into the cold, wet darkness of a Michigan winter takes some added motivation.   Something which gets me out the door is coaching for Team In Training through the winter months into early summer.  Knowing I’ll have to be accountable to someone other than myself and looking forward to seeing a group of people who, through a course of the season, become my friends makes the inclement weather tolerable.

If anyone is looking for a little motivation to stay fit and active through the winter, consider doing a spring or summer event with Team In Training.  Not that I’m biased, but I think it’s the best taining program for what it has to offer and also what you are offering back to people fighting a much larger battle than staying fit through the winter.

For those living in areas where the change in season brings colder temperatures, more rain and snow, and less sunlight, it likely will affect the way you train.  It may also affect your mindset about getting out there and doing what you do. Personally, I’m  finding my motivation has dropped slightly as I’m coming off of a strenuous couple of months and I know I don’t have any major races coming up. (I’m not too concerned about the Turkey Trot and the Jingle Bell Jingle run.)  Plus, there’s an age old imbedded survival instinct to stay warm in a lighted area that started just before my first birthday when people took shelter in caves and invented fire.  As the chill fills the Michigan air and the darkness descends for longer spans of time, I have to fight the urge to stay put.  Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I have a more serious condition like SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) where the lack of sunlight actually sends people into a state of depression.  It’s just that I have to motivate myself more to put on those extra layers or get out before sunlight to get in my training.  As the winter approaches, I’ll try to offer some tips for what’s working to keep me going so that I’ll be in tip top shape and ready to roll in the spring.

What a great race.  Now, I’m not saying that because I took first in my age group (35-39).  I’m saying it because this race had everything I love about the community runs.  Outstanding people (the runners Downriver are some of the best), a great pancake breakfast, and a fun, flat spectator friendly course which permitted my toddler to run along on the sidewalk.  Looking forward to doing it again next year.

As the racing season winds down, there remains some small local events, mostly put together to bring the community together and raise funds for a local charity.  I love those races: they’re close to home; I see people I know; and it’s fun to support local efforts.  I’ll be in Woodhaven today for the run in the park.  I plan to take it easy, but it will be good to run after taking a break to let myself heal.

I’m currently writing an article about the mental aspects of injury and recovery.  Unfortunately I write from first hand knowledge.  My Achilles tendon injury is the first since I got back into fitness four years ago so this remains uncharted territory.  I don’t want to see this turn into a chronic condition, but I’m so eager to get out there again.  The next step is to seek professional help, but most of the advice I’ve receive is  to simply take conservative measures and rest.  Honestly, it’s not even been two weeks since the marathon, but patience has never been one of my virtues.  I did want to take a break and allow all of my body to heal after a long running and triathlon season.  Tomorrow I’ll start back swimming and hitting the weights.  To be continued.

It wasn’t until we left the race that we heard the tragic news.  We stopped for lunch at Greektown.  Afterwards, we visited St. Ann’s Church and learned about the three deaths from a curator.  My heart went out to the runners and their families.  Surrounding by depictions of saints who lost their lives to a higher calling, I felt the loss of people who at the time were nameless, but died in pursuit of something nobel. 

Since that time, I’ve had a chance to read more about the three who died; their names and ages, something about their lives, and the mystery surrounding their callapse.  As a runner, I find myself periodically checking the news for any additional information about what may have happened.  I find myself almost paranoid about the circumstances.  After all, what are the chances of three people dying near the same spot within minutes of each other.  The last thing I would want is to feed into any conspiracy theories, yet I’m eager to learn more.  Perhaps to put my mind more at ease; perhaps to offer some closure to the families; perhaps to have some answers and firmly erase any irrational thoughts about accepting aid at races.  What happened was tragic enough.  My thoughts and prayers truly go out to the family and friends of those our running community lost.  May we remember, not in fear, but in honor of their race.

In the Bible they say that for everything there is a season.  In Michigan the cold has arrived and the triathlon season is officially over.  This weekend is the Detroit Free Press Marathon which will be my last race for a while.  I’ve been injured all summer with my Achilles tendon, so it will feel good to take a break.  My goal for the off-season is to take good, if not better, care of myself.  I’d like to maintain a healthy diet and stay consistent with my conditioning.  Actually, I’d love build a very strong base while recovering.  I suppose this time of year is always when you look back at what was and what could have been; the successes and failures, the right and wrong calls, the opportunities gained and lost.  I know I curse this injury which grossly limited my training.  The only positive I can surmise is my learning to do more with less.  Decisions about how much, when, and how to train mattered more than ever.  I learned a lot, yet with restrictions and limitations comes an insurmountable ceiling only proper healing can lift.

I’ve dropped off the face of the cyber world to focus more on my family.  It’s been a liberating experience as I’ve been enjoying my wife and daughter without checking emails or updating blogs or writing articles.  My hiatus is done as I’m dropping back on my training to recover from an Achilles tendon injury.   Thus,  I’ll have a little more time to write.  Good to stretch and exercise that mental muscle as well.   The one thing I’ve learned since doing triathlons is the importance of balance.  Emphasis on one thing leads to decompensation in some other area.  I suppose this can spill over into life in general.  The people who can juggle the best seem to have greater success overall.  Sure someone could be very successful in their career, but unless energy is put into other dimensions, such as personal health or family, those areas suffer.  Creating a balance is an ongoing struggle, but the rewards are worth it.

How much control do you have and want to have over your mind and body?  I suppose that’s been the question on my mind recently as I struggle with anxieties, mostly related to the future.  I see the years passing and for the first time I see the toll they are taking on my parents and aging relatives.  Our family has been blessed with good health, but there’s this pestering dread that the luck is going to run out.  I guess I’ve been watching my mom, a woman of boundless energy, struggle with her fears about aging and the accompanying losses.  My mom still works, but considered retiring because a close friend from work was doing likewise.  The thought of  slipping into the twilight of her days didn’t sit well with her.  The funny thing is, that will be me.  I never want to stop doing what I enjoy and what gives me a sense of purpose.  Still, time and circumstance can steal away so much no matter how vigilant or forceful your will can be.  You may go down kicking and screaming, but you go down non the less.  It sucks, but such is reality.  I guess that’s why you cherish every moment.

On an athletic note, I completed my first race as a Team In Training coach.  It will be weird not have my team at the trainings.  I’ll miss them.  I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end their season, seeing most of them run at the Flying Pig and finish what they started last year.  They came such a long way and I couldn’t be prouder of them.