Lessons-April 27, 2009
In February and March of 2009 I was involved in three different fluke accidents that led to and 11 weeks and counting “vacation”.
From this I have learned some very important lessons that I wish to share with my fellow athletes so they don’t have to go through what I have. Two of the many lessons I have learned are number one: the importance of taking time to rest and recover. Number two: the importance of stretching. Some of the other lessons I’m learning include: the total stresses of life must be taken into consideration, the powerful connection between mind and body, the relationship between spirit and body, and the virtue of patience.
Taking Time to Get Some Good Ol’ R & R
As a Division one collegiate swimmer I trained four hours a day and always felt like I was on the brink of being over trained and the edge of exhaustion. However, in the four years of swimming at BYU, I was only over trained once or twice. I had an amazing coach who could tell when it was time to back off. And when it was time, back off we did. He allowed our bodies time to recover by periodization. The following link describes what periodization involves: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_periodization
Now that I am on my own, I push my physical limits don’t allow myself enough time to recover from each workout. This is one thing that contributed to my injuries. I’m learning the importance of R&R now as I have spent 11 weeks healing. I am learning how to better periodize my season so I don’t burn out and so my body heals and recovers from workouts instead of breaking down. I’m learning that quality is better than quantity. And I’m learning that it’s OKAY to take a day off!
I am continuing to heal. I’m also learning to take an injury seriously from the moment it happens instead of learning to take it seriously the second or third time, re-injuring it and causing it to take even longer to heal. As an athlete I just want to be able to train. I want to swim. I want to run. I want to bike. And not being able to do that has been difficult. After feeling good for four days after my tricep injury, I started to push the limits. I started swimming too early and re-injured my arm. Again I reiterate the importance of healing, resting, recovering!
The Benefits of Stretching
I’m learning to stretch. If I would have stretched more often, I probably wouldn’t have the injury that I do in my hamstring. I would’ve been flexible and wouldn’t have strained the muscle by forcing it through a ROM (range of motion) that I don’t have. I’m learning the importance of taking care of myself that way. That is one big lesson that is coming up for me in these moments as I can’t exercise as I wish. Instead, I focus daily on rehab and stretching my body.
I knew I had the opportunity to learn this lesson back in February, two weeks after my injuries started. I approached my boss and petitioned to start a flexibility class at the gym where I train clients (Sorenson Unity Fitness Center, 1383 South 900 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84104). We found an open hour: Tuesday nights from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. The class started March 3rd and so far only one student has come, but I still stretch for that hour weather someone is there or not. Lance Armstrong improved his athletic career by incorporating daily stretching into his busy training schedule. I, too, will follow suit.
I am so thankful for a healthy body that can heal! I am an athlete who heals her body!
The Road to Recovery-May 4
On Friday May 1st, I went to Dr. Jacques out in Sandy just off of Redwood and 100th South. Zurvival owner, Jeremy Butler recommended him to me. He popped a few joints back in (my upper and lower back, neck, rib, hip, and elbow) and did some acupuncture on my right iliopsoas, left hammie, and left tricep. He then instructed me to rest the remainder of the day and the following day start running!! What!??? My mind was going crazy at the thought that I would be able to do more than just rehab. It was also screaming, “Noooooooo!!!!!” at the thought of running and re-injuring it. To be honest, I was scared. I was scared to run. I swallowed my fear and decided to trust this amazing man who knows so much more about the human body than I.
The instructions were very clear: Stretch lightly. Run for 20 seconds then walk for one minute. Do this for 20 minutes until our next appointment on Wednesday. I followed his prescibed routine with exactness, amazed that I was not in incredible pain during or after. I could feel, however, certain muscles tightening up and can’t wait for another round of acupuncture!
