I have overcome one of the biggest injuries of my career that kept me from racing for 6 months while I healed. I healed. I raced. I got married July 18, 2009 and I got re-injured July 30, 2009 on our honeymoon. Only this time my injury is much worse. I slipped and fell from about 4 feet up. I broke my upper left forearm right below the wrist and smashed my leg against a big round rock on the ground. My femur should have broken. It should have bruised. It did neither. I spent 2 days in the hospital and couldn't walk for a day. I was in a lot of pain for a few months and saw several specialists. Thank goodness for water-proof casts! I could at least swim with my cast 3 times a week to keep up my aerobic endurance. I got my cast off in mid-September and quickly rehabilitated it back to normal by November. My leg, however is another story. I was still in pain mid-October, but toward the end of October I had a major breakthrough. I started walking completely normal and had little pain. It happened overnight. I am now working with nationally known orthopedic specialist Dr. Mike Cooley and Physical Therapist Marlene Hatch at the new Park City hospital. My progress has been slow, but steady. I have maintained a very positive attitude and that has made the difference to my healing.The following questions are from "The Psychological Impact of Injury" I read in the Fall 09' USA Triathlon Magazine by Cheryl D. Hart.
"BETWEEN STIMULUS AND RESPONSE, THERE IS A SPACE. IN THAT SPACE LIES OUR FREEDOM AND POWER TO CHOOSE OUR RESPONSE. IN THOSE CHOICES LIE OUR GROWTH AND OUR HAPPINESS." --Dr.Paul Stolz (in The Adversity Advantage)
1) Seek a deeper knowledge of the injury, therapy options, and the possible causes.
Wow! I will research my injury even more. I am always asking my physical therapist and other specialists lots of questions about my injury. I'm afraid they are getting sick of all the questions! I have been seeking out therapy options and have had many great ideas and options to choose from. The possible causes of my injury? Well, it was due to gravity while hiking in the Napali Coast on Kauaii during my honeymoon. I'm being a little sarcastic, but that is the honest truth. As I look deeper it may be the universe's way of saying, "SLOW DOWN jAmiE!! LET YOUR BODY HEAL." Perhaps the cause is that I didn't learn all the lessons during my first injury one year ago in February 2009. Somehow I called this forth or created this. Perhaps it will be the driving force to take me to the PRO level. I now have so many advantages (see question 4) that will propel me from elite to PRO!
2) Create a training program around the injury to develop any weaknesses ie: core, strength, flexibility, inefficient form, etc.
I am slowly increasing the amount of time I'm on the bike. My therapist says I should be able to do a 100 miler in April!! I'm excited. I just started biking 30 minutes this week!
Monday: Rehab Exercises, 30 min bike, 10-15 min treadhill climb at 12% incline and 3.5 to 3.8 MPH, hot tub, and massage therapy for leg and arm. Stretch.
Tuesday: ABS, CORE, SHOULDERS, 30 min treadhill climb at 12% incline and 3.5 to 3.8 MPH, hot tub, and massage therapy for leg and arm. Stretch.
Wednesday: Rehab Exercises, 30 min bike, 10-15 min treadhill climb at 12% incline and 3.5 to 3.8 MPH, hot tub, and massage therapy for leg and arm. Stretch.
Thursday: 30 min treadhill climb at 12% incline and 3.5 to 3.8 MPH, hot tub, and massage therapy for leg and arm. Stretch.
Friday: Rehab Exercises, 30 min bike, 10-15 min treadhill climb at 12% incline and 3.5 to 3.8 MPH, hot tub, and massage therapy for leg and arm. Stretch.
Saturday: ABS, CORE, SHOULDERS, 30 min treadhill climb at 12% incline and 3.5 to 3.8 MPH, hot tub, and massage therapy for leg and arm. Stretch.
Sunday: REST! and stretch.
3) What can I learn from this challenging experience/injury?
I am still learning from this! I'm learning how to listen to my body. On some days I will shorten my rehab exercises or cardio or skip it altogether. I am also learning the effects of some serious over-training. I am learning the power that the human body has to heal itself. I have learned to overcome the 5 stage grief process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and reorganization. I am in the acceptance and reorganization phase as I answer all of these questions! I am learning to overcome sadness, hopelessness, frustration, and fear and focus on the good and what I can do. I'm learning to be grateful for what I have and what I can do! I am learning gratitude. I am learning to understand other athletes who are injured. I am learning to slow down my life (a little!)
4) How can I turn adversity into an advantage?
I am seeing this adversity is a huge advantage! And I have since the beginning although it has been hard at times. I have so much more knowledge and experience with listening to my body that I will train harder, train smarter, rest more, and race faster. I am also a lighter athlete as I've lost a total of 12 pounds since January 2009. (I won't complain about carrying 12 less pounds up a hill on a bike!) I've also learned the importance of having a triathlon coach. Me getting a coach is going to be a huge advantage! I know I will succeed with a coach; I will improve my weak areas of triathlon, I will train in a manner that will maximize my potential, and I will race so much faster than ever before! I know that my potential has not been reached. My coach will help me tap into that potential.
5) What can I do right now with the luxury of extra time usually spent training or racing?
Rehab and see question 7.
6) What does success mean to me?
Success is doing what you love and loving what you do.
7) Write down 3 specific priority goals and create a plan for achieving them today!
a) Flexibility: I know the importance of flexibility. It decreases risk of injury. Lance Armstrong started incorporating more stretching into his program and he only got faster and faster. I am committed to stretching everyday. I will plan it into my schedule and do it after rehab.
b) Get clear on what I get to do for employment so that I can afford a triathlon coach. I'm working on this already. Met with someone last week and have homework assignments to do. Yay!
c) Work on getting another sponsor or learn what it will take to get another sponsor. I have plans to do this starting February 1, 2010.
8) Use visualization and imagery to vividly see yourself performing joyfully and injury-free.
--And I would add to see yourself healing and the injury getting stronger! The mind is powerful and can create that. I am committed to doing more of this everyday.
9) Develop strategies for enhancing confidence and positive self-talk and for managing competitive anxiety and distraction control.
The creation hour or power hour! Also, I love to visualize healing and visualize myself racing. Repeating I am powerful, I am fast, I am fit, I am strong, I am healing, I am lean, I am light, I am love, I am beautiful, I am compassionate, I am patient, I am courageous, etc. I feel that I manage my competitive anxiety well. And what is distraction control? :0
10) Review training log:
Did you skip recovery days? YES!!
Did you increase your miles or pace to quickly? I don't think so.
Do you have a biomechanical deficiency? I don't think so.
Did you ignore warning signals? YES!! SEVERAL TIMES. And I could kick myself in the butt for that. I'll never do that again.
11) There is a strong corelation between injuries and high levels of life stress. Do you have too much life stress in your life?
I did at the time: I got injured February 2009 and March 2009, I just had quit a job and started a two new jobs, my schedule switched a lot, I had a new boyfriend, got engaged, tried to buy a house, got married, got injured again, bought a house, became a Land Lord and still am trying to find one more renter. Whew! The only large life-changing event I'm missing is getting pregnant and having a baby. :)
12) Have you been training too hard that it's self-defeating? YES!! That's why I'm going to get a triathlon coach. I am also more aware of my body pain response and will not push myself or over-train. If it's not necessary, then why was I doing it? Because I love to train and race; I love how it feels.
