Setbacks can be great motivators
By Thea Shoemaker 03/18/2009
I woke up on my 39th birthday feeling ready to live the last year of my 30s the best I could. I felt positive, and focused on what I wanted to accomplish and let go of. My plan was to go for a nice long run, and then work in my garden.
But my special birthday didn’t turn out like I had planned; in fact, in all honesty, it sucked!
I started off running, got about two miles from home, and tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. Total face plant! It happened so fast, I had no time to think. Luckily, I put my hands out in front of me, but got a bunch of dirt in my mouth anyway. As I lay on my stomach on the sidewalk, all I could think was, “Happy freakin’ birthday, Thea!”
I felt blood on my face, and went straight to a restroom to check out the damage. The hat I was wearing thankfully saved me … my chin wasn’t split and my jaw wasn’t broken, I was just scratched up and bleeding, with a bruise on my forehead showing the force of my fall. I was two miles from home, with no cell phone and way too much pride to ask for a ride, so I ran straight home to my husband, crying in pain.
On closer inspection, I found that I had bruised my jaw and strained some muscles in my shoulder and right knee, in addition to the skinned chin, nose and lips. I felt like crap for about a week, but the worst part was that I was scheduled to run a half marathon just a few weeks later. My goal was to finish with a time of two hours, and now I knew I wasn’t going to. It wasn’t worth pushing myself and taking the chance of more injury.
But guess what? I’m back! And that’s why I’m sharing this personal story with you … because what happened to me can happen to any of us! Whether it’s a weight-loss foul-up, serious injury or sickness, we all have to face unforeseen challenges that are completely out of our control.
This is when you need to stop, regroup and remind yourself why you started in the first place. What’s my goal? Why is it important to me? And then start over again.
I got myself back on track by starting to walk. Even though I was running four to six miles a day, five days per week before my fall, I knew better than to start off at that intensity. I started with a slow walk/run, and I did three to four miles. After just a few days, I actually bounced back quickly. I ended up finishing the Surf City Half Marathon by walking/running it. Part of my motivation was running with my big sister, who had never run in her life, let alone done a race. I gave her a crash course, and we crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 15 minutes!
I’m feeling great again and still ready to live age 39 to the fullest! So I had a little setback. Big deal! My front tooth has a crack in it, which just means I need a good dentist. In the grand scheme of things, these setbacks really don’t matter much. If one happens to you, just stop and remember: You’re worth it!
Thea Shoemaker, CPT, is the owner of TS Fitness Systems, a personal training business located in the Oxnard beach community. Contact Thea by phone (805) 985-7867 or visit her on the Web at www.tsfitnesssystems.com.
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