Slowing Down and Re-Focusing

It has been two weeks since the Couer d'Alene marathon and the plan had been to jump head first into Ironman 70.3 training to be ready for the ChelanMan 70.3 July 18th.  Yet here I am two week past and haven't been able to run, bike, or lift legs resulting in my racing for this summer to be put on hold. Injuries are not fun and it has been a long time since I have been injured to the point where I haven't been able to just push through the discomfort.  Truth be told I did push through for a while, through  both the Bend Marathon and The Couer d'Alene Marathon, as the discomfort started about two weeks prior to the Bend Marathon and I just put it off as being tired from training.  It wasn't until after the Bend Marathon that I realized something was really wrong.

Physical therapy kept me going through the Couer d'Alene Marathon but after that I came to realize that it was time to slow down for the rest of the summer.  While yes I could probably have myself ready for the ChelanMan even with starting my training late (like not till next week) but knowing my competitive mindset I would kill myself training just to get race ready and potentially cause more injury.  That being said a part of me still wanted to.... a part of me wanted to ignore the rational side and go for it....that's when my fiance basically put his foot down and here I am today trying to re-focus my brain on a different task; slowing down, recovering, and enjoying planning my wedding.

I will admit that slowing down has been really hard on me; mostly because it has meant I have not been able to run, bike, or do legs at the gym, three of my favorite things.  Running has always been my solstice a way for me to untangle the webs of the day and not being able to puts me in a bit of an emotional bind.

So what have I been up to to keep my sanity:

I have been lifting a lot, which works to my advantage as both Brandon and I start competition prep again here in about a month.

Gage and I have been going on long walks in which we did get caught in a thunderstorm the other day, scared the poor pup into a dead sprint home, at least I can say that I got a chance to run for a short bit.  But most importantly I have been resting, I have been sleeping in, going to physical therapy, and working on learning to relax a bit (not sure I will ever be good at that one).

Re-evaluating my goals:

Slowing down can be really hard and re-focusing even harder, especially when you are forced to.  What is most important though is my body and being able to continue to do the things I love for the rest of my life.  Pushing through right now, while totally doable, could have caused more issues in the long run and I have plans for the long run.  So I had re-focus my goals from short term to long term:

1. First off, there is the Portland Marathon in October (already signed up and paid for) so why not focus on getting healthy so that I can be prepared in August to go 110% training wise for that race.

2. I am getting married in August with our honeymoon right after, that is WAY more important than any race.  For those of you that follow me on instagram or facebook know just HOW EXCITED I AM FOR THAT DAY!! Less than 90 days and let me tell you I want it to be here now!!

3. I am planning on racing in the Arizona Ironman next year, 2016, and to complete this long time goal of mine I need to be 100 % healthy and strong.

4. I want to be able to run for the rest of my life.  There is no point in risking an injury now that could result in more issues down the road; I am a lifetime runner and that is important.

I have learned, truthfully still learning, that sometimes you just have to listen to the universe telling you that it is not your time right now, listen to the universe telling you that maybe it is time to focus on something else so that you can come back faster and stronger.

When has there been a time in your life where you had to take a step back? What caused you to re-focus and how did you cope with it?