5 Lessons of Surgery
On Monday I was cleared by the surgeon for what he called "light duty" but what I call ramping up my training and/or the official start to Ironman Couer d'Alene training. This was very exciting for me because I had been feeling like it was time to begin ramping up my training but without the surgeons "go for it" I was a little bit hesitant. Now the tricky part. For those that know me personally you all know I can be a little bit intense when it comes to training. I have this tendency to jump right in and go for it and then try to pick up the pieces a little bit later. Well when you are 6 weeks post op from hip surgery you really shouldn't be doing that.
It becomes a way of toeing the line of pushing just hard enough that you are beginning to build but not pushing so hard that you go backwards. I did hop in pretty quick with spin class the day the surgeon released me and followed it up with my first leg day since prior to surgery.
So what did my first five days look like after being released:
Monday: Swim and spin class Tuesday: Quick morning walk + afternoon leg day Wednesday: Woke up overly sore. Afternoon shoulder day Thursday: Random day off due to picking up a cold Friday: Morning Spin Class **rest of the week still to come**
Once again it is coming down to being patient with myself and toeing that line of pushing it but not going backwards.
Before I leave you today I wanted to share with you 5 lessons that came from having surgery.
1. Patience I know I have stressed this a lot during my last couple posts but it was one of the hardest parts about the whole thing. Being patient with my body and understanding that it has to heal properly before I can dive in. Remembering the long term goal and knowing that this was only for the short term was the key.
2. Faith and Belief When I found out I was going to have surgery I told myself to just give into it and believe that it was the best choice in order to get back to doing what I loved and did best. Believing 100 % in the journey I still swear is why I came out of surgery so well.
3. Support and the team Its been said before that despite how much of a one person sport endurance sports are it still takes a team in order for someone to be successful. It takes the love and support of your family to trust in what you are doing. I am blessed with one hell of an amazing team from my kick ass husband, to my loving family, and all the dynamite people that I met along this journey (Team Betty, friends from the gym whom are now like family, social media family, etc). They've helped keep me patient, remind me of the journey, motivate me, and pick up the pieces when I fall apart.
4. Do your exercises For 4 years I spent my days reminding people to do their exercises, don't forget to do your exercises, and then bam its my turn and I totally was one of those who stopped doing her exercises. All it took was a week of not doing them and I found myself going backwards. Your physical therapist gives you exercises for a reason, to build up strength, balance, and flexibility, so don't forget to do them.
5. Enjoy the journey Surgery is no fun. No matter how minimal it is. It is uncomfortable, challenging, and tiring but if you focus on the journey of going from ground zero to seeing just how far you can take your body, mind, and soul you no longer see the immediate but the future. Have fun with it, enjoy the changes, and focus on the progress.
What is your favorite part of the journey? How do you deal with challenges or obstacles that come your way?