In Good Hands

Ahhhhhhhhh....post acupuncture Friday afternoon... Nothing mellows my body and mind like 50 long, thin needles tapped into my body.  Hee Hee.  You won't get it until you try it;).

 On the north peak of Flower Ridge!  1200m straight up!

Over the past month, I have spent more time in my sneakers than anywhere else, it seems.  I have been building my tolerance for endurance on my feet once again.  Adding time, kilometres and elevation with each run and every week.  Hoping my body would agree to a summer ultramarathon, I put the Squamish 50 (miles that is) on my calendar in pencil and let my preconceptions go...and it is looking like it might actually happen. 

 Flower Ridge on fire with meadows of wild heather.

My body is, however, completely in charge of the plan.  I fired my mind a long time ago.  Many years ago I learned that injury and illness can initiate lasting shifts in perspective.  When you are told you will never run again, you cry with joy when you can walk.   I see the world through my own set of glasses...running, health, adventure and the human body are all gifts...and none of them garaunteed for life.  And so, I run, ride, repeat, but the path and speed limit are not, ultimately, determined by me.

 South Peak of Flower Ridge

That being said...
Athletes must contiually walk the thin line between overload and overtraining to try and create the most effective stimulus and response cycle possible.  Pushing edges is not just part of the plan...it is the only way the human body knows how to progress.

And so...
Let's just say that I have had some cranky calves;0.  They have been talking at me since June, with knots and hot spots popping up here there and everywhere.  Nothing sinister or rated high enough (over 4/10) to stop the train.  But I knew I had to support my body if I wanted to keep building, pushing and progressing.  And then I fell through a wooden bridge and nearly broke both of my ankles.  Bad timing!  Did I mention I used to have bilateraly compartment syndrome in my lower legs?  The pressure was building, the tissues were swollen and they had nowhere to go...time to call in my team!

 1000m down!  Don't stand up!

I am in good hands.  Many good hands.  In the past few weeks I have been to see nearly all of my favourite people:

• Marita Sanchez at Harbourview Massage - to release the pressure
• Debbie Wright at Bayview Chiropractic- to put my spine back in place after the impact of such a hard fall.
• Marian Patterson - Reflexology magic that erased my symptoms and made me feel like I didn't actually run 80k last weekend.  Wow.  
• Michelle Hughes- DCTM and Acupuncture to support my body so it can do the healing it needs to do.  To calm my mind and make me remember that 'it is all good, man'.;)
• Kim & Kendra at Ascent Physio...luckily I haven't had to see them in a while but I know they are always ready and willing to take me on!

We have a team to help us in our 'regular lives'...to change the oil, fix the brakes, cut our bangs, crunch our numbers...yadda yadda yadda... I'd say having a team that supports the old body is just as important- if not WAY more.  

Are you supporting your body?  Who is on your team?  Would love to hear what works for you!
Cheers and happy trails,
Sarah.