Patience, grasshopper

Perhaps the hardest part of recovering from an injury is GETTING ENOUGH REST, especially when you know that you could probably white-knuckle your way through your workouts.  I know I could probably gut it out through some shorter runs, but I know I'd pay for it later.  I'm paying for my overzealous approach already.

The tendinitis in my foot usually is quiet in the morning, then flares up as the day wears on.  By the time I get off work at 8:30 PM the pain is significant.  This is nothing new, but the level of pain has increased.  For me this reinforces my belief that I need to not stress my injured foot any more than absolutely necessary.  Unfortunately I am on my feet for much of the day, so rest is difficult at best.  I mean, I can't just not walk.

I have been able to modify my exercise regimen.  I did go for a long bicycle ride on Saturday.  It's not my favorite form of exercise; I mostly feel it in my quads, and so far I just don't get the same endorphin rush as from running.  The upside is that I'm still outdoors enjoying what's left of the summer, and bicycling doesn't stress my foot at all.  As far as strength training goes, the ADAPT workouts are easy to modify around my issues.  No problem as long as I am able to use some restraint and good judgment.  Riiiight.

I keep thinking about Bruce Lee and his recovery from a devastating injury.  Lee was a dynamic and restless man who would often interrupt his own writing with impromptu workouts such as three-finger push-ups or grueling runs through the hills near his Los Angeles home.  A weight training accident (as the result of not warming up properly) left him with a severe back injury; he was in traction for six months.  Such a layoff must have been unthinkable for a physical fellow like Lee.  While his body healed he kept his mind busy studying philosophy, anatomy/physiology, nutrition, and kinesiology.  As he planned his physical comeback he refined Jeet Kune Do, his personal martial art practice and philosophy.  When the time came he trained his previously strong body to the almost superhuman condition that leaped off the movie screen in films such as Enter The Dragon.  He should not have been able to practice martial arts at all, much less with the cat-like grace and power captured on film.

The lesson here is a reminder to (a) be patient and (b) believe in myself.  This is a journey, not a destination; I'm never gonna be done keeping myself focused and motivated.  I must stay diligent and not allow the setbacks to derail my momentum.  I might be moving slow, but I am moving forward.