Almost six months to the day I had my right hip replaced and today I ran my first proper trail run; 6 miles with 659 ft of elevation in a little over one hour six minutes (strava). It felt so good to feel strong and confident on my feet in technical and sloppy terrain and it was so good to be ‘out and about’ off pavements once again! I was actually back in the woods where I had my tick bite in July ’20 leading to Lyme’s disease; another box ticked, and chapter closed.
My belief is that we as human beings are capable of much more than we realise. In order to be successful, I strive to be open minded and to embrace the future. So, I have spent a lot of time rowing, cycling, walking, cold water swimming and dreaming – envisioning trail running once again. It helps that I am at my best when I’m challenging myself and it also helps that I am goal orientated and that I like to scenario plan; so not to be caught off-guard when things go wrong. I’ve learned to back-off and step-back when something has not gone to plan such as picking up an injury.
Life rarely works in straight lines and neither has been my recovery, but I have always believed that being physically and mentally strong will get me back to running ultramarathons and today has been quite a significant milestone towards achieving my goal of competing in another ultra within the next six months.
I firmly believe that it is important to work with a growth mindset where all experiences whether positive or negative, can teach us something if we take the time to look. And having clear goals provides us with the time and space to change our plans from time without losing sight of what we want to achieve.
As this year draws to a close and you reflect on what you want to achieve next year, think about what you need to learn and to apply in order that you grow and succeed in your dreams and goals.
Stay safe, happy running and enjoy the year end celebrations when they come around!
All the best
Andy
Life is a Sine Curve 