No More Excuses

Two weeks ago, I completed my first 5K. 

But instead of jogging it, I walked it. 

Two weeks prior to the race , I could barely walk without pain. I had slipped in a Fleet Feet in the city while trying on and buying new race shoes. I fell, twisting my knee and ankle, and started walking out of alignment. Frustrated and in pain, I was able to schedule a bodywork session from the incomparable Tricia Parrish. 

And while the pain subsided, my dream of jogging this 5k vanished.

My goal became, quite simply: Finish the race and finish it in less than an hour.

Some friends expressed concern with me even proceeding with the Serena Williams Ultimate Run 5k in Miami. My doctor suggested against it. 

My dear friend, Abbie, questioned my intentions. “You know you can do it. You’ve walked a 5K before. Your friends know you can do it.  Why is it so important that you finish this race at this time?”

But I didn’t want to give up. I didn’t want to give into the pain. I didn’t want the pain to win. 

Again. 

Not again. 

And pain is something that I’ve known a bit about.

I grew up with the concept of “No Pain, No Gain”.  My father said this whenever I complained of what would end up being chronic knee issues. Osgood-Schlatters. Chondromalacia. An immobilization brace was used for 90 days to attempt to correct these problems. The problems continued. 

“No Pain, No Gain” would lead me to hike myself into a cortisone injection. 

“No Pain, No Gain” would lead me to push myself right into surgery to correct a torn interior meniscus and to reposition a knee that had been misaligned for 30 years. 

The battle back has been a hard one. And 2 weeks ago, I took the first big step in getting back in shape.

I no longer accept “No Pain, No Gain” as my internal monologue.

It’s imperative that I accept  “No Excuses”.

After the  5K, my hands swelled up to the point that we had to pack them in ice. A combination of wine, humidity, and dehydration had taken its toil. 

Two weeks later, I still have blisters on both heels. I’ve worn flip flops or a singular pair of shoes that don’t have full heel coverage. 

The afternoon following the race, my head pounded to the point of tears and I slept the entire afternoon. 

I am so out of shape. 

No more. 

No more talking about this. 

More doing. 

No more excuses.  

I’ve done it before and I can do it again. Even if I can’t do cardio, there are plenty of other activities that will help me achieve my fitness goals. Yoga. Swimming. Weight training. Maybe a bit of cycling. I have to find my own routine again, a path that takes me back to health, and not one that allows me to park my butt on a chair with the self-serving words of “I have a knee injury”.  I want to have toned arms again. A flatter stomach. I want to not hate how my body feels in clothes. 

No more excuses. 

And then an incredible thing happened. A moment of serendipity. I arrived home from Miami and a day later a package came. A package from Fellow Flowers (www.fellowflowers.com) that my supportive friend, Katrina, sent me. Contained within the package was a purple flower clip and this card. 

  
And my path was reinforced. 

No. More. Excuses. 

So, 2016 is going to be my year of No More Excuses. I will find a way to achieve my goals, and not just my fitness goals but all of my goals. 

Because No More Excuses.