Falling

The fall that tore my quadriceps tendon gave me my worst injury ever. I can’t say that it is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, but I can say that it seems to be one of the top bad things. Not surprisingly, it has had quite an impact on my life.

On the negative side, I’ve been unable to run since March 26. Since I’ve been a competitive runner since I was 15 and even went about 23 years without missing a day, the lack of running has been rather unpleasant. I have been biking and even have worked up to pool running. But, land running is but a memory at this point.

Also on the negative side is a new fear I have-whenever I am moving about, I almost always feel a faint dread of falling. This really hits me on stairs, causing me to grip the rails and go up one stair at a time. Sure, I am just being cautious, but I do not like that feeling. It has faded as I have grown stronger, but it still lurks in the shadows of my mind.

On the positive side, I have learned that I can handle this sort of adversity and focus on doing what it takes to recovery. I really had no doubt about this, but it is one thing to believe and another to know.

The injury has also given me a chance to rest and recovery-something I have rarely been willing to do. Perhaps this will actually turn out to help me in the long run. In addition, I have had to add new things to my workout routines such as swimming, weight lifting, and so on. Ironically, in some ways I am more fit than ever. Of course, what remains to be seen is how well all this non-running exercise translates into running.

I’ve long been a calm person who has had a talent for putting things in perspective. Of course, I was not always that way. In fact, as a kid I could have quite a temper. I found that the injury reinforced my calmness and sense of perspective. After all, minor things seem all the more minor in comparison. That is one useful thing about a bad injury-lesser things are put in their proper perspective.

I cannot, obviously enough, say that I am glad I fell. But, I think that I have done well with the situation and have turned it to my advantage. That said, I would not recommend a serious injury as a means of building character.