WHEN SHOULD YOU LISTEN TO YOUR BODY VS YOUR MIND & HEART? WHEN ISN'T MIND OVER MATTER A GOOD IDEA!

WHEN SHOULD YOU LISTEN TO YOUR BODY VS YOUR MIND & HEART? WHEN ISN'T MIND OVER MATTER A GOOD IDEA!

Let's face it! We can't all be David Goggins! The man is a machine to behold, & there is plenty to learn from him, but I do have a little issue when it comes to him pushing WAY PAST his injuries, which he commonly does.

 I see it all the time, & I have been guilty of the same thing.  I have made the grave mistake of racing OVER/through an injury, pushing way past it, & it requiring 6+ months to rehab & recover from it/them.  When I injured my IT band in Dallas during the Spartan Ultra in October 2018, I didn't realize the damage I had done & the extent of the injury.  And honestly, at the time, I didn't really care because I was chasing my 3rd Trifecta of the year & JUST HAD to get a few more races in for the year.  So I did what every hardcore, Type A, goal-oriented woman (person) does, & I continued to race for that last Trifecta, ignoring my body's deafening screams for me to stop.  I figured I would deal with it when I was done & would give myself a "break" afterward. Well, I got a break alright, for 8 months, because after I finished the last Trifecta I took 1 month off & then continued with 2 more races until I literally limped off the plane in tears because I was in so much pain, I could barely get down the jet bridge & to my PT's office.  I mean seriously, look at the photo of my wrapped & duct-taped knees!?! I figured duct tape would hold them together; it holds everything together! I was very wrong.

 Unfortunately, I am not unique in this conundrum. To race or not to race with an injury?  I have seen it many times, & the level of GO HARD OR GO HOME in the OCR community is palpable.  I love & thrive on this level of intensity, but as an intense person already, it is hard to tamper it down & not get wound up in all the glory & listen to my own inner wisdom instead of my internal Type-A go-getter.  We hear plenty of athletes boast about pushing hard, mind over matter, & No Pain-No Gain as their mantras. What's a girl to do?

 As a Type A, recovering perfectionist, being injured can be very challenging when your body is screaming at you to stop & your mind & heart are passionate about keepin on keepin on.  Your mind & heart will try to overpower this situation, especially if you have YOUR GOAL on the line! Right?!?  What should you listen to? It's SO HARD to ssshhhh the mind & let the body speak its wisdom.  I don't believe it's worth sacrificing your body for a shiny medal, a Trifecta, because you've already paid for the race or because your goal is shouting louder than your body. It's important to understand where your choices are coming from & listen to what Love is saying.  When we make the decisions to race while severely injured, it is usually coming from a place of fear (of missing out, failure to do what I said I would do, looking like a fool) & not from a place of what would be most loving to yourself.

After having to make multiple "adult decisions" when it came to racing or not racing in my current condition(s), I've learned a thing or two.  First, I DO BELIEVE in Mind Over Matter, most of the time. Our bodies can do some incredible things when we get out of our own way.  I also think it's imperative to help heal from injuries.  The mind is powerful & can assist the body to overcome a lot when we activate it to do so.  When do I think it's not a good idea?  When an injury is in the mix. If you're dealing with a severe injury, listen to the body first & then the mind & heart.  Our bodies will not lie to us if we have built our trust in them. This does depend on the seriousness of the injury & if it is something you can modify around or if it's simply not a good idea because doing more will cause more damage & take a long time to recover or heal.  It is a personal decision for every person dealing with this choice, but at the age of 43, I have learned I don't heal as quickly as I used to & I only have this one body that I need to love & keep healthy if I want to keep competing & moving through this gorgeous, wild life!

Let your body be your guide, allow your mind to push your limits, & allow the two to play with each other & weigh the wisdom of each when you have an injury to help you keep healthy & happy! Let this be a Permission Slip if you need one! I hereby grant you permission to listen to what you would like & do what you need to do to keep yourself rockin & rollin, even if it's not quite Goggin's style, own your own Fierce Love!