Injuries and Mind Games

I have a couple of friends who are down in the dumps because they have an injury and are not able to train as usual. When faced with weeks off training, when they have events for this season already entered does get an athlete down. It happens to us all from time to time and it is hard to look at the situation sensibly and to have faith that they well actually get back to form sometime in the future.

Keeping your head on straight when every step is painful is very difficult and sometimes you question if it is even possible to get back to square one and that thought in the back of the head might even wonder if it is all over sports wise.

I know all this because I have had a few spells like this myself in the twenty six years that I have been in love with triathlon. The last spell out was just getting rid of a persistent cough  but the worst time was when I broke three bones when I was on holiday in Italy, trying to keep my training going during that time I had a nasty fall on a run when I didn’t see the whole in the road and took a tumble.

Steve tried to change our flights back home but couldn’t and I refused to go to hospital in case they kept me in. I had to wait three days to get to A & E in Worthing after our return. X-rays showed three broken bones, one in my foot, one in my hand and another in my arm I was a mess of abrasions as well.  I was a black and purple mess.

That was in the late spring of 2013 and I did think it was all over and that my triathlon days were finished. I was seventy three for goodness sake. Recovery when you are young is expected quickly but the older you get the longer things take to repair and I still have some minor pain from two of those three injuries.

Being the worlds worst fidget did not help. Resting with my leg up was a nightmare for me and that was when I started my scribbling activities. It was a way to keep me still and try to keep myself from going completely Ga-ga with frustration. I set myself the task of writing a poem every day and it was a good plan and worked to keep me sane. I did that for over a year.

I still write every day but mainly it is just this diary blog with the occasional poem.

Of course a little bit of determination helps and that helped me back to a reasonable fitness and gained me age group World Championships in Edmonton Canada in 2014 and Chicago in 2015.

So you young people, be sensible, try not to give the impression that your state is any body’s fault and occupy your time usefully as you allow your body to repair. It is not the end of the world and the only way is up.

This piece below is something I wrote during my injury time in the first couple of weeks, it is No.14 in my ‘Broken’ poetry file. 

The Pajama Game

Chichester Festival Theatre

Minerva

Starring

Hadley Fraser

Seats G56-57

May 23^rd 2013

A game indeed

Seats booked months ahead

They sold at the speed of light

Hadley had been Raoul

In ‘Phantom’ previously

I looked forward to it so

Then I was set in plaster

There’d been a fall you see

I wasn’t going to miss it

But how was I to go

Wild horses wouldn’t stop me

Now it would not be easy

That, it could not be

I called the theatre

Got them on the phone

A few days ahead

Told them of my plight

To find out about seats

It had not mattered when I booked

That my seats were at the back so high

Manager and receptionist checked location

And told me with a sigh

I should come in early

And they would help me to my seat

The Minerva is so neat

For me the very best

But it’s just a bloody bank of stairs

Swirly almost in a circle

No such thing as a bad seat

On the front row

Actors are at your feet

In the top back row you still see all

Getting to our seats

Would be a labour of love

The theatre assistant was most helpful

Drive up to the door she said

And plant me just inside

My husband then could park the car

And I would not have to go too far

It was an effort and a half

Hobbling up to where we’re sitting

The theatre empty at that time

No coming out again at half time

Once settled with my programme

And lots of time to read it through

So I could see who would be who

Soon after the house lights faded

And the first songs were rendered

I realised a new handicap of mine

And this one hurt in quite another way

Couldn’t clap my hands

At songs divinely sung

Could not even wave my arms

Well at least the good one

It would look like something else

My crutch behind my seat was bunged

Could not even tap that down

Being entertained so well but then

Worth all the painful twinges

I’d do the same again.