Welp! I told you I’d keep you up to date on my fitness journey. I need to call my journey something different because I’m not an Instagram “ fit” chick! I’m just the somewhat average aging woman who wants to keep somewhat active, try new things, look half way decent in jeans, and not throw up when I look at myself naked in front of a mirror! Is that asking for too much!?! My heart and mind is there because it’s young and immature 😜 but my body is pissing me off! My adorable, 8 percent body fat, lean muscled, cute as a button trainer Sandy is pushing me but old injuries are flaring up and reminding me I’m not 25 and to pull back a bit. My left Achilles is screaming at me!
A few years ago I severed my left Achilles’ tendon playing soccer against my oldest daughters college team. Let me clarify. I ran a 5k earlier that day for a charity event and later a fun scrimmage against her team. I was super excited to participate because I loved playing soccer back in the day and I still could place a ball pretty well. I loved having that in common with my daughter that I was actually a decent soccer player at one time and my genetics were just as strong as their professional athlete father! I’m not allowing him to take all the credit of the Division 1 athletes we made! Bahahaha. I’ve got game too! I was geared up and ready to go then it happened. I was warming up and shooting a few goals with the team and I hear a Fergie song over the intercom and I break into a dance while I’m kicking the ball around. I’m smiling and happy then SNAP! Crap. Ugh! Fergie and I went down in a heap! I couldn’t get up. I was done! Put a fork in me! Little did I know that severing my Achilles’ tendon and what accompanied that injury would challenge me physically and mentally. Being stuck on the couch for months with the complications of my surgery would change my life forever. I was sitting still, not running around busy busy busy which I did to avoid the pain in my heart. I had to finally listen to my thoughts in the quiet of my living room while the kids were at school and when my husband left for work and handed me a box of cheez-it’s to eat for the day... ugh! Nibbling on that box of cheez it’s with my leg elevated day after day was challenging and now that my scarred up Achilles is sore and yelling at me I’m spending time in the sauna stretching it out and babying it. The little set back is teaching me patience, self-care, limits, and to get right back up even if you’ve been knocked down! More to follow about this story. For now I’ll swing by the gym and sweat like a pig in the steam room to stretch it out again! Hey! When I walk out to the lobby everyone assumes I worked out super hard! My story continues. ..
PART 2
I did take a week or so off from gym activities to rest my left Achilles. Unfortunately it is still tight and the scar has opened up for some reason. Some of you may remember when my incision would open up since I was allergic to the stitches. It was a pretty disgusting sight to see. So bad, that I would text it to girlfriends at lunch time so they would see it and eat less! ( to keep them on their diets😜). Nothing like seeing a festered open wound at lunch time! Yuk! That injury changed my life and my perspective. As I sat on the couch with my leg elevated, not being able to work or anything else that required walking. I had a lot of time on my hands. I had to listen to my inner voice. Something I haven’t heard probably for many years. Hours of silence filled my living room while the kids were at school and my husband was at work. The silence gave room for me to stop and hear “me.” That little voice that was lost through the years of baseball life, kids schedules, post baseball life, marriage problems, financial problems, going back to college. The inner voice of Danielle” was extinguished many years ago and with the Achilles injury and being forced to rest that little voice was peeking out between the couch cushions. I had neglected her for so long and she began to speak out!#sports #travel #sports #fitness #wellness #selflove
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