Pearl of Adversity
From a young age, my grandmother routinely told me the story of how a pearl is made. For those of you that are unaware, a pearl, in nature, usually starts as a piece of sand that gets into an oyster. It irritates the oyster and causes pain and subsequent inflammation until the oyster coats it in a substance that protects the tissue from harm. The result is this beautiful gemstone that we value in jewelry. In American culture it is a symbol of grace and elegance. To me, it is the epitome of a woman in endurance sports! A product of adversity which is simultaneously strong and beautiful. It takes grit (aka sand), inflammation and hard work to become an endurance athlete.
This is the second week of my blog, but the third of my triathlon training plan. I’m starting to understand just how much work this goal of mine is going to take. My legs have been sore, I’ve been tired, I was on my period and it took every ounce of determination I have to do each of the activities that were planned for me. There were days, especially days after working long shifts, where all I wanted to do was come home, binge on junk food and Dr Pepper, watch a little Netflix and whine about how much I didn’t want to do my workouts. While there was a little Netflix and procrastination and a good bit of whining, I did each of my prescribed workouts. I found that getting started was the hardest part, but once I put on my helmet or slipped on my shoes and stepped out the door, I really enjoyed the activity.
Then Wednesday came along. The prescribed activity was an “easy recovery” bike ride. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to take my bike outside for the first time. With one exception prior to Wednesday, I haven’t been on a bicycle outside since I was about 12 years old. I was nervous and excited to give it a go, knowing that this is a huge part of my race in December. 56 of the 70.3 miles are on a bicycle. So, I loaded up my bike and took it to a nearby park with limited motor vehicle traffic and met up with a friend. I wore my brand-new Pearl Izumi IRLAG bike kit top (which was a little snug) bike gloves and helmet. I looked every bit like I knew what I was doing (I had NO clue). I asked my friend to lead the way and with each mile I felt more and more confident, if not a bit more comfortable, sitting on this skinny bike with its skinny wheels. Then about 4 miles in, I had to turn a pretty sharp corner. At the same time, there was a car coming in the opposite direction. The car and I wouldn’t cross paths but for some reason I looked at the car and kept watching the car and didn’t stay focused on where I wanted the bike to go. Finally, I realized I HAD to make my turn but it was too late. I didn’t follow my line and I popped right off into a ditch that was probably full of poison oak. I didn’t look around enough to know for sure. Falling off the bike was definitely a scary sensation. My friend heard me fall and stopped to come back and help. I ended up with a couple bruises and had to figure out how to put my chain back on my front gear but I got up, dusted myself off, took a deep breath and got back on the bike. We finished our 45-minute ride, loaded up and headed home.
I had a kind of delayed reaction to the fall. Like I said, I immediately got back on without any trouble but since, I’ve been a bit scared to try again. My nerves and my overactive brain have been getting the best of me. However, my next outdoor ride will be this week and I look forward to bringing you a story of triumph and conquering my new (tiny) fear.
I’ve decided I’m making myself into a pearl- pushing past pain, irritation, fear, a hundred other emotions and coating myself in strength & perseverance. When I came to this realization this week, I went to a local craft store and bought myself an artificial pearl and some chain to make a necklace. I’ve decided to wear it, especially on days that are hard, to remind myself that this effort and work is making me into a healthier, happier, and stronger woman.