What do most of you do when you have injured yourself while training or at a race event?
You connect with a friend who has suffered the same injury, or throw up a post in your favorite facebook group seeking advice/help for a quick recovery.
I am no different.
Last year in 2020 - I had major surgery on my right leg to repair all my hamstring muscles and mend some serious glute tears.
It's been about 6 months now. But I went into some dark places physically and mentally and I just decided to pick up the phone and connect with Sharon who I knew was still recovering from back, hip and elbow surgery one Sunday afternoon.
She shared it all. As I listened intently- I found myself nodding as I spoke to Sharon, a running & cycling buddy of mine about her comeback from a serious car crash she had while cycling.
When she revealed she fired her Physical Therapist and Airrosti person and took matters into her own hands - she had my full attention.
She reached a point in her PT journey where she plateaued, and while scratching for solutions was shocking told: "If you lost some weight your life would be better".
She immediately *FIRED* her therapy team and their Rehab plan for her was scrapped.
She came to a point that she needed to do things differently for herself and she enlisted the services of a personal coach, signed up to talk with a psychologist, rejoined her local Camp Gladiator & sat down and created her own rehab plan along with a vision board of running & racing goals she would like to achieve.
As she told me about her "rehab vision board" she created a few months ago, my own leg was getting numb from sitting too long and getting ready to what I call - go *offline*.
I asked - were all of those drastic changes really necessary? She said yes, here's why....
Every time she started back at running or cycling - she was constantly defeated by mental and physical limitations, new niggles & injuries caused by pushing it too early/hard or pain from reconstructive surgery that just never went away or healed properly.
She even tallied that her attempts to get back to her normal “Active-lifestyle” had rejected her entry or reentry over 16 times.
But she was determined...come hell or high-water - she kept going, never giving up, making the hard choices to find ways to heal and get back to the activities that brought her joy and peace - running and cycling.
She was so choked with emotions she began to sob and talk and oddly - smile with joy at the same time. I was misty eyed at this point as well.
Sounds weird - but close your eyes and imagine your best running buddy sharing an experience with you.
I felt all of her emotions--with all of my heart and current physical state. Lawdy, I did - I felt it like a California tremor.
A Runner/Cyclist's
Secret Formula To Recover From Injury
Sharon is fully active again and has reversed the perils of being involved in a car crash while cycling. I asked her the following questions: How did she do it?….
How did she keep going?...
What motivated her?
Her Response: Affirmations and a calendar.
If you have a scrunched up look on your face - I did as well.
Sharon had written affirmations on pink, yellow and green post-it notes in three places.
She used her vision board to create a big collage of her hiking, running, cycling and doing Camp Gladiator with friends.
From there she looked at the pictures and started to just write goals and affirmations on the post-its.
She then put it in the 3 most important places for he to constantly be encouraged, inspired and remind her of her why when motivation is low.
Bathroom mirror
Her desk
Steering wheel of car
She believed. She worked hard. She never gave up. And she fully rehabbed and gained a new lifeline to enjoy active life outdoors.
She showed up for herself.
Goals happened for her.
Life happened for her.
My takeaway: Have a dream, a goal, a grind that you are pushing---don't give up.
I decided to incorporate using AFFIRMATIONS for my own rehab journey starting last January.
It has accelerated my lengthy recovery and greatly improved my mental and emotional being having to deal with this debilitating injury.
Would you mind me sharing one of my rehabbing journal entries?👇
60 Motivational Affirmations For
Recovering Injured Athletes
(Perfect For Runners, Cyclists & Triathletes)
Are you a woman seeking personal growth or rehabbing from a serious injury? Are your negative internal dialogues keeping you from doing things you want to do? Do you lack confidence, even though you know that other people believe in your abilities?
If so, you may appreciate some help getting inspired and motivated!
Negative self-talk can be a roadblock to doing your best, pursuing your dreams, and enjoying life.
On the other hand, positive self-talk can spur you on to do great things and live an exciting life full of passion!
General Motivational Affirmations For Your Life
A great way to get motivated is to use motivational affirmations.
Using affirmations can change how you think about yourself and how you view the world around you.
These positive statements can bring you the motivation you seek, as well as happiness, joy, and passion.
When you’re feeling negative or down, repeating affirmations can immediately improve your mood.
Even though affirmations can work immediately, don’t think of them as a quick fix. Positive affirmations are most effective in the long-term so you can get what you deeply desire out of life.
When you use affirmations, you are literally reprogramming the way you think. You replace your negative self-talk and doubts with positive, motivating thoughts. Eventually, these positive thoughts become reality.
These motivational affirmations work because they push away the negative thoughts that are limiting you day in and day out. You can leave your negative thinking in the past if you fill your current thoughts with positive, motivational affirmations.
Before you know it, these affirmations will become second nature, allowing you to change your life systematically, one thought at a time.
Here are our top ten motivational affirmations for winning in your life
I welcome positive energy and I use that feeling to accomplish more.
I use my energy to live my life to the fullest.
No matter what I'm working on, I'm always committed to completing my goal.
I trust my thought processes. They are clear and I am very capable.
I can find my own intrinsic motivator.
No matter how hard I may fall, I get back up, dust myself off, and forge on.
No matter the challenge, I will see it through.
I enjoy being responsible for my actions.
My life is full of purpose, exciting change, and many recognized deeds.
By commemorating the smallest nuggets of success, I am motivated to complete the larger tasks.
Use this list of affirmations in those moments of self-doubt to help you find the motivation you need. Repeat them in the morning when you first wake up, or make them your last thoughts at night before you sleep.
You can also find other affirmations that have special meaning for you, or write your own affirmations.
It doesn’t matter where you get them, as long as they speak to your heart and are focused on the present.
We all need a motivational boost from time to time. Now you don't have to look to other people or situations to keep you moving forward.
Keep your affirmation list updated with the thoughts you’d like to be thinking, repeat your affirmations several times a day, and soon you’ll be living the passionate life you’ve always wanted!
60 Rehabbing Affirmations - "Love Thy Body"
After I tried incorporating affirmations into my own recovery journey and achieved success.
I was 100% a believer in Sharon's approach to recovery.
Looking to improve your rehab experience or hit a low point in your recovery from your injury that has side-lined you?
Try switching up your routine and adding some daily affirmations into the mix or just before PT.
Sharon and I put together a combined list of our personal affirmations so you can have a launching pad to leap from to make your own.
Highlight the affirmations that work for you. Say them aloud and write them daily.
I am turning into the greatest athlete/version of myself.
I am becoming happier with my body.
Having a healthy abilities image improves the quality of my life.
I deserve to be confident and happy.
I can perform well in tough competitions.
I will always enjoy the training process.
I accept myself completely.
Each day I look and feel better.
I am committed to my training.
I will always be focused on winning.
I can jump high.
Having a healthy body comes naturally to me.
Self acceptance comes naturally to me.
I always win and love the feeling of winning.
I feel mentally strong, I can stay positive throughout competition.
I have a desire and ability to improve.
My stamina is constantly increasing.
I am a highly skilled athlete.
I am confident in my ability.
I find it easy to think positively about my body/abilities/injured body part.
I am overcoming negativity and building a positive attitude towards myself.
I will practice every day.
I am a strong competitor.
I am a fast person.
Every day my skills become stronger and stronger.
I naturally have high stamina.
I can do hard things.
I like the challenge of competition.
I am enough and I have enough to repair & rebuild
I naturally love and accept my body/injured body part
I am finding it easier to feel confident in the way I look.
I will push myself to become the best athlete in my sport.
I naturally achieve all my athletic goals through hard work.
I naturally focus my mind when I need to concentrate.
I can stay focused under pressure.
I have a very high level of endurance.
I am building a positive body image.
I am a winner at whatever I compete in.
I am dedicated and excited to practice.
I am faster than the wind.
I have a healthy body image.
I will continue to perform my best under pressure.
I am confident in the way I look.
I am thankful for my body.
I enjoy practicing hard.
Motivation is easy for me to find when training.
I am an amazing athlete.
I am willing to do what it takes to be successful.
I will have a healthy body image.
Through practice I will achieve my full athletic potential.
I will always have gratitude for my body.
I have amazing stamina.
People are drawn to me because I am confident in the way I look/perform
I naturally have strong athletic abilities.
Feeling positive about my body is normal for me.
I am beginning to accept myself more and more.
I have the skills needed to perform well.
I will always surpass the athletic expectations others have.
I am beginning to feel content with the way I look.
I have always loved training harder than my competitors.
I am wishing you all a speedy recovery from all niggles, pain, injuries, and surgeries!
Camille