— B. Stulberg

R4R L1, Part 1
Return-to-Sport was nothing but magical. My first “run” back in 16.5 weeks felt like the flower garden after a season of mud and storms. An easy, stress-free run was on the agenda for 5min WU, (1min run/3min walk) x 10, 5min CD. Truth is, I’ve been staring at this run for awhile. Until I dreamed of the perfect day to make it happen, I felt uncertain of what to expect. Will my bones play nice? What if I forgot how to run? What if my shoelace comes untied? Do I need a new playlist?

As I worked through my fears week after week with the extraordinary help of sports psych, the pieces to the Return-to-Sport puzzle came together more and more. I just happened to have an escape to northern Michigan’s paradise and decided my first night at one of my fav places is when I would Return-to-Sport.

All week I kept visualizing “sunset on the bay” and wouldn’t you know it, the universe delivered in the most wonderful way. The temps were hot but the breeze was gentle as I strolled along the flat scenic path jamming out to Lady Gaga’s “A Million Reasons.” For the first time in a long time, I could call myself a “runner” once again.

As I strolled through each segment on the TART path, I was less in-tune with my watch and more in-tune with the thoughts in my head. My mind kept trying to make an inspirational phrase with the letters and finally came upon this during the 8th interval: “Trust Always. Recovery Too!”

“Trust Always” isn’t something easy. So many times in the last 16.5 weeks I didn’t trust myself to return to the running world. So many times I didn’t trust others because I have been let down. So many times I biked with madness because it felt like running had been ripped away forever. I tried to find solstice in other fitness adventures, but there was always a dagger to my heart when anyone bragged of running. However, something in the last few weeks started to give me hope and a pep in my step, whether that was improvement in single-leg drills or the confidence-boost from aqua jogging. And finally I learned to regain trust in the things I had lost.

“Recovery Too” became a fitting phrase. What if resting is the glue that holds everything together? Recovery builds resiliency. Recovery is required, not optional. I knew I had to make a change in my recovery game going forward in order to begin the trek down the path of success. As much as I wish my body was young and spry, I have to give it the TLC it needs.

My first “run” was the bloom to my season of gloom and exceeded my expectations. “Happiness is a function of reality minus expectations.” I was beyond happy with my total 1.0 mile that my skeleton carried out pain-free. While it’s not anywhere close to where I “want” to be, it is indeed a step forward, a sprout from the mud. And I’m going to celebrate just that!

R4R L1, Part 2
After a pleasant day of breweries, donuts, cider, and serene views, it was time to head to the marina once again for a repeat of Level 1. It was much more populous this time and also much hotter with almost no breeze. I was sweating after my warmup drills!

I remembered looking at the people enjoying the beach on this hot October day (86 F). There were people playing volleyball, biking, wading, walking, and running. And also the pups were alive, crashing into the water for sticks! It was refreshing to see so many people interacting in ways besides relying on technology for entertainment. The common theme of the night was: live in the moment. And here I was, also doing just that.

As I strolled along, a banner caught my eye: “summer of champions.” I smirked as I went by it, thinking “yes, it’s been a summer of championing myself back to restored health.” As much as I wanted to quit for good, I survived some of the toughest days when the only person that could console me was myself. I’m not at my glory days but I’m on the way to something pretty good when the time is right. For now, I’ll keep watering my garden of sprouts so I can bloom next year. For now, good is good enough.