A Practice In Patience

Patience is not one of my virtues. Anyone that knows me, knows that. However it seem that the universe has decided it is time to finally teach me that lesson. With only a few weeks to go to my black belt test, I have managed to hurt myself twice in less than a week.

Last Saturday I hyper-extended my right elbow while being wheelbarrowed during training. I told my instructors that it was all a ploy to get out of participating in that exercise! I must admit, I surprised myself. Despite being in a lot of pain I continued training with the team and ran the 5k race afterwards that I had planned ot run. I think the bigger surprise was that I cut more than five minutes off my best time. The real arm pain didn't start until later that afternoon. I suspect as a result of the endorphins wearing off. The result: no pushups and limited use of it during training.

On Thursday I landed, or rather didn't land a jump front kick during class. My foot hit the ground and my left knee bent backwards. So now I'm hobbling around with instructions to stay off of it for a week. A leg injury is much more bothersom than an arm injury. An arm injury is a pain, punn intended. A leg injury effects everything.

This is so frustrating because I am so close to the test weekend and because I had managed to stay relatively injury free up to this point in my training. My running was just starting to improve and my time running up that big hill we run up was getting faster.

Even though I don't want to, I'm listening to those that have instructed me to rest and heal. I know that they are right and want the best for me. The sooner I heal the sooner I can get back at it to make sure that I am ready for my test. As my insturctor said to me this morning, it is better to be out of commision for a week or so than to be out for a year.

So as I am on pause, with one functional arm and one functional leg, i will exercise patience and remind myself that this too shall pass.