The Power of Positive Thought
9 years ago! The photo on the left was taken on this day nine years ago when I broke both ankles, dislocated one ankle and broke every metatarsal in one foot in a non-running related random accident hopping over a short stone wall between the beach and the boardwalk while traveling in Miami. The photo on the right is me after racing a sub 2-hour half marathon in Manhattan less than a year later.
On the day of the injury, with the help of Owen, my very dear friend in this picture, we took an Uber (as you do) to the emergency room where I received immediate and phenomenal care from a fast-acting doctor who first put my dislocated ankle back in place (so painful) and then proceeded to kindly but in no uncertain terms tell me I would likely never run again and may struggle to even walk as I was accustomed to. I’m pretty sure I was in complete and total shock but Owen didn’t hesitate to tell this doctor that would just not do, that I was a runner and needed to be put back together good as new.
The doctor put me in a cast on the left (broken ankle and foot) and a boot on the right (dislocated and broken ankle), told me I wasn’t able to fly home for three days until the swelling subsided and sent me on my way in a wheelchair back to my oceanfront hotel room where I would wait it out until getting back to Virginia to receive longer term care.
As the disbelief wore off and the reality set in I realized I couldn’t change the situation but I could choose how to handle it. In that moment I made the decision I would stay positive no matter what. It wasn’t some passive thought it was a deliberate and conscious decision to approach this with strength and a smile. And that’s what I did, starting with the very next night where I put on a little black dress and wheeled myself to a very fancy dinner at the Versace Mansion in South Beach.
It was a long, non-linear road to recovery requiring, fortunately, no surgery but a tremendous amount of time and patience. During these many months, I embraced upper body strength workouts that I still use to this day, I worked (from home) as hard as I ever had in my career and was promoted to COO in my company at the time and less than one year from the time of injury I moved to Manhattan and raced a sub 2-hour half marathon through the streets of New York City.
I feel absolutely certain it was my mindset more than anything else that resulted in a full and complete total recovery. I don’t talk about this very often but I think it’s a worthwhile story to share for that very reason. It also really reminded me how much I love running. Facing this fear of potentially losing something I treasure and cherish so much filled me with dedication and determination to do everything in my power to get back to running. I came out of that injury mentally and physically stronger, happier and healthier than ever and the coping skills and power of the mind I learned and used during that time are things I apply to all aspects of my life to this day.
This experience inspired me to chase my dreams, start my own coaching business and share my love of running with others. I think going through this has equipped me with the unique ability to really support and relate to the athletes I train on so many levels in life and running no matter what they are navigating.
What I see more than anything when I look at both of these photos is I am smiling. We cannot always control what happens but we can control how we react to it and I think that mindset can make all the different. Power of positive thought!