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Over the past few weeks I’ve though a lot about these three things and how they are gifts: 

Injury brings focus. 

Darkness provides strength. 

Atmospheric Rivers force creativity. 

I’ve been increasing my time and intensity in the pool over the last couple of weeks. What I have found (especially early on) is that I have to be very careful about my stroke, particularly at the end of recovery, catch and first stages of the pull. If I’m a little off, my shoulder lets me know – quickly. If I’m not using the big strong muscles and rely on my shoulders (which I tend to do), it lets me know – later in the day. I’m having to think a whole lot more when I swim and as much as I don’t like thinking, it has been a very good thing. The adoption of “proper” technique (another way of saying “stopping old, bad habits”) means I’m already pretty darn close to my December pace times, in short distances.  

Anyone living at a higher latitude knows about darkness; it can settle in, stick around, and it can make you want to curl up and hide. Whether we’re talking literal absence-of-light darkness or emotional darkness – it’s going to come at some point. Darkness can be scary because we can’t see the thing that made the noise. We can’t always see a clear path out. But it can also be healing. There’s a reason we are supposed to sleep at night. There’s a reason seeds germinate underground.  Often the hardest work is done during the darkest hours. Darkness has made me really pay attention to what my body needs – something I’ve never been very good at. But by paying attention and focusing on what really needs to be done (recovery!), I’ve been able to weather this injury storm better than in the past.  

Speaking of storms …  

It tends to rain here in Vancouver, but this winter SW BC was hit by a steady stream of atmospheric rivers (formerly known around here as the “Pineapple Express”). According to the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), “a strong AR transports an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to 7.5 to 15 times the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River”. So A LOT of water. ARs can keep even outdoorsy folk like me, inside. Aside from the pool and the gym, I exercise outside. So how does someone who hates being inside train? By getting creative. I check the weather forecast obsessively and plan for any chance to run, ski or hike and when that hasn’t worked, I make use of the treadmill in my building. I am not a fan of treadmills. But, it has served its purpose and I have been surprised at just how much the miserable thing has contributed to my fitness.

The injury to my shoulder has sucked, but it happened and I can’t change that. I can only move forward.