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The Struggles of Injury are Deeper than the Physical

The Struggles of Injury are Deeper than the Physical

 

990 Days and Counting 

As I write this it has been 990 days since my first injury. 990 days of pain, crutches, surgeries, boots, casts, and frustration.  990 days of trying to stay positive, about trying to keep my head above water. I should be happy I can move; I should be happy I am healthy; I should be glad it’s not worse…. according to other people. To me its 990 days of sitting on the sidelines, of pulling out of runs/races that I wanted to experience. 990 of watching your run buddies hit those goals they wanted and “smiling” as you cheer them on.

Yes, I am lucky: I have my all over health and my situation is not life threatening. However, it is life altering and it starts to take its toll. Add on top of that the constant throbbing that has not gone away and it just keeps wearing you down. “You will come back stronger”, “Running does not define you”, and the list goes on and on. I will say it again…990 days. Hell, by the time this posts I may even be celebrating my comma day.

The mental side to injury is huge: the uncertainty of what is coming the next and the self-doubt. It is hard to move forward when the situation is ever changing. It is hard not to question yourself and abilities. Will you get back out there? Will you get back to where you were? The injured athletes return is always cheered and celebrated, but the mental side is often swept under the carpet. We forget that the mental side of injury is just as important to heal than the physical injury itself. The brain is a powerful tool and your thoughts and mindset can make or break you. 990 days of being told that the end is just around the corner, it is almost impossible to keep your thoughts positive for this long. The finish line keeps getting moved further and further away and it is hard not to DNF the race,

I was “cleared” once again to start back activity and am working with a coach to make sure I do everything right. My first steps on the trails ended in tears. The pain was immense and it just furthered my negative thoughts. With every step, every hill, every rock my feelings of self-doubt keep growing. My run group keeps inviting me to join them, they will hike with me, they will slow down, but I feel like an imposter and cannot get myself to join them: the weak link holding them back. Of course, they do not look at me that way, but after all this time it is hard not to look at myself in any other way.

I am not a quitter, never have been, but you cannot blame me for wondering if this is worth it. Sure, I have other interests and hobbies, I could scrap it all and focus my energy elsewhere. I am mentally exhausted and not sure how much fight is left in me to finish this ultra race I seem to be stuck in. Physically we hopefully eventually heal from injury, mentally the scars are deep and take a long time to recover from. 990 days and counting and no finish line in sight.

@runtrails_eatplants

MEET SOME OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS

In 2022 we had 100 Team Members. BE APART OF THE FAMILY AND SHARE YOUR STORY

Meet Team VPA member Renee @runtrails_eatplants . It is her second year on the team and she has been helping out behind the scenes on our IG @team_vpa and our FB pages"Life is too short to stay inside your comfort zone, reach for the sky. I’m Renee and I am an ultrarunner living outside Atlanta, Georgia. 14 years ago, I went plant based for my health and I never looked back. After a bad foot injury, I discovered I loved lifting as much as I love running the trails. So, at the age of 50 I added lifting heavy to my training plan. I am passionate about spreading the message that age is no limit and you can not only thrive on a plant-based diet, you can help end animal cruelty and have a positive impact on the environment too. So, get out there and go for it!"

Welcome to the team@monica.strattonSport: Triathlon, Cycling, Running

"I have struggled for my entire life with food. It seems everything I ate made me feel sluggish or sick. My husband and I decided to try the vegan lifestyle and we have never felt better. My digestive system is running so much better and I feel I have more sustainable energy through my workouts and life. Being vegan has helped me fuel better for all my races and training.
I am very proud to be a vegan athlete. I have seen what it has done for me and my performance in all my sports. I want to share my story of how being vegan has changed my life in terms of how I feel on a daily basis and in sport. Being a professional athlete my students look to me and how I live my life and I am very proud to tell them how much better my body feels being vegan "

Welcome back@rjsacksVeganism saved my dad's life many years ago. He had horrible blockages in his heart and faced stents and a very dangerous operation, or seeing what would happen if he went whole food no oil plant based. He reversed his heart disease and is healthy as ever and still vegan. He never needed heart surgery. He is now 61 years old and still doing distance cycling rides. I started changing what I was eating during high school when my dad switched his diet. I made the complete switch after I met my boyfriend, a collegiate vegan runner at the time. I was mostly looking at veganism through a health lens until I met him and he helped me face the ethical dilemmas of eating animal products as well. Since I went vegan, my sister went vegan, my mom went vegetarian almost plant based, and my brother (who I thought would never change) has cut a significant amount of meat and dairy from his diet. My dad, boyfriend and I are all vegan cyclists currently. My whole immediate family is very open to veganism and eats vegan at family gatherings. Being vegan has been easy with supports like mine.
I feel strongly about spreading a positive message and hopefully helping make a change. Veganism saves so many animals, it can save people like my dad, and can save our planet. I can show other athletes that vegans aren't frail and sickly, we can compete and do well without eating animal products.

Welcome to the team@prost_1969I had high cholesterol high blood pressure and was 40 lbs over weight. The doctor said statins for the rest of my life because high cholesterol was in my family so I took things into my own hands. Since then I lost the 40 lbs and reversed all the other issues . I now also realize the impact going vegan has on the animals and the environment. I love cycling and running and by joining the team I can reach more people and show them that you can’t just survive without the use of animal products but thrive!!

Meet Team VPA athlete Shari. We are glad she joined us Meet“Hi team, this is my first year with Team VPA. I'm overjoyed to have found this team. I adore the mission statement because it reflects my beliefs too. I'm 48 years young, a small business owner, yogi, group fitness instructor, and outdoor enthusiast. My primary sport is Triathlon, but running will always be my first love with more than 6 marathons under my belt. Vegan for over 15 yrs. Before that vegetarian for 3 years. My biggest vegan athlete accomplishment was completing my first Ironman last year after many years doing Triathlons. This year I'm looking forward to enjoying long cycling tours in Europe! Follow my adventures on IG @sparks_vegan”

Welcome to the team@mattd_team_vegan_athletics"My name is Matt Dellaro. This is my first year as a Team VPA member as well as my first new year as an endurance athlete. I decided last February to buy a road bike and start cycling again after not having done it since my teens...I'm 51 now. I heard about short course triathlons and decided to see what I could do. I have 3 sprints behind me now as well as a 5k and 8k trail running races, a 5k road, two 10k races and a half marathon. I'm looking forward to longer triathlons as I get more comfortable with open water swimming, and working up to a 70.3 or even a 140.6. I've been vegan for over 8 years, and am so loving this new chapter in my life. Thanks to everyone at Team VPA who has been so helpful, supportive and just plain cool."

We are so glad you joined us@barefootjei"My name is Jérémie alias@barefootjei, I'm 28 years old and I'm from Normandy in France.

I have been vegan for 3 years now. I'm vegan for the animals! I'm so happy to have joined the team and to wear our colors in my country.

In 2022 I will be running every day to raise funds that will be donated to two Vegan associations.

My goal for 2022 is a 55km in May and another probably longer race by the end of the year."

"My name is Gloria Perez and I live in sunny Southern California. This is the first year I'm on Team VPA. I have been vegan for 4.5 years. I made the switch after my son inspired me. Becoming vegan has been one of the best decisions I've made for my health and of course for the animals and for the planet we all share. I have 3 sons and 2 grandsons. I've been running for 8 years. I've ran many distances, but my favorite distance is the half marathon. I enjoy both road and trail running. I also enjoy backpacking, cycling, lifting weights, OCR and traveling. One of my goals for this year is to start racing duathalons. I'd also love to do R2R2R (Grand Canyon). I'm also currently learning to speak French. "