Never give up

Its really hard when you train, plan, train and then train some more for a specific goal in mind and then you are injured. The disappointment is the hardest feeling to deal with. Anger and frustration at yourself will dissipate but the disappointment will not fade until the date goes by and you have set a new goal for yourself with a new date.

I’ve been pushing myself harder this training period that I ever have. My body has been telling me I have been doing that as well. My knees were beginning to ache along with my shoulder and last year’s foot injury. This last three weeks I had planned on backing off of my training schedule and work only on technique but yesterday I didn’t listen to my body.

I ran for 1.5 miles, and then did punching drills for 30 minutes barefoot on a concrete floor. My foot was bothering me before the run and during. The ache didn’t feel serious but I felt tired that day. I should have listened. While I was doing my punching drills the floor felt especially hard but I continued anyway. I was in the middle of my last set of kicks when I didn’t land one correctly. Consequently, I ended up with a bone bruise, pulled achilles tendon and pulled plantars fasciitis tendon. I’m to be off my feet for the next week and then will have to begin training again slowly.

All of my training I’ve been doing all year for my test on August 21st just went on hold as did my test. I’ll have to wait for that blue belt. However, waiting only means that my technique will be even better when I am able to test, so I’ll have a great test instead of a good one. Earning my blue belt will mean even more then.

To be honest, I was so disappointed I cried. I didn’t go to class tonight for fear of breaking down in tears. I wanted to test so badly. I’ve put so many things on hold this summer so I could train. Being older means that I have to spend more time training but it also means I have to spend more time healing.

There are many lessons to be learned from this:

1. God’s plan is much bigger and better than ours. He will teach us patience in many ways and remind us to always acknowledge him.

2. Listen to what your body is telling you. Take the time you need, don’t be in a rush.

3.Anything that is worth striving for, perseverance is key you just have to keep striving.

4. You never know how many people love you, until something like this happens. The support from my friends has been overwhelming. God has indeed blessed me.

I know that there are many more things for me to learn. This is what I have figured out in the last 24 hours. However, I do know this, “Being a martial artist means never giving up”. Blue will have to wait, but not for long!

Lisa