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The Rest Is As Important As The Work


 Thursday, September 17, 2020 (Part I), 

Are my 35 year old joints finally going rogue on me (after years of abuse)?  Earlier in the summer, I came back from a camping trip (feeling perfectly fine), only to find myself limping back to my car after 2< minutes of a casual jog; something was wrong with my left knee. 

I ran my first full marathon in 2007, and have considered myself, at least, a casual runner, since that time.  I enjoy it as a means of heart/lung health, but I also enjoy the "head clearing" nature of the activity.  Your brain can't whisper anxious/depressing thoughts to you while it's in full on "survival mode" trying to keep your stomach from puking while you round mile #23...

Having been relatively injury free most of my life, I was surprised when I came limping back to my car after jogging out 1 minute and limping back the next minute.  It takes a lot to send me back to my car (I put on the outfit, charged my phone, got my Gatorade, got my keys, got in my car, and drove to the trail.....I'll die before I admit defeat and turn around before I'm ready).  However, the pain in my left knee that I was experiencing in June/July/August was different from other "pains" that I've felt.  This pain was deep...it was in the actual "core" of my knee joint and seemed to be effecting some muscle/soft tissue in the back of my knee (the muscle/soft tissue pain was difficult to pin point....a side-by-side comparison to my good, right knee provided no physical differences to my medically untrained hands). 

At the suggestion of my kind, wise, charming, and lovely better half (who is medically trained), I was told to rest my leg until further notice.  Rest my leg?.......but the sun's out......my mountain bike just winked at me......it's high summer........what am I supposed to do?....sit here and eat chips?!?! (which I totally did)...

I rested my leg (with no running for about two months), and I'm happy to say that the first few "test runs" I've gone on in the past week have been excellent.  No pain and no knee swelling up to the size of a Grapefruit.  However, I refuse to go through my life saying I have a "bad knee" or a "bad leg" or a "bad anything".  I never want to simply write off parts of my body saying, "yup...that's just how that is now".  I hated not being able to run, but I did learn that the rest is as vital as the work.  

Enough chit chat....time to begin....

Thursday, September 17, 2020, (Part II),

The rest is as important as the work.  However, I believe work should take precedent over rest.

I'm on my mat as I type Part II, having just come out of Savasana.   Savasana/Corpse Pose, is taken at the end of your practice, and it's the "treat" you get for doing all of that physical, mental, spiritual workout.  In essence, during your practice, you're controlling your body, your breath, your mind, and your thoughts....that's an awful lot to control, and it's taxing on your body; it's the "work" followed by "rest".  Savasana/Corpse Pose is the "rest" where you lay flat on your back, release and relax every muscle, and allow your mind to go still.  You no longer control your breath, body, mind, thoughts, etc.  This "rest" wouldn't feel as great without the "work" that took place just before it.  

Enough chit chat....time to shower up and enter the world. 

Namaste

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