Ramping Up, Slowing Down

My vacation has felt like anything but. Though my "office" work has declined, my writing has increased.  I'm working on two columns for Lava, a story for the Fortius website and I'm trying to keep up with blogging.

I'm living on my keyboard. And loving it.  This is what I was always meant to do, but I knew it would be difficult to make a living as a journalist.  Hence, focusing on marketing and public relations starting my senior year of college.  It took me several years after graduation though to realize I could continue my writing career while paying the bills doing something else I enjoy.

Career Nirvana.

I actually prefer this approach even if I could make a career writing full-time.  Growing up, I was a sportswriter (stringer) for the Simi Valley Enterprise, LA Daily News and ultimately my high school and college newspapers.  I found that when I became the college basketball beat reporter for the Arizona Daily Wildcat that college basketball became less fun.  It became "work."  So the more I can truly enjoy writing for its own sake, the better off I'll be.

I wish the same could be said for my training right now.  My IT bands continue to bother me, and I'm just not healing the way I thought I would from Ironman Arizona.  Even though the desire is there, I find that each workout is still filled with annoying locking in my right leg.  Which makes it a little less enjoyable.  There's no Nirvana.  No vacation.  Just work, without the sense of accomplishment.

I now realize that it's probably time to slow down on the pedaling, the kicking and the running. I need to listen to my body.  I can't just will it to get better.  I may have to live with writing about triathlon for the time being and not being as active a participant as I'd like.

I wonder how I'll get through that.  The Surf City Marathon is now in jeopardy.  So is the Los Angeles Half-Marathon I just signed up for.

Writing will become my new training.  My healing process.  My dealing process.

I think it will help.  Like a counter-balance.

For those of you going through injuries as well, we'll get through this together.  I'll help you.  You help me.

Deal?

184 days and counting.