The race is on......

As I watch the athletes compete during the Olympics in Vancouver, each of them trying their best to win the gold medal, I do understand what they’re going through, both the winners and the losers. This morning I had coffee, breakfast, showered and dressed, made the bed and started a load of laundry, and got it all done by 9:30! Don’t laugh it sure beats the time’s I’ve posted throughout this past year. The frustrations come when I compare this to 5 years ago, by 9:30 I already had a full day’s work behind me.

I am feeling a lot better, but I am so very slow…. Slow to the point that I am embarrassed about it. What happened to my speed!…..Though I’m much, much better, and almost recovered from the surgery itself, the finish line seems to be a long way from where I am, it’s still taking me longer than I had hoped for.

I could come up with a ton of excuses…. Weather for one, we have yet another winter storm approaching and the cold just makes everything harder. Age for another, I know my body cannot be expected to bounce back like a 30 year old, but hey, no 66 year old should be this slow. Health history could be considered, but I don’t wish to live in the past. Excuses are just that, a way to get out of doing what we’re really capable of but can’t quite accomplish due to our lack of commitment to overcome?

I have questioned myself daily if I made the right decision by having this surgery, at first I was sure the old pain had left, and then as time went on I could feel it again…. I haven’t posted much because now I’m not so sure the surgery helped that much. It’s still hard to tell if the pain I feel after I’ve walked for a while is just muscles and nerves waking up or if the old pain is returning. Either way, walking is still difficult, about 5 minutes in one stretch is about all I can stand… I don’t like writing that and I don’t like admitting it may not be ALL right. However I still have hope. I still believe with strengthening, stretching, and whatever else I CAN do, I will be further ahead.

When the downhill skiers make their runs at close to 80 mph and come to a precipice that catapults them flying into mid air, their landings are blind, but the fear of crashing does not keep them from taking the jump. What an inspiration to anyone on pursuit of their own gold medal!

I can’t see the finish line yet, and at this rate I’ve decided it may be awhile before I can, there are moments when I want to just stop, set down in the snow, and cry. As far as competition, I turn around and the only person I see behind me is yours truly, a little slow out of the gate but gaining by the inch. Which one of us will get to stand on the podium as the winner? It remains to be seen.

I just went back on the blog and re-read Matrix #8. Turtle woman indeed! Evidently it doesn’t matter how long it takes me, getting there should be sufficient and the glory of doing my best in God’s own time will be enough, if I can it let it be.

I guess two weeks of "training" does not a medalist make.....?