Prepared As Hell
My whole life people have given me shit for being overly devoted to fitness and health. At work people would consistently tell me I ate like a bird or a rabbit, because most of what I ate for breakfast and lunch consisted of berries, seeds, and greens. Whenever we celebrated a colleagues birthday they would try and try to coax me into having a piece of cake, knowing that dessert at noon was the last thing I wanted. My brother would regularly say, "none of this is going to matter if you get hit by a bus" (or something to that effect). But the reason to be healthy and active was never about the idea that I could avoid death, disease, or injury. It was so that when death, disease, or injury did arrive I would be in the best position possible to fend it off and get through it. And I'm reminded of that now as I try to get through my daily tasks and routines while I'm hobbled by a fractured foot, and restricted by a bulky walking boot.
Luckily, because of the condition I was in right before fracturing my foot, I haven't really had to miss a beat. Yes, there are things I cannot do, like pick up and carry my 50 lb senior dog to go out to the bathroom. Like ride my bicycle. Like squat, deadlift, jump rope, and hit the heavy bag. Like get on a ladder to deadhead the 7' tall sunflower in our backyard, or step deep into the garden on unsteady surfaces to clean up the shrubs and perennials. I can't do these things because if I took a bad step or a spill they would turn my non-displaced fracture into a displaced one and dramatically alter the trajectory of my healing (which right now is around 4 weeks left). But for everything else, it's been business as usual.
I've exercised every single day since fracturing my foot. Alternating between upper body workouts and HIIT sessions on the assault bike. I still participated in a more passive role at soccer practice this week, and accompanied the team to their first game last night. On Thursday I spent close to 5 hours cleaning up the garden — standing, squatting, kneeling, reaching, planking — in preparation for the brunch we're hosting at our house next week. I'm still going to be able to have fun at my wedding and dance (albeit with a walking boot on), and I will still be able to go on my two week honeymoon just a couple of days later. And there will be plenty more I do over the next 4 weeks while my foot heals without missing a step. And that is precisely the point.
We don't stay active and look after our bodies because it can ensure that we avoid setbacks (although it does help lower the risk). We do it so that when we face illness or injury, we are prepared as hell to take it on. It's been a welcomed reminder for me, because over the first 24 - 48 hours all I could think about was the stuff I wasn't going to be able to do. But over the last 48 - 72 hours I've been reminded that I've been preparing for a moment just like this.
Get out there and do something good for your body today.