If you’ve read my posts before you know I’ve been meaning to start this blog for awhile, but didn’t actually do it until I tore my MCL and was forced to slow down. I was really, really good at keeping up with my writing at first. As I’ve improved, however, I’m kind of a lagger. On this blog anyway.
It’s been a really fun last month actually. I’ve been full of gratitude for what I CAN do (rather than focusing on what I can’t do, as I did before). Checking off the list, I got back on my bike, starting really slow…all pavement first, graduating to gravel-maintained trails and as of yesterday did my first “legit” bike ride. Felt great!
Hiking. Probably most of you reading this are from Oregon (4 of the 7 anyway!) and you know how beautiful this area is. I hiked some wonderful trails in Bend, Salem, Cascade Head on the coast and Paulina Lake. Feels wonderful to be moving and strengthening my leg muscles as I go. I’ve also begun running again which has been more recent but feeling strong.
Yoga was a big step and so happy to do that again. Not only for the phyical benefits (extremely crucial with all the misalignment and tension from the injury) but mentally and socially. Bend has such a wonderful and strong yoga community…really bummed to have been separated from that, even if just a few months.
Now, the final test will be back on my board, on whitewater. Slated for this next week. Ironically I’ll begin with the next stretch of the Santiam that my sweetie and I began together when we were first getting to know one another… from Mehama down where it gets more and more gentle. I’d worked my way UP stream before (as I got better on my board…the river is rowdier upstream and chills out as it flows past Mill City falls). A year and four months later I’ll start again, but I’m wildly optimistic that my knee will do great. If nothing else, we’ll have a great time running a beautiful stretch of river that we’ve been meaning to do but were having more fun on more challenging stuff. This seems a metaphor to life… full of ups and downs, starts and stops. Just when you think you’re invincible something happens to blow you off course. However, at those times when you’re flailing hard, something great happens to prop you back up. So I’m going to get out there and start all over again. Onward and upward folks….keep moving, keep trying!
Frisky Ripples 