Recovery’s a (Half) Marathon Not a Sprint
If right now you’re stuck in the full monty of post concussion symptoms, and things from ‘before’ currently seem impossible, I want you to stop and hear this.
3 years ago I discovered I had post concussion syndrome.
3 days ago I ran London’s half marathon.
If only I could go back and whisper that to my fatigue-ridden, dizzy, overwhelmed self, lying in bed with the curtains shut, wondering if or how I’d ever recover. It makes me tearful to think of it. That would have given me hope, if I’d have dared believe it.
So I want to share my portion of hope with you, but more than that, I also want to guide you on your own path to recovery. Participating in half marathons is optional (phew) but it does give a helpful picture of how to get out of the post concussion hole and back to whatever you want to be able to do…
You need a robust, do-able plan.
Gradually build up, and start small. I went from 1km to 21km in 1km increments.
Strength and capacity builds over time.
It takes commitment, not motivation.
Some days are hard. Some are not.
Your body learns that it can do this.
Confidence and resilience grows.
The impossible becomes … possible.
And then…
You cross the finish line, get “there”, wherever that may be, and bask in the elation that you’ve done it. Get in!
And then you realise, with a smile, that in fact it was all about the journey, not the destination. The progress that the particular achievement signifies, not the achievement itself. The days you showed up for yourself. The days you took your recovery by the scruff of the neck and damn well made it happen. The days when there was no glory, just plod.
I ran a half marathon as a testament to my recovery. To celebrate that I can do this stuff again, that recovery is possible, that this thing no longer defines me or limits me. Watch out world, I am back.
So if this resonates with you, and you have your own finish line that currently feels a million miles away, why not book in for an online coffee and chat with me, and we can talk about your next, small, step in the right direction.