When I was a teenager, I knew everything. There was no use in telling me anything, or giving me advice. So what if you had lived decades before me and had valuable life lessons. I had it all figured out. It was a really bad attitude to have and I could have learned a lot from others had I only listened.
Fast forward to today. No longer a teenager, no longer believing that I know everything. Now, a competitive triathlete and pouring my heart and soul in to getting better with every training session. As an athlete, you get used to pains. You get used to icing, heating, elevating, compressing, medicating. Your body tells you things by showing pain. STOP. You should not go on. Do not pass go or collect $200. STOP. Again, stop. Please....stop. But do we listen? I don't. I push through it and tell myself that it's minor and will be better tomorrow. It's worked in the past, but now I am nursing an injury that has been going on for weeks and isn't promising to get better. My body warned me, but I didn't listen. This injury could potentially take me out for the season if it doesn't get better soon.
Hind sight is 20/20 and I know I should have listened at the first warning sign, but I took advantage and thought I knew better than my body did. Boy, was I wrong!
We expect our bodies to be super heroes, but then we don't listen when they tell us they need a break. Hey, even Superman took some time off here and there. To be an athlete means to encompass every part of it, and a valuable and very important part of it is recovering properly and resting when your body needs it. Listen to your body. It is wise beyond your own years and has a thing or two it can teach you...if you could just stop being a teenager and listen!
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