My friend sent me a message today that said, “Remember how you were on a knee scooter just a few months ago?” Ha! I jokingly responded that sometimes I try not to remember, but yes, indeed, I do remember. I remember trying to figure out how I was going to navigate a trip to Boston for a marathon I couldn’t run. I also remember how coronavirus hit just after getting off the scooter, leaving me with no cross training options for a healing ankle and I sat and watched as my cardio fitness melted away. I remember walking miles to get some sort of exercise in, only to have my recently healed plantar fasciitis come back with a vengeance. I remember feeling defeated and frustrated and confused.

But how do I feel now? I am filled with gratitude for an opportunity to take what began as adversity and turn it into an advantage.

Equipped with a recovering ankle fracture, a heavy dose of plantar fasciitis, a wealth of knowledge from my Marathon Mind team, and my best friend, Google, I set out to solve all my problems and return to running. I had three very important goals as I did so. First of all, I promised myself I would ignore all temptations to return to running too quickly. Second, I would only look forward in my training and make no comparisons to my pre-injury performance. And finally, I would use my rehab exercises to make myself a stronger, more resilient and efficient runner. Those turned out to be some of the best choices I could have made.