Entries RSSI’ll admit I have a slight case of OCD. My closet is color coded, my cd collection alphabetized and I always have a clean bathroom. These are all positive things, correct? However, a person with OCD (and I use this diagnosis loosely) walks a very fine line between demonstrating socially approved and encouraged behaviors and behaviors resembling that an outcast. Living in Boulder, Colorado, compulsive exercise behaviors are the norm. In fact, most typical Boulderites define themselves by strict workout regimens, fantastic physiques and a demonstrative PhD in health and nutrition.
This is not a critique, because for many years I considered myself one of these individuals. About ten months ago, I became that outcast. The short version was that I was in a horrendous car accident which left me with a femur broken in five places. As a result, I was forced to change my perspective on everything in my life. Once an avid runner, climber and skier, I had to reintroduce myself to those sports as a novice. The activities which once dominated my life were suddenly glorified moments I would be lucky to experience again. A 45 minute run around Lumpy Ridge? How did my body every move like that? A day in Eldorado Canyon hiking and climbing? My leg ached just thinking about it. And to imagine that after every one of my workout sessions, I never felt fulfilled. I was always left wanting more…a better burn, more exhaustion or just five more minutes.
Now, I finish my spinning classes (and yes, I have developed a new addiction to cycling!), do a little weight lifting and take a deep breath and say thanks to the higher ups that I am even at the gym. I am lucky to be alive, lucky to move my body in any capacity and lucky to have a passion for the outdoors. I will once again run that loop at Lumpy and ski those wicked back bowls. It may not be for another year or two, but for now I will appreciate every moment I have been given.
While I would never wish a broken femur upon another individual, I challenge you to take a step back from your workout regimen. You deserve to find fulfillment in those activities and you deserve to treat your body well. If you find yourself going through the daily grind because you feel like you “need” to, then I encourage you to re-evaluate. After all, we are given one life and one body and this life is too short to strive for perfection in a society which will most likely never grant it.
