I’ve long known that exercise clears my mind, and that I do a lot of thinking during my longer runs. I’ve wireframed web copy in my head, polished speeches and analyzed creative ways for tackling complicated client problems.
But in late September, I broke my foot. I had been nearing the end of my training for a half marathon, and had been doing some long runs that afforded me plenty of thinking time.
And then, poof! Gone. Just like that.
I knew that my body would have to come to a screeching halt; 6-8 weeks with no weight on the foot and no driving can certainly put a damper on your physical plans. But I had no idea how much it would affect me mentally.
In the first days after the injury, my brain went into a tailspin. I had all the time in the world to work on projects, yet I couldn’t focus on any of them. Words eluded me. The cursor blinked against the blank document, taunting me. In fact, it still is. I’d be horrified to admit just how long this blog post took me to write.
I know that in time, my body and brain will adjust, but there have been plenty of consequences in the interim. I had to delay one project, something that I’ve never done in all of my years of freelancing. I was also in the running for a pretty significant project, and was rejected because of the requirement to attend on-site meetings. The ripple effect from something as ridiculous as a broken foot will have lasting consequences, even long after my bone has healed and I’m back out on the road.
I can always look for new ways to clear my mind, but lost clients won’t return. It’s been a tough break in more ways than one.
Alisa,
I'm so sorry about your injury. As a fellow runner, I can relate.
It seems running has a way of clearing the head like nothing else.
I wish you a speedy recovery! -Deidre