Healing within healing
I just had another great experience of challenging myself to fly to a different level. This last weekend we traveled up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to participate in the Grand Canyon Rim Marathon. Talk about flying to a different level!
When I ran the 1/2 marathon in May I felt tired, but my body was still energized, I felt as if I could run at least a few more miles. With that last thought I started looking at up coming marathons. I heard if you can run a 1/2 you can run a full so go for it! The list of marathons was long of all sorts of beautiful places but the one that stuck out was the Grand Canyon Rim. To run so close to “home” would be such a gift and what a beautiful place to spend hours exhausting my body. Since May my running buddy, Sean and I have been preparing and training our bodies to endure this adventure. A few weeks ago I felt little “twinges” in my body. Uhoh was this the end or was my body willing and able to heal? The last couple of weeks I stretched, walked, prayed, meditated, and kept feeling the feelings I had. I felt as if I was a wounded puppy, I got snappy and easily frustrated. My nerves were “shot”. Thankfully the people in my life just held space and reminded me I had time, and I knew what to do.
When I first felt the “twinges” I called up a professional peer and set up an appointment to have some bodywork done. We came up with a plan and started to implement it. I went out on faith that my body was going to be okay to endure the stress it was about to face. And it did!
Saturday morning was beautiful! The sunrise was gentle as it revealed the curves of the Canyon.
The breeze kept us cool and the clouds would help to mute the suns forceful rays. It was the perfect fall morning to be on the Rim. The start of the race we headed up hill and my body was jazzed to be running again. I had made it!! We kept a good pace each of us checking in with our bodies, listening for little tattle tail signs we may need to check out at the 1/2. Working with the Healing Arts and having a tool chest to pull ideas from is priceless. Anytime my body would talk I would listen and then offer a solution. I was able to use Psych-K to remind myself I was in perfect alignment, my muscles ran in perfect harmony, my lungs were open and receptive, I even did a balance for my pace. Looking back I think I should have done a balance for perfect toxin elimination, but I will get to that. I was doing Bowenwork moves to help release muscle spasms and tightness. It was great to have these tools to pull out and use all along enjoying the beauty around me and feeling my body so acutely.
There is a marathon tale that says you hit a wall around mile 20, I felt that wall. I hit it hard and knew my humanness could no longer carry me. My bodywork tool box had no tool to fix this doom I felt. I surrendered to the fact I needed to fly on the wings of my faith. I had a lot of practice with falling onto those wings- Thailand, Nepal, coming back to Prescott to start anew, loving, and many other experiences in the last year and a half. Surrendering is a exercise in grace for me, I get to see how quickly, quietly, and how gracefully I can surrender. Being physically exhausted, in the middle of “nowhere”, alone (there were many times, I would look ahead and behind to see only the road and the trees, no other runner in site), I surrendered a lot more gracefully then previous times. I don’t remember all of the miles, I don’t remember all of the steps I took to the finish line; this is what I remember- leaves falling from the oak trees that reminded me of butterflies, the orange light of the sun warming my skin, the changes in the dirt on the road from red to orange to grey, seeing someone I recognized from the first 1/2 of the run and coming so close to them I could hear their breathe, then passing them, hearing the sounds of joy from the next aid station- wooden train whistles, banging of pans, laughter, cheering. I felt pain throughout all of these memories but our bodies are beautiful in this way, they only whisper those painful thoughts. I was able to pass a couple more people before crossing the finish line reminding me I am a competitive woman, I want to succeed and also proving to myself, I did not do this with my own will, my will ran out at mile 20, I needed wings and those wings carried me the remainder of the race.
When I finished my body screamed as loudly as my spirit I DID IT!
Once I came off the wings I had a hard time keeping upright, I couldn’t put words together, I wanted to hide, I wanted to sit, I wanted to sleep. All I could do was listen, gently stretch, eat a bite or two, drink water, and slowly come back. Saturday night was a hard night to sleep, anytime I would move my body would remind me, I had hurt it and it could not do what I had asked. I continued to pull out tools to help it recover, Bowenwork, Psych-K, muscle easing massage oil, Reiki, recovery drinks and aids. When I woke on Sunday I was about 45% better, I could sort of make it down stairs, I could get in the car a little easier. I was able to take a walk around the neighborhood I grew up in with a little healthier stride. When I woke on Monday I was about 80% better, I was still feeling twinges in my hips, I was still looking a little funny getting into Miss Daisy- kind of felt like the human character Miss Daisy. After a scheduled post race Bowenwork session, I noticed the spring in my step was coming back, I got in Miss Daisy more like myself all within a couple of hours. Last night I was able to walk about a mile with very little pain and the pain felt was in my heels not in my legs.
Writing this on Tuesday morning I am feeling 95% better, I still have pain in my heel and I am willing to listen. The tools I have learned in the last 8 years have given me proof that our bodies will recover if we ask them gently and surrender to their strengths. The stress of preparing for a marathon has melted away, the pain of running a marathon is slipping away and what is left is a deeper understanding of being human, asking for help, having faith, and trusting. I am already looking to see where there is another marathon in a couple of months…maybe this time I will run at sea level. I am grateful for Sean, his love and support and encouragement is irreplaceable. I am grateful to my parents for coming to cheer us on and feed our starving bodies. I am also grateful to all the wonderful people in my life who told me I could do it and gave me the little pats on the back my “little girl” needed. Now off to love my feet a little more and enjoy the beauty all around us!
Becky's Travel Blog 