Thursday, December 16, 2010

Perhaps I Should Live in a Bubble

I'm pretty accident prone.  I run into doors and walls on a pretty regular basis, trip over phantom bumps in the carpet, hit my head and a litany of other things that most people only associate with slapstick comedy movies.  I've  never thought much about it, because I've always been that way.  Bruises I can't account for, aches and pains that come from who knows where...well, I probably did something stupid like touch the curling iron to see if it was hot.  Or, my personal favorite, getting a black eye at the age of six from running into a clothing display with my face at the local Pic-N-Save.  I still remember the looks my mom got for that.

Now I'm "in training."  Over the past year, I've been "in training" several times, first for the Gate River Run 15k, at the time my biggest race to date, for my half-marathon and for last tri season.  So really, lots of events this year, which has been fantastic.  However, the thought of getting injured and not being able to compete never occurred to me.  

Now that I'm in marathon training....I've become uber-paranoid. Reading Bill Bryson's At Home, which is a great book, is now however on the topic of injuries that can occur in the home.  This is not helping.  Also, I am going skiing for the first time EVER the week after Christmas.

Mostly, I'm picturing myself like that episode of the Simpsons where they put Bart in the "special" class.  If you've never seen this episode, there is a discussion concerning "circles of paper" and phrases like "I fell off the jungle gym and when I woke up I was in here."

I know accidents and injuries happen - and stressing about them probably just ups the probability.  It's just something I have never really thought of, or cared about.  It's interesting for me to realize how my outlook has changed!  So now that I have shared my fears, I am going to go roll myself in bubble wrap.
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9 comments:

  1. Big Daddy DieselDecember 16, 2010 at 12:19 PM

    Well, AFTER you get from skiing, remind me to tell you about my one and only skiing trip I ever been on

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  2. Stephanie Y.December 16, 2010 at 2:57 PM

    There are some things that will happen that are purely accidental. Other injuries should be a learning lesson. I've gotten a few (minor, thankfully) injuries during training and it was always my fault for not being smart about taking things slowly, diversifying my training, and just listening to my body. The only thing you should worry about is what is in your control - train smart!

    As far as skiing goes, have fun! Are you set on skiing or can you choose snowboarding? I find snowboarding more fun and I feel more in control on a board.

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  3. UnknownDecember 16, 2010 at 3:01 PM

    Stephanie, it's interesting you say that about skiing v. snowboarding. I can choose, but I keep hearing the uncoordinated do best with skiing. Maybe I will try both! :)

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  4. MegDecember 16, 2010 at 3:32 PM

    I'm the same way, always have been. And since officially going into training (for the 5k, then 10k, now the tri) I'm covered in even more bruises than ever. They cover my legs, and damn they're pretty. However, the idea of SERIOUSLY getting injured pops into my head sometimes and it's so scary that it's totally debilitating. Like "but if I take the dog out when there's ice on the ground, I could have to stop training for weeks!!" and then I send the dog out on his own because I'm so paranoid about falling.

    So yeah, I hear you. And PLEASE BE CAREFUL while skiing. I'm not going to tell you my story till after you've done it, but just please be careful. Stick to the bunny slopes until you're totally confident.

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  5. My LifeDecember 16, 2010 at 9:31 PM

    My favorite worry quote... Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. ~Leo Buscaglia

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  6. Stephanie Y.December 17, 2010 at 10:15 AM

    I've done both. When I was on skis I felt way out of control. Like my legs would go two separate ways and I'd have no way to bring them back together. :) On the board I feel more comfortable and I find it easier to stop and slow down on the board. Plus it just looks cool. ;) I'd try both if you could. Or maybe just do snowboarding.

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  7. Caratunk GirlDecember 17, 2010 at 10:31 AM

    Have fun skiing! Just don't get all bad ass and hit the big stuff. Seriously, you will have fun, just be sure to learn how to stop.

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  8. StokatDecember 17, 2010 at 2:33 PM

    Skiing and snowboarding are both fun! I don't want to jinx myself here, but I fall all the time skiing. It doesn't usually hurt. You're falling in snow, and the worst thing that will probably happen is you get snow up your shirt or you have to hike up the slope to get a ski pole. I realize that you can hurt yourself doing both, but you can hurt yourself doing anything.

    Just don't let anyone make you do a slope that you're not ready for. There is a big difference between skiing in control and skiing out of control. Skiing out of control is probably where you can really hurt yourself. Skiing in control is totally fun.

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  9. MollyDecember 20, 2010 at 8:04 PM

    I know how you feel. I'm a klutz, I have a dent in my forehead from when I walked into a dryer door when I was a kid.

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