Following that voice in your head…or not

As I drove home from Novi today, a voice inside me said, “Stop at Kent lake in Island Park.” I initially ignored that voice, but the voice returned as the exit on the freeway drew closer. Ignoring it for second time, it seemed to go away, but it didn’t. I generally ignore the voice when it comes to remembering triathlons and the such, but the voice was too strong to ignore today.

As I drove up to the Kent lake parking lot, there were a lot of cars, bicycles, people, etc. A triathlon is being setup for tomorrow, of which watching this brought back a slew of memories and emotions. Bottom line, I miss it. I miss the training, the events, my triathlon friends and mostly the commradory. I miss being able to set a personal goal and achieving it. If you have never competed in a triathlon, it’s hard to put into words. Triathletes are a unique bread of people who race to mainly beat their previous time. I miss it.

So the question begs to be asked, why did I stop doing triathlons? Mainly because I didn’t listen to that voice in my head so many years ago and pushed through a bulging disc in my lower back only to partially rupture it years later. It’s been 4 years now since I stopped training/racing and not a week goes by where I kick myself for not listening. When you are young you think, “I’m invincible” which is just lack of wisdom really.

The road to recovery has been slow, mostly because I’ve focused on my family and work in hopes my lower back would heal itself with the help of a massage therapist and a chiropractor. Don’t get me wrong, I feel pretty good most days, but I felt great doing triathlons.  During the past 4 years there has been a voice in my head, that has told me what to do, yet I’ve not been listening. It’s time to listen.

It’s time to strengthen my core and start doing yoga to stretch these muscles out. It’s time to get back on the bike, go swimming and even attempt running. It’s time to listen to this voice, because it’s smarter than I will ever be.