A Bike Accident & Some Essential Perspective
Character building. That's what this is.
Welcome back to the Weekly Hurdle! This newsletter is free and will stay free thanks to sponsors and the individuals that opt-in to give. Your support is really appreciated.
Presented by Future:
I got in my first-ever bike accident on Monday. The roads were a little damp, and I was commuting to a workspace about 10 minutes from my apartment. I turned into a driveaway to park my bike, hit the lip of the road the wrong way, and went flying. Airborne for just seconds, I braced for impact as the bike came crashing on top of me and my body hit the ground. I went limp. Shocked. I laid there for just a few moments before stumbling upward, repeating audibly to myself “you’re OK,” at least a dozen times, trying to believe it. As tears welled up in my eyes, I looked down to see a new small rip in my jacket. Somehow, I avoided blood and bruising.
As the day went on, pain started to build in my shoulder. I left the workspace and started an ice and ibuprofen regimen. Four days later, it’s lingering, and I’ve had to practice a lot of patience. I was so excited to start a new strength program on Monday that now has to be modified (thankfully it’s easy to do with the help of my Future trainer Brandon). Putting on pants is difficult. So is taking off tank tops. I wake up around 1 or 2 a.m. with a dull pain.
There’s more, but you get the point.
I keep telling myself: It could’ve been worse. My head’s fine. Nothing’s broken (or poking out). The muscular/ligament stuff? Well, that’s still to be seen after a few upcoming appointments (physical therapy, a pending MRI). But what I keep coming back to is it’s OK to feel all sorts of ways about this thing that I didn’t choose. It’s OK to be mad. It’s OK to feel frustrated. I can experience all the feels and have that important perspective that ultimately, I am OK.
There is always, always good amidst the bad. And when you remember that? Choose to focus on that? Well, it helps us get through the bad — after all.
Keep hurdling,
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
I’m Listening To: Cozy Blend on Spotify
Chilly temperatures and snuggly sweatshirts call for music to match. This playlist has been on rotation for me all week in the studio.
Gear I’m Loving: On White Cloudmonster
I just got these, and I love both how they feel and look (perfect for joggers season). Super cushioned, this is a style you could lean into for everything from an easy 5K jog to a long run.
I’m Reading: Running While Black by Alison Desir
If you listened to the show this week, then you know that running saved Alison Désir’s life. At rock bottom and searching for meaning and structure, she started marathon training, finding that it vastly improved both her physical and mental health. Yet as she became involved in the community and learned its history, she realized that the sport was largely built with white people in mind. This book unpacks her experience as an endurance athlete, activist, and mental health advocate. Trust me, it’s a page-turner.
Event I’m Excited For: Safety In Numbers, November 2 at 6:30 p.m.
No runner should have to worry about where and when they run; each of us deserve the right to a safe environment to do the thing that makes us feel free. Still, that right unfortunately doesn't keep us safe. It's time for us local to Nw York to come together as one community for an important discussion on how we can make strides toward a safer tomorrow. Join me on November 2 at 6:30 p.m. at MoMaPS1 for this important conversation, alongside leaders in the New York running community.
Quote I’m Loving: “Without altering the facts of the situation I am facing and without ignoring the reality of what must be done, what is the most useful and empowering story I can tell myself about what is happening and what I need to do next?” — James Clear
Thanks to Future — a new workout experience that pairs you one-on-one with your own fitness coach — for supporting Hurdle.
What’s the best workout program? The one that is custom built just for you. With Future, you’re paired with a coach who will map out a plan based on your goals, with workouts delivered to your phone each week.
Future, your Apple Watch, and the app all pair seamlessly so you and your coach can track your progress, celebrate achievements, and keep you accountable every day. I just started back up with my new coach Brandon, and I really love knowing he’s got my best interest in mind — planning workouts specifically for me (and my body/injury history). He’s so good at following up with me post-sweat, asking how the different movements felt, and communicating to help me get to where I want to be.
Get started right now with your first month on Future for just $19 with the special Hurdle offer. Your first 30-days are risk free, and you can cancel at any time for a full refund. Head on over to TryFuture.com/Hurdle to get the deal today!
🎧 NEW EPISODE: 225. Alison Mariella Désir, Author of ‘Running While Black’
Alison calls herself a disruptor, and that descriptor would be putting it lightly. The author of Running While Black isn't holding back in her new expose, and she's on the show today to share some of her experiences. For episode 225, Alison opens up about being in a dark place before picking up running, using drugs and trying to numb the pain of her depression, and how sport reminded her of what it was like to feel again. Alison also talks about starting a running movement in Harlem, Harlem Run, with the goal to make running more inclusive and welcoming to people of color.
She shares what it felt like to be at the forefront of media attention for her efforts, despite knowing that so many people that looked like her felt othered in the space, and we also talk about how it feels for her to be a Black woman raising a Black son in the wake up Ahmaud Arbury’s murder. She also speaks on the establishment of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, and where she hopes this conversation will go moving forward.
🎧 NEW EPISODE: #HURDLEMOMENT: Fear of Success: How It Works & What To Do About It
Maybe you've talked about fearing failure before, but have you ever thought about a fear of success? This week, I'm sitting down with Tammie Bennett, a creative entrepreneur and mindset coach, to chat about what happens when you get everything you want — and why you may be self sabotaging. The fear of success, Bennett says, is the concern that once we achieve something new, we may suffer because of it or we'll be incapable of sustaining it. Most of the time, we're not consciously aware of this fear. That's because when we focus on a goal, we talk up the positive outcomes of achieving the goal.
Tammie talks us through how to overcome the fear, plus - the flip side: How to navigate failure and why failure is actually an essential (and unavoidable) part of accomplishing your big goals.
HOW CAN I SUPPORT HURDLE?
I’m so, so glad you asked!
SUBSCRIBE, RATE, AND REVIEW HURDLE:
We’re now over 1,000 ratings and reviews in the iTunes store! Go on, get after it.
iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Anchor
JOIN: THE *Secret* FACEBOOK GROUP
Another (weekly) Hurdle conquered. Catch you guys next week.
I'm so glad your head is okay!! Getting back on the bike is always the hardest thing.