This has been a rough weekend for me, physically and mentally. I have been sidelined from my running with a stupid injury and I’m only a week into my training. I was doing so well, too. I did my two speed runs as well as a 2 mile recovery run. My speed has been improving, which I was excited about. And in the process I managed to run more than 6 miles for my speed work run, and it felt good. 6 miles is a lot for me! I was feeling really good about myself.

Then I ended up getting an infection due to running bra chafing. It turned out to be really bad and very painful. It hurts to move.  On top of that I suffered a really bad migraine all day yesterday and was in bed. I haven’t left the house all weekend. The doctor has ordered me not to run until the infection is healed, so I wasn’t able to do my long run today.

I am a mess. I am depressed and cranky.

To cheer myself up I thought I would search for quotes about struggling with defeat and I found this one from Edwin Markham “Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.” A little more searching and I found that it was a part of a poem:

 

Defeat may serve as well as victory

To shake the soul and let the glory out.

When the great oak is straining in the wind

The boughs drink in new beauty and the trunk

Sends down a deeper root on the windward side.

Only the soul that knows the mighty grief

Can know the mighty rapture. Sorrows come

To stretch out spaces in the heart of joy.

–Edwin Markham (1852-1940)

It is Samsara. It will end. My body will heal and I will get through it and I will be a stronger person because of it.