Coming back from where?

The first two entries of mine referred to "coming back." What am I really coming back from?

Well, I have been involved in sports my whole life. It started with soccer like every other Swede, and then went on to all kinds of sports like: martial arts, badminton, table tennis, ice hockey, golf, and finally track & field. After 17 years of running track and more than 10 years on the Swedish national team as a decathlet, I finally decided to call it quits.

When you have been so competitive your whole life, it's hard to just say "no more". Ever since my "retirement" from competitive sports I have looked to fill my void with all kinds of challenges. However, when your head tells the body that it can still do all the things you used to be able to do, and the body is not training at that level anymore, that is a problem. In my case, the body didn't hold up, and I ended up with a knee problem. One day, my left knee swelled up like a small ball and the pain set in. After several trips to the hospital for draining, I was recommended to surgically "fix" my meniscus. Everything went well, but I ended up with a bad infection in that knee. A week later, I was under the knife again. High fevers, urgent care trips, and a short stay in the hospital followed. I underwent every test known to man, and to this day, we still have no idea what caused it. For a ful month after the second surgery and the slew of tests, I had a pic line surgically planted so that medication can be "shot" through and quickly get to my heart. When everything setteled, the doctor gave me the verdict that I should never run again. At that time, just happy to not be "ill", I accepted it.

For the better part of my life, running has been a part of me. The acceptance of not ever running again faded into the background as I became more determined to live my life the only way I know how: running, competing, challenging and pushing myself. I realize I am not the only one who has faced injuries and overcame them. These "warriors" inspire me and help me in my push to keep at it. Our MichRoFit family's support and encouragement keeps me going and I hope I get to inspire a few out there along the way, even it feels like a long road ahead.