That Magical Phrase

"The best is yet to come". This phrase seems to have become a mainstay of this magical decade in my life better known as my 40's. I have found it can be used in just about every aspect of my life. There are days like yesterday, when I hit a personal best on the treadmill and it comes out triumphantly from me as I see even better things in my training future.

There are other times it comes in a low voice, almost shaky surrounded by question marks from the pits of my soul. For example, waiting through a painful 3 year Haitian adoption full of crazy twists and turns and frustration, often the phrase was uttered to try to convince myself it would be ok and I would one day hold my babies permanently, that day did come. Or when I was laying in a hospital bed February 8 of this year with a hip full of new hardware after spending a year training. I had to put my anger at this injury at bay with this phrase.

Today, I am faced with a wallet a little lighter and an email confirming me as team captain for Team Awaken confirming my registration for a Spartan Race November 12 with my partner in crime Jack. There was something so exciting about that yet terrifying at the same time. The terrifying came as I replayed lots of different things in my mind today. The statistic that only 50% of hip fracture patients ever get back to their previous level of activity, yet am looking to go beyond that. The fact that I will be 47 two days after the race. Really?  Taking on a first Spartan race at my age?  I have heard that from several people. Maybe I should just swim, take up something safer....all things I have heard fairly recently. All these things allowing that magical phrase to get quieter and quieter in my soul.

Then...as my patients were all simmering waiting for tests and my charting was caught up I found myself stumbling across an article. Sister Madonna Buder. I had never heard of this woman but what I would learn changed my day. She is an 86 year old iron man athlete, not to mention Catholic nun, still competing 17 hour races annually. She began her race career at 48 when she was encouraged to discover the link between mental, physical and spiritual well being.  This completely resonated with me as I searched to find my physical health by shutting out the negativity in my life and letting my spiritual side be my guide as my earlier blog posts talk about. This woman even broke her pelvis and recovered only to race again. I have no idea what those post fracture statistics look like but they cannot be all that different than my hip. Ironically, she broke her pelvis training just like me and my hip. She has now raced almost as long as I have been alive which is staggering. I am finding I have spent the rest of the day learning all I can about this lady and as I do that shakey, low voiced questionable "best is yet to come" has gathered some steam and is growing more and more solid.

So, although the Spartan Team Awaken is small, we are mighty and must live by Sister Madonna's example that come Nov 12.....the best is yet to come.