A Fall

Yesterday, Kevin, Shari, and I rode our mountains in the cold and spitting rain. The trails were barely muddy (it's been so dry all season), but the wet leaves carpeted the trails and roots, rocks, and logs were slick. My back tire kept slipping and sliding over even the smallest obstacles. Shari fell for the first time on a slick downhill. Her bike slid out from under her to the left and she launched off the bike to the right, thankfully into a pile of soft leaves. She shook off the golden leaves and mud in her confident fashion, but I knew that she now made that connection of fear to pain. We rode on a bit more and at the crest of a hill her back wheel skidded irratically under a cluster of slippery roots. I could tell she was mentally done (only because I've been there about 100 times on the mtb). We cut the ride short as there was nothing to be gained in confidence or bike handling skills. She felt badly about it, but had my full empathy.
I'm confident that when we're back on those trails this weekend she'll bounce back and be my fearless riding partner again. Really, if I could get over all of my mtb mishaps ANYONE can! But there's nothing like a fall (or injury) to emphasize the vulnerability of our courage, strength, or skill. On the flip side, there's nothing like a setback to give us the opportunity to become more brave, strong, or skillful.
As athletes we all remember our most glorious achievements or feats of physical strength, coordination, or determination. We feel bullet-proof and invincible at those moments. When we think about athletes who are our heroes, we remember them in victory---Kona wins of Natasha Badmann, Paula Newby-Frasier, Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and Dick Hoyt and his son. They all seem so graceful and strong. It's difficult to pair these images with illness, age, injury, puking up Gatorade on the A race course but in doing so it gives a more whole picture. Our victories (and theirs) can be as transient or permanent as our falls.
It's true that scar tissue is less functional, has less tensile strength than the original tissue before injury. However, it's also true that we can be physiologically and psychologically adaptable and resilient. Yep, we'll be back on those trails again with our healing scrapes and bruises, memories of wiping out and the associated pain. Hopefully, we will clean steeper uphills and hop over bigger logs.