No sympathy, please.

[spokewench]

Welcome Z - I see there's a little controvery in this thread, but believe me, everyone here has your back, no matter how they write their words. We've all been there where you are in some way in our lives; if it is injury, illness, pain and desolation. We've all had setbacks, some temporary and some not so temporary.

What we all have in common is that we care about others, we love bikes, we believe in a healthy lifestyle and all of us, in our own way, go out to achieve things that we didn't think we could do.

I can understand you being depressed at being told that (perhaps) you won't be able to do exactly what you have been doing in the past. You might not be able to increase your time in a tri; or whatever it is that you really are passionate about. This depression is normal.

However, many of us are even older than you are and I think want to offer you a perspective that perhaps you have not thought about yet since you are only 40 and relatively young. What I have found with age and aging is this. Nothing stays static. Everything changes and changes constantly.

How we deal with those changes is what makes us successful and happy with the aging process. Sometimes, we deal with an illness and injury by changing even more; chosing a different sport, doing different things that give us satisfaction, changing our outlook in what we do do so that we can still enjoy the great things that life has to offer us.

I have watched many people age, not just from 30 to 40 or 40 to 50, but I have watched my parents generation age too. The people that I find most fascinating and inspiring are those people who can embrace the changes, find a different or better way to do things, and live life to the fullest that is possible for them.

So, take this setback for what it is, and step forward with an attitude that you will make this work for you. That, you will learn and grow from this and that you will find a way to make yourself happy!

Please don't run away from this forum, these people are good at heart and I think you can gain from a different prospective right now. Take heart, the disappointment will fade, the depression will go away, and move forward with a good attitude. You may find that you will have a greater passion for life!

spoke