Goals

Goal-setting has played a large role in my own recovery. It keeps me motivated and gives me milestones of achievement for positive reinforcement.

Goals:
- No pain/discomfort while running [achieved by gradually building up length of run + speed]
- right legged pistol [achieved 12/13 by running and lifting to build leg strength]
- playing ulti again by March [recently played Mini, low-level pickup- 1/30/09]
- be able to touch rim again [not yet]
- change direction from full speed [not yet]
- catch a decent jump ball [not yet, keep getting skyed, dont have reactivity yet]

As I rehab, I realize more and more the role motivation plays in recovery. Consistency in training is the major factor over all others, and motivation becomes difficult when stealing hours from other parts of your life to get into the gym, usually alone, to do yet another set of squats, bosu ball work, etc. I moved to a new city, leaving behind that cohort of training buddies I could call whenever, and without being able to play, there are very few "atta-boys" at all. No more skying someone/breaking a mark/catching a big layout to relish in during the work week, nobody saying "nice catch" or "sick throw." These tiny things prove much more meaningful when they're gone, hence the need to set short-, mid-, and long-term goals, so that you can give yourself a few atta-boys and pats on the back.

To get through 8-10 months of recovery, you need real positivity, and getting it from yourself, without relying on someone else, becomes much more sustainable.