Off Season Fun & Rehab

I am writing this post as I am being driven to Cusco, Peru on a week long trip with my friend Leanda. This is my last hurrah of relaxing and fun (at 12,000 feet nonetheless) before I return home and begin back on a proper training schedule for next season.
I ended my 2011 season with a bulging disc issue that had finally forced me to DNS my last race of the season (Rev 3 Florida). After the disappointment of that lessened, I resolved myself to fix and manage my lower back issues or else risk not racing at all in 2013.
So, off to the physical therapists I went. And went. And went......and went. After a week or so the anxiety of not running and biking started to get to me, but I was at least able to swim. And swim I did, every day, under coaching instruction by Jeff Utsch, a swim consultant to the Navy Seals. After a few weeks of only swimming (and once I was able to do flip turns without excruciating pain) I began to realize that this nagging injury may be the best thing for me; making me focus on my swimming. For anyone who knows me (or has even looked at my results) knows I'm not a strong swimmer. I've lost more podium finishes from my weak swimming than I care to recall. But, just as I have resolved myself to fix my back issue or stop racing, so have I done the same for my swimming.
Seeing improvement each week both with my back issues and my swimming has revived me for 2013.
I am now starting to look forward to hard training again; a good sign that I've rested and recovered enough and its time to go again!
Just remember that despite the bad things that happen to you, there is always something better around the corner. You just have to keep walking and turn to see it!