Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower

Fall.

There’s something magical about this season, the way nature changes its colors into a palette of yellow, orange, brown and red. The temperature drops and at first it’s a little difficult to adjust to the cold.

But I love the cold and the dark, just as I love the twenty-four hour daylight and the warm, sweaty nights.

I am a Northerner, flowing with and adjusting with the seasons. And just as the seasons change, so do I. In winter I can think clearly - the bitter cold makes it a perfect time for me to view the coming year’s goals and dreams with a perfectly clear mindset. In the spring, I am full of new inspiration and energy. I am excited to learn new things and to grow. Like a blooming flower. And since summer is usually the season where I have the most plans, it’s a time for me to just go with the flow, live out the adventures I’ve planned previously. There’s no before, there’s no after. Everything just is.

But in the fall something happens. I’m filled with new clarity and inspiration, just like in the spring. But it’s different from spring somehow. Same same, but different.

There’s an energy shift. And truth be told, maybe I can sense the energy shift more than ever this particular fall. Unlike this time last year, I no longer need to focus all my energy on recovering from a burnout depression. And as many of you know, the burnout was immediately followed by a skiing accident, new challenge being thrown at me unexpectedly. This fall, I feel more free to expand my world again, to start fulfilling the dreams and goals I’ve been postponing for quite some time now. To test my physical and mental limits again.

So I’ve started planning for upcoming adventures, races and trips. Soon I will write a more detailed post about my plans for next year… But to start with, I will travel to Nepal and the Himalayas in November for one month trekking and climbing a 6000 m peak together with my boyfriend. Dream trip!

But in the midst of all this excitement and planning, I am trying to keep it in the back of my mind that I am only 3,5 months post-surgery. Even though my recovery has gone better than anyone could have ever expected - including my physiotherapist - I have to take care that I don’t push myself too hard. Listen to my body and my intuition. My biggest challenge as an athlete is not doing too little - but doing too much.

I am also making sure to not focus all my attention on the future, but also to be thankful for the here and now. I have the best job in the world (yes it’s true!!!) and colleagues that are like a second family. I get to share my love for ultra running and adventure with the whole world. I am healthy and my ACL recovery is going great (I just ran 30 k today - first time in almost a year!). And not to forget - I am grateful for the shift in seasons, the cold mornings and the crisp fall air.

It’s truly the little things in life that make it so beautiful.