As December came to an end, an injury that occurred back in January '05 has re-surfaced and my knee has decided that it is done pushing the physical limits, and now I'm back in Physical Therapy with the 'try to stay away from running for a while' advice.

Years past, I would have taken this news with a heavy heart, or even worse, pushed myself thru the pain and made matters worse in the long run. However, I am learning as a coach and as an athlete that so many good things can come from injury or from unwanted downtime.

Yes, I agree that sentence once sounded unnatural rolling off my tongue too. Most likely you are shaking your head saying/thinking 'it is not possible for an injury to be a good thing!'

I'm not saying that you should pat yourself on the back, or be thankful for the injury, but I do think it is what you do with the time that makes it a good thing. Last winter when I found myself unable to run and then had to pull out of the Boston Marathon, there were most certainly moments of despair and several 'what if I hadn't fallen' conversations with myself. Rather than focusing on what couldn't be changed, I knew I had to focus on what possible good could come from not running. It didn't happen over night, lets face it, if your injury is preventing you from doing the sport that you consider your safety zone or crutch, then it is going to be hard not having that sport in your weekly routine.

The first option, the obvious one, is to spend more time on your 'weak' discipline. This isn't to say, you should take all the hours for the missed discipline and dump them into the weakest link, but I am encouraging you to try and allow your thoughts and energy to focus more on something out of your comfort zone. You may surprise yourself at how much energy you spend thinking about a sport that already comes so naturally to you.

If the injury is preventing you from working on the discipline you feel needs the most work, then remember that there are several great resources out there to help keep you motivated and continue learning about that discipline, so that when you are back on board you won't feel like you stepped away from it completely.

If the injury forces you to give up all three disciplines, ask yourself a few questions? How is my core strength? How is my flexibility? Are there things that I have been neglecting due to the demands of my training? Is there something I want to do but have put off because of training? How is my nutrition? This is a great chance to make up for things you otherwise have been putting off. Think of what a relief it will be to check off the To Do list, rather than having to tell your significant other 'I meant to do that today, but I had 2 flats on my ride and then by the time I got home.

Always keep in mind that there are so many facets in the world of triathlons. We athletes tend to have tunnel vision towards the swim, bike and run. My injury has led me to: thinking of my overall strength program (yes including core strength), to volunteering at venues I would otherwise be participating in, (helping out is an amazing way to stay involved and to encourage others who share your passion), to finding more resources to read and to help me find the best training methods for myself and my athletes.

I think the most important thing that an injury can do for you, if you allow it to, is to recharge your battery. I know for myself, the next time I lace up my sneakers, I will have a smile from ear to ear, and the knowledge that I am so grateful for the opportunity to run another day. A friend of mine often refers to the fact that she is a triathlete because it is her celebration of being able bodied.

I do recognize that there are injuries that come along that may prevent us from competing at the level we want to, or from competing at all. What I am trying to stress here is that please always remember why you started your triathlon journey and always find a way to channel that energy back into the sport.