August 5, 2025 • 24 mins
Episode 99: Rising after the Fall: Finding your Spark Again
In this episode of "Your Inner Advocate," host Kimen Petersen explores the journey of "Rising from the Fall" and finding your spark after setbacks. Drawing from personal stories and experiences with athletes, Kimen discusses the emotional and physical challenges of losing motivation, facing injuries, and overcoming burnout. The episode emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, patience, and reconnecting with your core purpose. Listeners are encouraged to embrace the process of recovery, celebrate small wins, and lean on support systems. Kimen shares both personal and client stories to illustrate that setbacks are not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter. The episode closes with a message of hope: no matter where you are on your journey, your spark can be reignited, and you have the power to rise again.
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[0:00] Introduction
- Welcome to Your Inner Advocate with Kimen Petersen. Overview of the podcast’s purpose and inspiration.
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[0:40] Episode Theme
- "Rising from the Fall, Finding Your Spark"—for anyone who’s lost motivation or passion.
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[1:04] The Fall
- Discussing setbacks, injuries, burnout, and the feeling of losing your spark.
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[2:32] Hitting Rock Bottom
- The importance of meeting yourself at your lowest and building a foundation for a comeback.
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[3:17] Lessons from the Fall
- How falling can be a powerful teacher and an opportunity for self-reflection.
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[3:59] Losing Your Spark
- Exploring the deeper reasons behind losing motivation and joy.
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[4:54] Redefining Success
- Personal definition of success and the loneliness that can come with loss.
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[6:14] The Spark is Buried, Not Gone
- The spark can be reignited, even if it feels lost.
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[7:14] You Are Not Your Hard Moments
- Remembering your resilience and past comebacks.
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[8:44] The Climb Back
- Recovery and rediscovery are slow, step-by-step processes.
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[9:13] Healing Takes Time
- The body and mind are designed to recover, but change is gradual.
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[10:24] Watch for Change
- Focus on progress and shifts, not just what stays the same.
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[11:32] Start Small
- The importance of patience and starting with small steps in recovery.
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[12:15] Celebrate Small Wins
- Recognizing and celebrating incremental progress.
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[13:15] Feel Your Feelings
- The necessity of processing emotions fully for true healing.
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[14:32] Revisit Your Why
- Clarifying your core purpose and reconnecting with your motivation.
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[16:22] Support Systems
- The value of community, friends, and accepting help during tough times.
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[18:15] Embrace the Process
- Focusing on the journey, not just the outcome.
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[19:13] Be Your Own Advocate
- Practicing patience, kindness, and self-encouragement.
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[20:07] Real Stories of Comebacks
- Examples of athletes and others who found their spark again.
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[21:27] Universal Lessons
- The journey applies to everyone, not just athletes.
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[23:52] Personal Story
- Kimen’s own experience of falling and climbing back in life and career.
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[26:10] The Promise of the Comeback
- Everyone will face tough seasons, but the power to rise is within.
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[27:11] Final Encouragement
- Trust the process, be patient, and keep moving forward.
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[28:12] Closing
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Welcome to Your Inner Advocate,a podcast by Kimen Petersen,
formerly Conversations with Kimen.
This podcast is a space forinspiration, soulful insights,
and meaningful life lessons.
Your host, Kimen Petersen drawsfrom personal stories and powerful
conversations with remarkablepeople to help illuminate your path.
These episodes reflect his livedexperiences and thoughtful perspectives,
(00:25):
all aimed at encouraging you to live lifewith greater authenticity, joy, and ease.
Your inner advocate is here tohelp you tune in, trust your inner
wisdom, and move through life withmore clarity, flow, and fulfillment.
Welcome back to YourInner Advocate podcast.
(00:47):
Today's episode, rising fromthe Fall, finding Your Spark.
Today we'll be exploring powerfuljourneys inside athletes,
minds, and bodies and hearts.
Today's episode is for anyone who'sever felt like they've lost their spark.
You know the fire that oncefueled your dreams in training.
(01:08):
Your passion.
Maybe at one point you were on top ofyour game, crushing your goals, feeling
unstoppable, and suddenly life happens.
Could be an injury, a toughseason, burnout, or even just
the pressure of expectations.
You fall and it feels like everythingyou built is slipping away.
(01:29):
But this is not the end of your story.
It's the beginning of a new chapter.
So let's start by talking about the fall.
For many athletes and successfulpeople in any field, hitting rock
bottom is a terrifying place.
Just terrifying That momentwhen we feel, um, you know,
(01:51):
success medals feel distance.
When your best pace feels slow, orwhen the joy of the sport seems lost,
I want you to know it's okay to fall.
I've seen it happen with so manypeople in my life, runners who've
faced injuries so severe that theydoubt that they'd ever run again.
(02:13):
Or champions who've lost theirmotivation after one poor race,
questioning if they even belonged.
And I've seen people outside sportsentrepreneurs, professionals,
artists who lost their spark andwondered if they could find it again.
There's this quote I love.
(02:36):
If you can't meet yourself atthe bottom, you will never get
to meet yourself at the top.
And what does that mean?
It means your lowest point is not failure.
It's a place of truth.
It's where you meet your real self,stripped of ego and expectation.
It's where the foundationfor your comeback is laid.
(02:57):
When you're down, it's tempting topush away the pain or ignore it.
Or to give up entirely, but fallingcan also be a powerful teacher.
It forces you to pause andreflect, who am I really?
What drives me beyond results or praise?
What do I need to do to heal?
(03:22):
Losing your spark isn't just aboutlosing physical ability or form.
It's often deeper a loss.
You know of meaningful connection.
Imagine waking up one day andrealizing the thing that you, once
you lit you up running your training,your goal feels like a chore.
(03:43):
The excitement is gone, the joy is gone.
You're going through the motions,but your heart isn't in it.
And it's funny.
That's how I feel sometimesjust recording these things.
I feel like going through the motions andthat, you know, never reach the success.
(04:04):
And let me define success for you.
For my success is not aboutpopularity or listeners or all that.
My, my success is about helpingmany, many people more than
I could imagine right now.
You know, this loss can, can be lonely.
(04:27):
You might feel misunderstood byothers, or worse, like you're
failing yourself, but this feelingis part of the human experience.
Here's something to remember.
In the dark times, in the toughtimes when things aren't going
right, the spark never really leaves.
It's just buried,
(04:51):
and sometimes life pressure, fear.
Grief,
bury that fire under layers of doubt.
What matters is the spark can be reignited
often in unexpected ways.
(05:14):
You can't define yourselfby the hard moments.
You have to remember thatyou are not the bad days.
You are right here, right now.
You are the person that overcame
because this isn't the firsttime you've gone through this.
(05:39):
Maybe not exactly like you'regoing through right now,
but you've seen this before.
You've seen moments that were tough.
The definition of a human being isnot related to the fact that they can.
Be knocked down, they can fall, theycan lose motivation, they can lose hope.
(06:01):
A person is defined by the waythey get back up every single time.
And maybe in doing so, you build strength.
Strength that you didn't know was there.
(06:24):
So let's start talkingabout the climb back.
You know, re recovery andrediscovery doesn't happen overnight.
They happen step by step.
Much like training for arace after a long break.
It's slow, frustrating, and requirespatient and self-compassion.
(06:47):
You know, when I'm talking,I'm working with athletes.
One of the things I'verealized over the years.
Is healing or recovery happens so slowly
that often you don't evenrecognize the change.
Not until well after, you know,I've heard it so many times.
(07:10):
Somebody comes in and like, I'll askthem about, you know, a certain pain
that was in a certain place and they'relike, oh wow, I haven't even thought
about that for like a week or two weeks.
You see, this human body we live inis built and reti designed to recover.
There's multiple cells in your body thatare completely dedicated to recovery.
(07:33):
There's multiple fluids thatare part of the process.
The whole inflammatory process is designedto heal, and all this is going 24 7, 365,
but it's going very slowly in a sense.
But it's always changing, always helping.
(07:59):
So one of the things you need to lookat, like watch as you're coming back,
as you're healing, and one of thethings I always say to everyone is
watch for how it's different, not howit's the same watch for the shift.
Pay attention to the change.
'cause the human brainis really interesting.
(08:20):
It'll try to make it allseem the same, but it's not.
It's always changing, always shifting.
So here's what I've learned myselfand a lot of successful ath athletes
have taught me about climbing back.
(08:43):
You start small.
And so many people start off too fast.
You know, I hear of people coming backto running and they go out and they run
10 K and then they're wrecked for a week.
I mean, I used to talk about like a returnto run program, and I'll be, I'll be doing
this pretty soon, a walk run program.
(09:04):
Uh, I start with one in three times three,but I've heard of these amazing other
plans that have like a lot less running,like 30 seconds to four minutes walk.
And incorporating with long walks.
And I'm wondering if that's even smarter.
'cause like literally, if you can bepatient, if you can start small, if you
(09:25):
can start slowly, literally you willfind yourself, yourself back quicker.
Literally.
Sometimes it's just aboutgetting back out and walking.
And to the point of jogging.
(09:47):
And one of the things you need torealize is, like I said before,
you gotta watch for the change.
And when you notice thechange, celebrate the change.
You know, there'll be a point whereyou'll only be able to walk, but one
day you'll be able to go on a walk run.
And although like one minute run withthree minute walk might not be anything
(10:07):
compared to what you've done in the past.
That's a win.
One of the other things I think isincredibly important when you're
coming through this process is likeyou have to feel your feelings fully.
You can't rush the process.
Everybody wants to, youcan't push down the emotion.
(10:29):
If you're feeling fear, sadness, oranger, uh, let yourself experience
those emotions, feel them.
You know, you gotta feel it all.
You gotta feel it right throughall the way to the end because the
freedom will be found in the feeling
(10:52):
when you're in this process, whenyou're getting ready to climb back,
this is a time to not only
revisit your why.
Maybe even clarify it.
Why did you start this?
Why did you, I remember one of my,one of my athletes, they, they told
(11:15):
me, I asked them, why, why do you run?
They said, well, I was 11 andI could beat all the boys.
So I loved running.
And I'm like, what doyou love about running?
I, I love to win, but honestly,why did you start running?
What did running or your passionfor running mean to you before
(11:39):
it became a source of pressure?
See if you can re reconnectwith your core purpose.
It will fuel your journey.
You know, a lot of the supersuccessful people I've met.
(12:01):
Um, maybe not always from the athleticworld, but from the movie industry,
they have a purpose and it's, it'sinteresting because up until they had
a voice, there was nothing they couldreally powerfully impact the world with.
(12:21):
But as soon as they become reallysuccessful, now they have a voice
and now they typically choose.
Choose a cause and theytake their voice to it.
So if you don't have a powerfulwhy yet, you could consider
when you have the voice,when you have the success.
(12:42):
After you've stood on a podiumand you're given a loudspeaker,
what do you wanna say?
What do you want to impact?
What do you want to change?
So as you're coming back, you need to.
Create a support system, not, notonly like manual therapists, but
(13:04):
how about like mental performanceand what about mental health?
But not only that, you gottasurround yourself with people
who understand the journey.
Friends, supporters.
I can't tell you how manytimes I've sat with people.
(13:27):
In my clinic, we're ina really rough pa place
and I've tried to, you know, maybe they,financially they were in not great shape.
So I'm like, let me, letme comp this for you.
Let me comp some sessions for you.
Let me, let me help you get back.
(13:51):
And they would be like, well, youknow, no, you deserve to be paid.
I can't do that.
And I'm like.
Yes, honestly.
How do you feel?
How do you really feel when someoneyou know needs something and
you're able to give it to them?
How do you feel when
(14:12):
you're able to provide support orsomething for another human being and
they're like, wow, I feel pretty good.
Like, don't rub me off.
That feeling
when you're in this state.
When you're in the fall, when you'refalling down, when you're lying on the
ground, and even when you're climbingback, you need to lean into your people.
(14:37):
You're not a burden.
Who would you be for them in the samesituation, and how would it make you
feel when you can support a friend?
Think about that and let themhave the feeling by helping you.
Next.
You have to embrace theprocess, not just the outcome.
(15:01):
Because when you start back, you'renot going to be as fast or as
powerful or as agile or have theendurance that you've had in the past.
And that's okay.
And that's when I goright back to notice how.
It's different, not how it'sthe same when you start back.
Start with a new baseline.
(15:21):
You can have amazing goals at thetop, but recreate your baseline.
This is where I am right now.
And now pay attentionto how that improves.
You're shaving a second, A kilometer.
Wow.
Shaving a 10th, over a hundred.
Wow.
(15:42):
Instead of focusing on thefinish line, focus on each.
Run a training session.
Focus on each step forward.
You gotta be your own inner advocate.
You really do.
You gotta practice patienceand kindness to yourself.
(16:07):
The claim back is not linear.
Progress is not linear.
There's ups and downs, there's setbacks.
There's gonna be days when you can't dowhat you wanted to do, and it's okay.
Brush yourself off and get back out there.
You gotta be your own cheerleader.
Cheerleader In these moments,it's like, okay, you got this?
(16:29):
Okay, no, it's okay thatyou didn't make it today.
We're gonna get back out there tomorrowand the next day, and the next day
and the next day, and we're gonna getout there as many times as it takes
because this is what we're meant for.
This is what we're here for.
You know, there's so many athletesthat I've worked about work with.
(16:53):
That
really have lost their passionafter injury and struggled
to find their way back.
And a lot of times thinking,you know, I'm done.
I'm never gonna be that successful again.
(17:18):
And in the end.
Yeah.
Every single one of the runners I'veworked with who've gone through this cycle
who felt what they're feeling whenthey're feeling it, who took on
as a practice getting up one moretime than they fell down, who've
understood that progress is not linear.
(17:41):
But over time you'll seeit taking small steps.
They slowly.
Found a way
to reconnect with thepure joy of movement.
They slowly found their spark again,
(18:03):
and many come out strongerthan they ever were,
and they don't comeback to the same place.
They come to a new,deeper love for the sport.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
(18:23):
Sometimes we have something taken awayfrom us temporarily in order to learn to
appreciate at a deep, deep, new level.
And wherever you are on this path,understand if you keep on going down
this path, the outcome is the same.
(18:46):
You know, while this episode focuseson athletes and especially runners, I
want you to know this journey of fallingand losing your spark and climbing
back applies to every one of us.
I mean, to me in work, relationships,creativity, and personal growth,
I personally went through
one of the most impactful andscary situations in my life.
(19:12):
You know, I moved, I moved to the bigcity to lay down roots and get a career
and, you know, become somebody, whichwas in the thought back of my mind.
And I built my way up stage to stage, tostage getting better and better working
through building maintenance, gettingmy power engineering certificate, and.
(19:35):
Working my way into building operationsmanager position, which I thought
was the height, which was the thing,
and it all came down
and I was sitting in the cardiacward of the local hospital
(19:56):
going, this is how it ends.
And I had to step away fromthat because that wasn't.
The right thing for me in the moment.
But I did find my way back
and I crawled my way back and Iworked hard and it took a number
(20:19):
of years, but I found my way to thepassion something, even a greater
height that I could ever imagine.
Like literally this path hasbrought me to this moment right
here as I'm talking to you.
In this microphone in my officeon the Saturday of a long weekend.
(20:41):
You know, the person I was back thenwould never take the risk to record
this and put it out in the world.
There's so many athletes I'veworked with, so many people I've
worked with who've had a great falland then climbed to new height.
Who've gone from one sport toanother sport and succeeded.
(21:10):
We're all gonna have seasons where wefeel disconnected, overwhelmed, or lost.
But the promise is the same.
If you meet yourself at thebottom, you have the power to rise.
Your comeback story isactually being written now.
It is an the courage to showup when you don't feel like it
or you don't feel like you can.
(21:31):
It's your willingnessto face the feelings.
It's your trust that better days areahead even when you have no evidence.
So wherever you are in this journeyright now, whether you're at the
top in the middle or feeling thebody, I want you to know this.
(21:53):
From the bottom of myheart, you are not alone.
Your spark is waiting and the climbis possible step by step, day by day.
Watch for how things are changing,not how they're the same.
Be patient and trust that lifewould not bring you to this point
(22:18):
if you are not meant to be here.
And you wouldn't still have this desireif you weren't meant to keep on going.
You see, life is not waiting topull the rug out from underneath us.
The tough things are actually thefuel that creates the strength
(22:41):
to make it to the next level.
You can and you will.
Hey.
Okay, so that's about it.
I'm wrapping up.
, thank you for listening to thisepisode of Your Inner Advocate.
(23:05):
If this sort story or this messageresonates with you, please share it
with somebody who might need to hear it.
Remember, the race isn't justabout speed or victory, it's
about meeting yourself fully.
At every stage.
Keep showing up.
Keep feeling, keep climbing.
Until next time, stay strong.
(23:25):
Be kind to yourself andkeep running your own race.
Thank you for listening to this episodeof Your Inner Advocate, a podcast by
Kimen Petersen, formerly Conversationswith Kimen if you found value in
today's episode, please follow likeand share the podcast with someone
who you think may benefit from it.
(23:47):
You can listen on Apple Podcast.
Spotify, Podbean, and connect onInstagram @ your inner advocate.
Until next time, keep listening toand developing your inner advocate.
Okay.
Welcome to Your Inner Advocate,a podcast by Kimen Petersen,
formerly Conversations with Kimen.
This podcast is a space forinspiration, soulful insights,
and meaningful life lessons.
Your host, Kimen Petersen drawsfrom personal stories and powerful
conversations with remarkablepeople to help illuminate your path.
These episodes reflect his livedexperiences and thoughtful perspectives,
(00:25):
all aimed at encouraging you to live lifewith greater authenticity, joy, and ease.
Your inner advocate is here tohelp you tune in, trust your inner
wisdom, and move through life withmore clarity, flow, and fulfillment.
Welcome back to YourInner Advocate podcast.
(00:47):
Today's episode, rising fromthe Fall, finding Your Spark.
Today we'll be exploring powerfuljourneys inside athletes,
minds, and bodies and hearts.
Today's episode is for anyone who'sever felt like they've lost their spark.
You know the fire that oncefueled your dreams in training.
(01:08):
Your passion.
Maybe at one point you were on top ofyour game, crushing your goals, feeling
unstoppable, and suddenly life happens.
Could be an injury, a toughseason, burnout, or even just
the pressure of expectations.
You fall and it feels like everythingyou built is slipping away.
(01:29):
But this is not the end of your story.
It's the beginning of a new chapter.
So let's start by talking about the fall.
For many athletes and successfulpeople in any field, hitting rock
bottom is a terrifying place.
Just terrifying That momentwhen we feel, um, you know,
(01:51):
success medals feel distance.
When your best pace feels slow, orwhen the joy of the sport seems lost,
I want you to know it's okay to fall.
I've seen it happen with so manypeople in my life, runners who've
faced injuries so severe that theydoubt that they'd ever run again.
(02:13):
Or champions who've lost theirmotivation after one poor race,
questioning if they even belonged.
And I've seen people outside sportsentrepreneurs, professionals,
artists who lost their spark andwondered if they could find it again.
There's this quote I love.
(02:36):
If you can't meet yourself atthe bottom, you will never get
to meet yourself at the top.
And what does that mean?
It means your lowest point is not failure.
It's a place of truth.
It's where you meet your real self,stripped of ego and expectation.
It's where the foundationfor your comeback is laid.
(02:57):
When you're down, it's tempting topush away the pain or ignore it.
Or to give up entirely, but fallingcan also be a powerful teacher.
It forces you to pause andreflect, who am I really?
What drives me beyond results or praise?
What do I need to do to heal?
(03:22):
Losing your spark isn't just aboutlosing physical ability or form.
It's often deeper a loss.
You know of meaningful connection.
Imagine waking up one day andrealizing the thing that you, once
you lit you up running your training,your goal feels like a chore.
(03:43):
The excitement is gone, the joy is gone.
You're going through the motions,but your heart isn't in it.
And it's funny.
That's how I feel sometimesjust recording these things.
I feel like going through the motions andthat, you know, never reach the success.
(04:04):
And let me define success for you.
For my success is not aboutpopularity or listeners or all that.
My, my success is about helpingmany, many people more than
I could imagine right now.
You know, this loss can, can be lonely.
(04:27):
You might feel misunderstood byothers, or worse, like you're
failing yourself, but this feelingis part of the human experience.
Here's something to remember.
In the dark times, in the toughtimes when things aren't going
right, the spark never really leaves.
It's just buried,
(04:51):
and sometimes life pressure, fear.
Grief,
bury that fire under layers of doubt.
What matters is the spark can be reignited
often in unexpected ways.
(05:14):
You can't define yourselfby the hard moments.
You have to remember thatyou are not the bad days.
You are right here, right now.
You are the person that overcame
because this isn't the firsttime you've gone through this.
(05:39):
Maybe not exactly like you'regoing through right now,
but you've seen this before.
You've seen moments that were tough.
The definition of a human being isnot related to the fact that they can.
Be knocked down, they can fall, theycan lose motivation, they can lose hope.
(06:01):
A person is defined by the waythey get back up every single time.
And maybe in doing so, you build strength.
Strength that you didn't know was there.
(06:24):
So let's start talkingabout the climb back.
You know, re recovery andrediscovery doesn't happen overnight.
They happen step by step.
Much like training for arace after a long break.
It's slow, frustrating, and requirespatient and self-compassion.
(06:47):
You know, when I'm talking,I'm working with athletes.
One of the things I'verealized over the years.
Is healing or recovery happens so slowly
that often you don't evenrecognize the change.
Not until well after, you know,I've heard it so many times.
(07:10):
Somebody comes in and like, I'll askthem about, you know, a certain pain
that was in a certain place and they'relike, oh wow, I haven't even thought
about that for like a week or two weeks.
You see, this human body we live inis built and reti designed to recover.
There's multiple cells in your body thatare completely dedicated to recovery.
(07:33):
There's multiple fluids thatare part of the process.
The whole inflammatory process is designedto heal, and all this is going 24 7, 365,
but it's going very slowly in a sense.
But it's always changing, always helping.
(07:59):
So one of the things you need to lookat, like watch as you're coming back,
as you're healing, and one of thethings I always say to everyone is
watch for how it's different, not howit's the same watch for the shift.
Pay attention to the change.
'cause the human brainis really interesting.
(08:20):
It'll try to make it allseem the same, but it's not.
It's always changing, always shifting.
So here's what I've learned myselfand a lot of successful ath athletes
have taught me about climbing back.
(08:43):
You start small.
And so many people start off too fast.
You know, I hear of people coming backto running and they go out and they run
10 K and then they're wrecked for a week.
I mean, I used to talk about like a returnto run program, and I'll be, I'll be doing
this pretty soon, a walk run program.
(09:04):
Uh, I start with one in three times three,but I've heard of these amazing other
plans that have like a lot less running,like 30 seconds to four minutes walk.
And incorporating with long walks.
And I'm wondering if that's even smarter.
'cause like literally, if you can bepatient, if you can start small, if you
(09:25):
can start slowly, literally you willfind yourself, yourself back quicker.
Literally.
Sometimes it's just aboutgetting back out and walking.
And to the point of jogging.
(09:47):
And one of the things you need torealize is, like I said before,
you gotta watch for the change.
And when you notice thechange, celebrate the change.
You know, there'll be a point whereyou'll only be able to walk, but one
day you'll be able to go on a walk run.
And although like one minute run withthree minute walk might not be anything
(10:07):
compared to what you've done in the past.
That's a win.
One of the other things I think isincredibly important when you're
coming through this process is likeyou have to feel your feelings fully.
You can't rush the process.
Everybody wants to, youcan't push down the emotion.
(10:29):
If you're feeling fear, sadness, oranger, uh, let yourself experience
those emotions, feel them.
You know, you gotta feel it all.
You gotta feel it right throughall the way to the end because the
freedom will be found in the feeling
(10:52):
when you're in this process, whenyou're getting ready to climb back,
this is a time to not only
revisit your why.
Maybe even clarify it.
Why did you start this?
Why did you, I remember one of my,one of my athletes, they, they told
(11:15):
me, I asked them, why, why do you run?
They said, well, I was 11 andI could beat all the boys.
So I loved running.
And I'm like, what doyou love about running?
I, I love to win, but honestly,why did you start running?
What did running or your passionfor running mean to you before
(11:39):
it became a source of pressure?
See if you can re reconnectwith your core purpose.
It will fuel your journey.
You know, a lot of the supersuccessful people I've met.
(12:01):
Um, maybe not always from the athleticworld, but from the movie industry,
they have a purpose and it's, it'sinteresting because up until they had
a voice, there was nothing they couldreally powerfully impact the world with.
(12:21):
But as soon as they become reallysuccessful, now they have a voice
and now they typically choose.
Choose a cause and theytake their voice to it.
So if you don't have a powerfulwhy yet, you could consider
when you have the voice,when you have the success.
(12:42):
After you've stood on a podiumand you're given a loudspeaker,
what do you wanna say?
What do you want to impact?
What do you want to change?
So as you're coming back, you need to.
Create a support system, not, notonly like manual therapists, but
(13:04):
how about like mental performanceand what about mental health?
But not only that, you gottasurround yourself with people
who understand the journey.
Friends, supporters.
I can't tell you how manytimes I've sat with people.
(13:27):
In my clinic, we're ina really rough pa place
and I've tried to, you know, maybe they,financially they were in not great shape.
So I'm like, let me, letme comp this for you.
Let me comp some sessions for you.
Let me, let me help you get back.
(13:51):
And they would be like, well, youknow, no, you deserve to be paid.
I can't do that.
And I'm like.
Yes, honestly.
How do you feel?
How do you really feel when someoneyou know needs something and
you're able to give it to them?
How do you feel when
(14:12):
you're able to provide support orsomething for another human being and
they're like, wow, I feel pretty good.
Like, don't rub me off.
That feeling
when you're in this state.
When you're in the fall, when you'refalling down, when you're lying on the
ground, and even when you're climbingback, you need to lean into your people.
(14:37):
You're not a burden.
Who would you be for them in the samesituation, and how would it make you
feel when you can support a friend?
Think about that and let themhave the feeling by helping you.
Next.
You have to embrace theprocess, not just the outcome.
(15:01):
Because when you start back, you'renot going to be as fast or as
powerful or as agile or have theendurance that you've had in the past.
And that's okay.
And that's when I goright back to notice how.
It's different, not how it'sthe same when you start back.
Start with a new baseline.
(15:21):
You can have amazing goals at thetop, but recreate your baseline.
This is where I am right now.
And now pay attentionto how that improves.
You're shaving a second, A kilometer.
Wow.
Shaving a 10th, over a hundred.
Wow.
(15:42):
Instead of focusing on thefinish line, focus on each.
Run a training session.
Focus on each step forward.
You gotta be your own inner advocate.
You really do.
You gotta practice patienceand kindness to yourself.
(16:07):
The claim back is not linear.
Progress is not linear.
There's ups and downs, there's setbacks.
There's gonna be days when you can't dowhat you wanted to do, and it's okay.
Brush yourself off and get back out there.
You gotta be your own cheerleader.
Cheerleader In these moments,it's like, okay, you got this?
(16:29):
Okay, no, it's okay thatyou didn't make it today.
We're gonna get back out there tomorrowand the next day, and the next day
and the next day, and we're gonna getout there as many times as it takes
because this is what we're meant for.
This is what we're here for.
You know, there's so many athletesthat I've worked about work with.
(16:53):
That
really have lost their passionafter injury and struggled
to find their way back.
And a lot of times thinking,you know, I'm done.
I'm never gonna be that successful again.
(17:18):
And in the end.
Yeah.
Every single one of the runners I'veworked with who've gone through this cycle
who felt what they're feeling whenthey're feeling it, who took on
as a practice getting up one moretime than they fell down, who've
understood that progress is not linear.
(17:41):
But over time you'll seeit taking small steps.
They slowly.
Found a way
to reconnect with thepure joy of movement.
They slowly found their spark again,
(18:03):
and many come out strongerthan they ever were,
and they don't comeback to the same place.
They come to a new,deeper love for the sport.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
(18:23):
Sometimes we have something taken awayfrom us temporarily in order to learn to
appreciate at a deep, deep, new level.
And wherever you are on this path,understand if you keep on going down
this path, the outcome is the same.
(18:46):
You know, while this episode focuseson athletes and especially runners, I
want you to know this journey of fallingand losing your spark and climbing
back applies to every one of us.
I mean, to me in work, relationships,creativity, and personal growth,
I personally went through
one of the most impactful andscary situations in my life.
(19:12):
You know, I moved, I moved to the bigcity to lay down roots and get a career
and, you know, become somebody, whichwas in the thought back of my mind.
And I built my way up stage to stage, tostage getting better and better working
through building maintenance, gettingmy power engineering certificate, and.
(19:35):
Working my way into building operationsmanager position, which I thought
was the height, which was the thing,
and it all came down
and I was sitting in the cardiacward of the local hospital
(19:56):
going, this is how it ends.
And I had to step away fromthat because that wasn't.
The right thing for me in the moment.
But I did find my way back
and I crawled my way back and Iworked hard and it took a number
(20:19):
of years, but I found my way to thepassion something, even a greater
height that I could ever imagine.
Like literally this path hasbrought me to this moment right
here as I'm talking to you.
In this microphone in my officeon the Saturday of a long weekend.
(20:41):
You know, the person I was back thenwould never take the risk to record
this and put it out in the world.
There's so many athletes I'veworked with, so many people I've
worked with who've had a great falland then climbed to new height.
Who've gone from one sport toanother sport and succeeded.
(21:10):
We're all gonna have seasons where wefeel disconnected, overwhelmed, or lost.
But the promise is the same.
If you meet yourself at thebottom, you have the power to rise.
Your comeback story isactually being written now.
It is an the courage to showup when you don't feel like it
or you don't feel like you can.
(21:31):
It's your willingnessto face the feelings.
It's your trust that better days areahead even when you have no evidence.
So wherever you are in this journeyright now, whether you're at the
top in the middle or feeling thebody, I want you to know this.
(21:53):
From the bottom of myheart, you are not alone.
Your spark is waiting and the climbis possible step by step, day by day.
Watch for how things are changing,not how they're the same.
Be patient and trust that lifewould not bring you to this point
(22:18):
if you are not meant to be here.
And you wouldn't still have this desireif you weren't meant to keep on going.
You see, life is not waiting topull the rug out from underneath us.
The tough things are actually thefuel that creates the strength
(22:41):
to make it to the next level.
You can and you will.
Hey.
Okay, so that's about it.
I'm wrapping up.
, thank you for listening to thisepisode of Your Inner Advocate.
(23:05):
If this sort story or this messageresonates with you, please share it
with somebody who might need to hear it.
Remember, the race isn't justabout speed or victory, it's
about meeting yourself fully.
At every stage.
Keep showing up.
Keep feeling, keep climbing.
Until next time, stay strong.
(23:25):
Be kind to yourself andkeep running your own race.
Thank you for listening to this episodeof Your Inner Advocate, a podcast by
Kimen Petersen, formerly Conversationswith Kimen if you found value in
today's episode, please follow likeand share the podcast with someone
who you think may benefit from it.
(23:47):
You can listen on Apple Podcast.
Spotify, Podbean, and connect onInstagram @ your inner advocate.
Until next time, keep listening toand developing your inner advocate.
Okay.
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