Speedbumps I didn’t see coming

read on: themovementmemo.com

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Welcome to The Movement Memo, a bi-weekly newsletter where I share actionable tips to help you live your best day ever, every day.

Today's Programming 

• Movement: 3 rounds for time 

• Quote: Rowling on rock bottom

• Lesson Learned: The 4 setbacks that built my resilience

• Optimization: Health care for health-conscious individuals

Today's Movement 

Complete 3 rounds for time: 

• 50 GHD sit-ups

• 75 double-unders

• 500-meter row

Today's Quote

Setbacks can provide the pause we need to slow down and rebuild.

That’s why I like to call them speedbumps.

So often, we get stuck in our daily routines. We don’t pick our heads up, we don’t think, we just act on auto-pilot.

The moments of pain that force us to slow down and reflect create the biggest breakthroughs.

They become the foundation that catalyzes our growth.

Today's Lesson Learned

Embracing Speedbumps: How Setbacks Built My Resilience

The Unseen Path of Growth

In sports and life, we all hit speedbumps—moments that slow us down, force us to reassess, and sometimes even change our direction. For years, I saw these speedbumps as frustrating interruptions in my progress. But each one brought a lesson I couldn’t have learned any other way. Over time, I saw them less as obstacles and more as essential markers on the road to real strength.

Here’s how each of these speedbumps transformed my approach to training, recovery, and resilience—and what they taught me about the journey.

1. 2013 Speedbump: Owning Patience and Mental Toughness

True resilience is about hanging on, even when things get rougher than expected.

In 2013, I was training with one goal in mind: qualifying for the Kona Ironman World Championships. After years of prep, 10 days before my qualifying race in Lake Placid, I hit a serious speed bump. I crashed at 25 mph on my triathlon bike, sliding across 15 meters of asphalt. My chin needed 23 stitches, my hand even more, and I was scraped up all over. My doctor told me to sit it out, but the thought of missing that race felt worse than the pain.

So, I toed the line anyway. Every moment of that race was an exercise in endurance beyond anything I’d trained for. I could barely grip the handlebars during the 112-mile bike ride, and by the time I stumbled through the 26.2-mile run, my body was barely holding up. I crossed the finish line and qualified for Kona, but that day taught me that setbacks don’t have to derail us—they can show us what we’re really capable of when the odds aren’t in our favor.

This speed bump changed the way I saw patience and mental toughness. It showed me that resilience isn’t just about bouncing back—it’s about holding on when the finish line feels impossible.

2. 2016 Speedbump: Embracing Limitations and Letting Go of Control

Limitations aren’t barriers—they’re part of the journey.

By 2016, I was diving into CrossFit, approaching it the way I had endurance sports—with five-hour days, relentless focus, and pushing past any discomfort. Then came the MCL tear on a box jump that sidelined me. I went from nonstop training to being able to train on one leg—and even that took a lot of rehab.

At first, I was frustrated. I’d never really faced limitations like this before. But during that recovery, I had to rethink my approach to fitness entirely. I started focusing on what I could do—like building up to a 2.5-hour session on the Ski Erg—instead of obsessing over what I couldn’t. This speedbump taught me that limitations aren’t barriers—they’re guideposts. They’re there to remind us that resilience is about smart, sustainable strength, not just blind intensity.

Letting go of control wasn’t easy, but it shifted my mindset. Now I know that resilience sometimes means doing things differently than I planned, and that’s okay.

3. 2021 Speedbump: Learning the Lessons Only Found in Stillness

Sometimes progress is about waiting and trusting, not just movement.

In 2021, I’d picked up mountain biking, and I was in Bentonville, Arkansas, hitting the trails with all the momentum I’d built in training. Forty-five minutes into a ride, I lost control, crashed, and tore my forearm down to the bone. After a trip to the hospital and 25 staples, I faced a new kind of challenge: forced stillness.

I’ve always been someone who’s moving, pushing toward something. But this speed bump made me stop entirely, and it wasn’t easy. Recovery wasn’t just about healing my arm; it was about letting go of my own timeline. It taught me to appreciate progress differently, to look at strength as something that builds over time, even if it’s in the quiet.

That speed bump reminded me that sometimes progress is the willingness to wait and trust the process. It’s not always about movement—it’s about giving yourself time to come back stronger, no matter how long it takes.

4. 2023 Speedbump: Redefining Resilience

Resilience is about adapting and finding a new way forward, not sticking to a rigid plan.

Last summer, in 2023, I was training hard on the trails in Colorado when I hit another major speed bump. Racing down a descent, I crashed and destroyed the ligaments in my left shoulder, straining my AC joint badly. For the next 150 days, I couldn’t complete any of the basic CrossFit movements I’d been focusing on for the 2024 CrossFit Games (age group).

This injury came at the worst time. It was supposed to be my off-season, the time when I’d be building the exact weaknesses that would help me qualify. I had to pause my plans entirely, and that was tough to accept. But over those 150 days, I started to see resilience differently. It wasn’t about sticking to my original plan but finding a new way forward when my options were limited. Sometimes the strongest move is holding back, giving yourself time to heal, and accepting that even without every goal checked off, you’re still moving in the right direction.

This speedbump was a reminder that resilience isn’t just about grit—it’s about adapting and accepting that strength can look different in each phase of your journey.

Each speedbump has shaped my approach to training and recovery in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. Today, I remember three facts when dealing with injuries that help me stay grounded, whether I’m on a winning streak or facing another unexpected pause.

1. Accept and Embrace Each Speedbump: Every injury or setback has something to teach. When I hit a speed bump now, I don’t fight it. I look for the lesson, knowing it’ll shape my approach going forward.

2. Listen and Adapt: Every speedbump is an opportunity to adjust and reassess. I take these moments to check in with myself, listen to what my body needs, and pivot in the direction that feels right.

3. Invest in Active Recovery: Recovery isn’t just time off. It’s part of the process. I make it a point to invest in tools and routines like mobility work and cold therapy that support resilience, whether I’m healing or strengthening.

Embracing Speedbumps as Growth

I can’t say that injuries and setbacks are things I’d wish for. But I’ve come to see each one as a valuable teacher. Every speed bump has brought me closer to understanding what resilience really means. Strength isn’t just about pushing forward—it’s about knowing when to hold back, when to adapt, and when to find a new route forward.

So, if you’re facing a speedbump of your own, take a moment. It’s okay to be frustrated, but remember that speedbumps aren’t the end of the road. Sometimes, they’re just pointing you toward a different way forward.

 Today's Optimization

For those of us who prioritize health and staying active, I’m excited to share CrowdHealth.

CrowdHealth is healthcare designed for the health-conscious. It’s not insurance; it’s a peer-to-peer model where members support each other’s medical costs, which means way less expense. And because it’s a community of people who value their health, we’re supporting each other and keeping costs low.

Here’s what I love about it:

• Sign up at any time: No open enrollment. Get started whenever you’re ready.

• Cancel any time: No long-term commitments or penalties for opting out.

• No networks: See the doctors you trust without “out-of-network” restrictions.

• Simple and affordable: The application process is straightforward, and the average member pays around $150 per month.

If you’re health-conscious and looking for a healthcare solution that fits, CrowdHealth could be what you’ve been waiting for. 

Click the link to learn more and apply to join the crowd!

P.S. You can lock in $99 / mo for the first three months, using my code EHINMAN

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Publisher: Eric Hinman

Editor-in-chief: Bobby Ryan