Injury Mode: Making Goals

- Mel

One of the best things to do when you’re injured is to work on goal-setting — to navigate your rehabilitation plan and keep motivation to do those rehab exercises, AND to keep a connection to your sport and stay positive in returning to play. It does no good to sit around and be depressed about not being as active as I was (though I did allow myself a good cry fest). In order to get better, I need to put my positive energy into recovering. I’m also applying some imagery techniques, as there are studies that indicate use of such can help athletes improve faster.

My goals:

  • Run a 50k again this October. This means that I have to be injury symptom-free come June when training is expected to start.
  • Roller skate outdoors this summer. Man, I had some roller skate fun already on the calendar in the next few months, but it’s probably going to be a while before I can actively skate this again. See: GOALS!
  • Return to boxing. I really, really miss my 3x a week stress release and high-intensity workouts. I’m hoping to come back soon at least to a lower-impact version before I’m able to actively jump around on my left foot again. For now, I’m minding my PT’s advice to rest.
  • Return to weekly yoga. This is something that seriously bummed me out. Yoga has always been my active recovery, but with an injured Achilles, most of the poses aren’t conducive to helping my tendon heal. I’m sure that I could modify but not even being able to do Downward Dog makes things overly complicated for me and I frankly don’t want to put the burden on my instructor.

My physical therapy plan includes two sessions a week with exercises targeting the injured area and use of whatever that muscle/tendon tool they use that feels like I’m being shredded from the inside-out. In these sessions, I’m also working on core and hip weakness (with at-home exercises as well). Meanwhile, my weekly workouts have included a lot of core and upper body strength work with free weights (just a couple times per week). I’m going to incorporate a couple days of stationary cycling into my schedule starting this week.

I’m thankfully not in a lot of pain and this injury doesn’t require the use of any medication for swelling. I had a brief episode of my ankle feeling really stiff with a dull and constant discomfort over the weekend, though this morning I’m walking much better and without as much limp in my gait. The ankle is still tight but not stiff like it was yesterday. I’m on spring break this week, so not a lot of stress to worry about impacting me physically or mentally. Taking things easy and staying in good spirits by reconnecting with friends since I have all this free time!

Have you ever made an injury or rehab plan? What are some of the goals (or exercises) that helped you recover?

Training Update – Spoiler Alert: It’s over

- Mel

This training cycle has not been kind to me in terms of finding motivation to chase a PR that I’m not even really sure matters to me much anymore. But all that ruminating has been overshadowed by more recent news:

I am injured.

I didn’t have any symptoms leading up to the injury last week that would have predicted it, and no moment where I “did something” to cause such an injury. There was a moment that I felt something tight in my ankle and by the end of a three-mile loop in the woods, I was hobbling back to my car completely unable to run (and nearly unable to walk). Nonetheless, I now have an Achilles tendon injury and I am unable to run.

So, not only is my goal to PR my half marathon out the window, it’s unlikely that I’ll even be able to run at all a month from now by race day. Considering I haven’t even got a 10-mile long run in, running a half marathon in four weeks is not possible. I’ve been taking it easy with an overdose of rest that is making me crazy and I also started going to PT to try to figure out how it happened (and prevent any issues in the future).

The activities that I have been doing over the last few months – running and boxing and yoga – were offering me a lot of healthy balance, and I was feeling really good (even doing core workouts several times a week). But I can’t do any of these activities right now. I recently started playing tennis with my husband on the weekends, which I also cannot do. Looking forward to golf season starting next month? Well, looks like I’ll be driving the cart!

I’m trying my best not to be so fatalist, and I am not naive to the severity of the injury and its ability to render me inactive for the next 6-8 weeks. Inactivity is NOT good for me. I’m exploring my options at joining a local gym again solely for access to pool, weight room, and stationary bikes. Because apparently that’s all I can do for now. My active recovery has always been yoga and that is not recommended at this point.

I have races coming up in summer, which I hope to be back in shape for – though it’s difficult to think about right now when my mobility just for walking is strained (the pain of the injury, thankfully, has greatly subsided over the last week). In any event, send me your good healing vibes for a speedy recovery!

In the meantime, I’ll be making some new goals and writing more regularly over at my new blog: Heartland Transplant.

This is a post about cake.

- Mel

Be mindful of asking your husband to clean out the freezer.

Because he then may toss EVERYTHING from its depths (except for, apparently, an old cupcake in a ziplock bag which is somewhere between the ages of 2-years ago we moved to Des Moines and ehhhhh, maybe a month). That “everything” might include your vacuum-sealed pieces of wedding cake intentionally saved for your one-year anniversary.

…

Oh. Yeah. You felt it, right?

I wouldn’t necessarily call the emotion anger. Because I was definitely crying. But I was also so upset that I could barely breath and all the voice that was attempted from my mouth deepened nearly 3 octaves and echoed across our first level open floor plan when I spoke of The Disappointment.

WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!

Apparently, I missed this error by only one day.

During The Disappointment, I locked myself in the bathroom and cried in the shower for what felt like the length of my relationship. Why was this stupid tradition affecting me so terribly when I have a wonderful husband who cleans all his dead (also vacuum-sealed) meat from the freezer when asked by his beautiful wife to do so? Oh, I didn’t explicitly tell him ONLY the meat and, you know, men are not mind readers and WHATEVER YOU THREW OUT OUR WEDDING CAKE.

Tradition. That is not a word that I would use to define our wedding nor our relationship; however, the cake. It was made by a local gluten-free bakery who can make me a delicious sugar frosted almond flavored cake any time I’d like. We were together (my husband and I – not me and the baker) for 8 years before we decided to get married… well, I guess technically we decided a bit earlier than that but nonetheless, we married on the 8th anniversary of our first date. St. Patrick’s Day. We found a lovely lady who does mobile elopements and could marry us at home on our back deck in under 60 seconds with our two witnesses and a homemade dinner of corned beef and cabbage and potatoes and a passed bottle of Irish whiskey back when I cheated on potatoes and drank whiskey… a lot has changed in one year. Like that cake. The cake morphed to the dimensions of the air-sealed plastic but sat relatively undisturbed in the door of our massively-sized freezer. Like that chocolate peanut butter cupcake on the shelf in direct sightline every time you opened the freezer door. Until the husband threw it away. The wedding cake, of course, not the cupcake. I’m sure he had reasons for this selective behavior.

Did I mention that I have an amazing husband who not only cleans out the freezer when asked but while I was suffering the emotional breakdown of someone who lost the one-and-only photo of her and Spider-Man when she was one-years-old, that very husband dug through the trash bins in our garage and found the sealed pieces of wedding cake and placed them back into the freezer.

And do you remember the day when I rolled my eyes at his purchase of this dumb machine that sealed things in plastic when things like Zip-loc exist?

What’s great about vacuum-sealing is that it not only keeps moisture out of whatever you intend to food store, but it also keeps things like… oh, the other gross disgusting things that sit in your garbage cans, OUT of the sealed containment. It was also somewhat convenient that our garage is not insulated in the slightest and the temperatures hadn’t gone above freezing in the weeks prior. See, when the husband found the cake in the garbage, they were still completely frozen pieces of warped cake in plastic. And so, it was like they went from one freezer to the next – albeit a little grosser, more disgusting and probably definitely filled with used cat litter.

Well, damn it, I finally ate that cake last night while celebrating our one year of marriage. And if adventure is what you want in a marriage, well I certainly have that and then some. I have a man who is willing to go to the depths of the garbage to see me happy.

And I couldn’t be happier.

(And yes, I apologized to my husband. But I definitely made him use Purell for the following three days.)

Farm Report: 3.16.17

- Mel

Rain and snowy sleetish shit today… and of course, WIND. There’s never not any wind here in Iowa. Chicago, the declared Windy City, can bite me.

so cornfused

Based on the number of birds and deer grazing in the fields (and my front yard) over the last week, I would have assumed that the seeds have been planted for the upcoming growing season. That may be true for my grass, but corn is not seeded until early April (the more you know! *ding*). I learn something new every day living in this great Corn King state.

cows in ponds

I hurt my ankle somehow yesterday, and I SWEAR that I am not on any drugs (unless you count an entire box of Honey Nut Cheerios as medication), BUT I am positively entertained by images of cows in ponds. They stand in leg-deep water and just… chill. It’s hilarious!

SEE?!

midwest shenanigans

Did you pick a Midwest team in your Final Four? MIDWEST IS STACKED. I don’t know, that’s something that ESPN says. I picked Cincinnati to win. If we go by the Ohioan standard, they technically claim themselves to be Midwest (though NCAA does not), so however you need to reconcile that is fine by me. But also know that I have never won a bracket challenge when I didn’t pick Kansas.

Goals for March

- Mel

I didn’t get much into resolutions for 2018, being that I am V.FOCUSED on grad school. Though as the first few months of the year have unfolded and I find myself into new rhythms of my personal and professional life, I needed to be more intentional about a few things.

I set a book goal at the beginning of the year, challenging myself to read two books per month, and I’m actually one book ahead right now! I started a daily meditation practice a few weeks ago, too, and I am already recognizing the benefit of it – but also seeing the difficulty of attempting to do something every.single.day. Especially for 10 minutes! That sounds so silly that I cannot sit still for ten whole minutes, but there are some days where it is exceptionally painful (not physically).

I am a work in progress!

That said, the nightly sleep meditations put my ass RIGHT down that I can barely countdown to 997 before I realize that I’m awakening and it’s morning.

Trying something new… badly.

Here’s what I got for March:

1. I haven’t done this yet, but I plan to find one day every other week – at least 2 hours – where I am working outside of my home. I miss Coffee Shop Life, and I have yet to explore some of the awesome local establishments since moving to Des Moines. This also fulfills two areas of interest for me. Note to self: remember to bring your charge cords next time?

2. Connect with a friend – old or new – each and every week. Real conversations on the phone and in-person have done beautiful things for my happiness. I am answering the phone (GASP!). I am returning calls. I am being intentional about meeting up with friends – and connecting with people I’ve met here locally and haven’t been good about regularly keeping in touch.

3. Do 3 things out of my comfort zone this month. This is a good number that is realistic but challenging, and also considers my energy levels and weeks where my school workload ebb-and-flows.

4. Visit one new local establishment, restaurant, shop, museum. Again, this kind of piggy-backs on my first goal, but I have a list of places that I want to visit and it’s time to start exploring.

5. Start a reflection journal for school. This was a goal that I set for myself at the beginning of the quarter in January, and I STILL haven’t started it. Geesh.

I guess if I would have to pick a word for the year, it would be “intentional.” Maybe I should add that to my One Word Project! I’d also like to get another one of those posts up this month. So I guess that I have 6 goals this month!

hello and high five greeting cards des moines

TOOT TOOT!

This month celebrates women, with this past Thursday celebrating International Women’s Day. Come over to Hello & High Five to read an interview with me – one of their featured “She-roes” – where I share my own motivations and goals, how I made friends after moving to Des Moines, who my own women heroes are, and how I “do it all” (spoiler alert: I can’t!).

Farm Report: 3.2.17

- Mel

Is the month we dub “in like a lion and out like a lamb”? Is there an Iowan farm equivalent? In like manure and out like a corn stalk? Never mind. I can’t make this one funny.

show me your sap

The next full moon on March 31 is called the Sap Moon around these parts, so sayeth The Farmer’s Almanac. But since the southern hemisphere is celebrating the opposite of whatever shit season this is, this month’s second full moon down yonder is the Corn Moon. You’ll have to wait until September harvest to get your Full Corn Moon in Iowa.

poopcorn

Guys, guys… FARMINARS. This is the best Iowan word since the Kybo. Related: “kybo” in Lithuanian means “hanging,” but kybo in Iowan means: KEEP YOUR BOWELS OPEN. OMG.

Also: low-hanging poop. *snicker*

poopcorn

midwest shenanigans

It’s Fish Fry season, aka Lent. Here’s your Fish Fry Guide for Des Moines. I still have yet to find a gluten-free fish fry. Guess Catholic Guilt doesn’t apply to those of us with dietary restrictions, aka fine GIMME ALL THE BACON.

The One Word Project: FIERY

- Mel

One of my best friends – I’ll call her E – and I met when we both were transplanted to Pittsburgh and very probably originally connected online via Twitter. She brings youth to my “old lady” perspective and in a lot of ways we couldn’t be more different. And that is exactly why, I believe, that we connected so strongly and why – even after both relocating to new cities – we are still friends today.

Her response when I requested my word via text was: Fiery.

Now, when requesting my word, I didn’t prompt for reasons or provoke with any follow-up questions, I just sat with the word and reflected on why this important person in my life would describe me as such. I LOVE THIS WORD. And I feel it is a clear descriptor of my tenacity to keep moving, to question everything, and do such with passion. I really, really hope it’s not because of my Irish temper or my hair reverting back to a childhood tint of red, which I spend hundreds of dollars per year trying to reject… my Irish roots, I mean, my hair.

What?!

I consulted the thesaurus to give more dimension to my word: combustible (last I checked, I was not literally on fire; though I like to figuratively burn things down), passionate (yep, me!), excitable (very much), and intense (not emotionally intense, but strong in my opinions and often too serious). E and I also ended up working together in Pittsburgh, and had the extreme joy at being able to plan her wedding shower. She was around when I was fired up to go back to school in my 30s to finish my undergrad and my seemingly-endless efforts to find a marketing & communications job (which took me THREE YEARS). She knows how intensely passionate I get about personal causes and principles. She has also probably been exhausted by my excitability. 🙂

How I plan to use this word in the future: I think sometimes we all can lose sight of why we do something – or why we started something. Reflecting on what fires me up – or makes me fiery – will help tie my projects and goals back to my passions and purpose. I need to keep perspective on what originally got me excited to pursue something in the first place and be OK changing my goals if my fire burns out. Also, maybe, not burn things down so much?

fiery sriracha one word project

BE LIKE THE SRIRACHA KETCHUP.

What is the One Word Project? I asked some people in my life to describe me/sum me up in one word to explore areas of strengths and for personal/professional development. I plan to make this part of a regular (and evolving) series and will continue to ask those around me to participate.

Farm Report: 2.23.17

- Mel

OH HAI, IT’S STILL SNOWING. Not since my last post from seven months ago, but some days it feels like that. Snow is part of my identity – and something that I missed when living in the mid-Atlantic region where it rarely snowed in six years, aka: Pittsburgh, affectionately called “the east coast” by my fellow Iowans. I am Great Lakes Snow Belt raised, and find great joy in playing in the snow. I have a saucer and I know how to use it. Also, yes: I am 40 years old.

corn addict

Soooo, if people from the Corn Belt are “cornfed,” what does that make people from the Rust Belt?

Is this where I make a Clostridium tetani joke?

hard soft corn

Ahem. Non-GMO.

strap in, huddled masses

Snow Belt, Corn Belt, Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Sun Belt… are there other regional “belt” monikers out there? Oooh, is there a Cheese Belt?

midwest shenanigans

I grew up in Ohio, which was once dubbed “The Heart of it All” and it took me until age 40.83 to realize that is because Ohio looks like a heart. Sadly, not a delicious chocolate-covered peanut butter buckeye treat… shaped heart.

Weekly Therapy: On fear and Imposter Syndrome

- Mel

the week:
I had my first one-on-one practice counseling session with my professor this week — and it wasn’t a disaster! SUCK IT, NERVES! I started a daily reflection/reading OUT LOUD habit to keep perspective of WHY I am going to grad school at old lady age 40 (OMG my birthday is less than 3 months away, send chocolate). I ALSO started a meditation practice. I’m probably falling victim to “too much, too soon” but I am desperate to exorcise these physiological demon stress responses from my life.

I was re-listening to a podcast with sport psychologist Dr. Rob Bell, and the quote he uses near the end of the episode is SO BIG INSIDE ME right now: Some battles are worth fighting, even if you lose.

I’m not going to let fear or Imposter Syndrome win.

weekend:
Half marathon training is underway, so maybe this Saturday I’ll get my legs over to a Striders run and run some of those Drake hills. My CPR/AED certification expired, so I’ll be getting re-certified this weekend, too.

seven things, seven days:
1. Imposter syndrome, WHAT?! This article does a nice job of explaining it. {via Guardian}
2. Oooh-oooh! Probably not the fun kind of internet quiz you’re used to, but see what type of Imposter Syndrome you have!
3. One more: Feeling like a fraud {via APA}
4. And now for the Olympics! Yes, I have been watching during any allotted free time, and I am currently obsessed with watching the athletes breathe before performing. You may be looking for a triple salchow, but I am watching for evidence of energy management.
5. Life after competition ends is an inevitable:Finding new meaning after The Olympics {via The Atlantic}
6. The amazing: CHLOE KIM {via NBC}
7. And probably definitely the best thing to happen to this year’s Olympic games: Adam Rippon {via NBC}. Did you watch that short program? DEAD. (And he skated to one of my favorite dance songs.)

Drake Road Races Half Marathon: Training Starts Today!

- Mel 1 Comment

After a few weeks off to recover from fall and winter races, I have been easing back into running a couple times per week. After pondering “what’s next,” I selected the Drake Half Marathon as my first race of 2018. I’ll actually be participating in the Bulldog Double by running the Blue Mile that same week.

So, yeah, I know that I rebranded this blog for my ultra adventures (more to come on those plans later… oh, and I guess that I should get around to actually reviewing my 50k in this lifetime), but I’m kind of obsessed with breaking my half marathon PR right now. This will be a good way to get back into the swing of race training while going to school full-time with the benefit of a shorter training period AND, well, a shorter race.

Hello, speed work!

Training starts today (with the usual Monday rest day)! My plan is 12 weeks and I’ll be incorporating a lot of what I learned while working with a running coach. Boxing has been an awesome workout and stress-release for me – and includes 10 minutes of core, which will benefit my running. I plan to keep up my 3x/week classes and doing yoga once per week. I think I found my sweet spot in my workout schedule, so looking forward to seeing how the regular cross-training will aid in my training.

Big goal: SUB TWO.

Drake won’t be a gimme – I’ll have hills to train for! But since our running club’s group runs will be mostly around Drake’s campus, I will have plenty of opportunity to practice. I was registered for Drake last year, and decided not to run it because of ugly weather. The date and course are both different this year, but Drake relays notoriously have awful weather luck. I will have that as a potential challenge to work through.

Bonus: I get to implement some of the mental training into my own program to practice that I’ve learned so far in my grad program.

My RACE day half marathon PR is a 2:12:16 (Des Moines Half Marathon 2016) – I have since had SEVERAL runs under that, with my fastest 13.1 miles at 2:07:57 (I did the front half of Route 66 Marathon in a 2:09:49 even with THOSE HILLS). Best of all, a friend of mine has offered to run with me and be my pacer to help meet my goal.

BRING IT, BULLDOG!
Drake Bulldog half marathon