gimme sleep!

Weekly Therapy: 7.07.17

- Mel

the week:
My week as told in bug bites: Sunday, after my trail run, I took off my tall socks and slipped into my OOFOS sandals. While I stood around talking with my friends, I got bit twice on my right calf. My stupidity at spraying my bug spray while my socks were on, which was rendered useless with the removal of them. Then Wednesday, while I was waiting for our golf session to start, I felt something fall down my shirt AND PROCEED TO BITE ME twice in my bra area. Then today at work, something BIT ME ON MY FACE while I sat at my desk. WTF?!

That’s it, I’m bathing in DEET from now until Winter.

weekend:
Capital Striders long run on Saturday, followed by a visit to the Downtown Farmers Market. And then another trail run Sunday with the CS Turkeys. We are also going to a house concert on Sunday afternoon to hear Amy Gerhartz and hang with our fellow Rock Boat peeps (and have some Jell-O shots, probably).

seven things, seven days:
1. I NEED THIS.
2. Happy that the 4th celebrations are over and I can return to my regularly scheduled sleep program.
3. The baby barn swallows under our deck have seemingly grown out of their nest — though they still haven’t fledged!
4. When I was on the treadmill last night, I noticed out the window that we also now have a Robin’s nest under our deck. 24-HOUR BIRD WATCH OVER HERE!
5. Chicago Marathon made a lot of effort to provide an excellent training program for its race participants… in PDF format. Would really like to see a major race do its own app that includes a training program!
6. What should you yell to encourage runners, so sayeth Science? Personally, I like to use: YOU GOT THIS! {via Runner’s World}
7. Fascinating. What cookies and meth have in common {via NYT}

Weekly Therapy: Blogging for Happy Hour

- Mel 1 Comment

the week:
WHEW. We made it, guys! Who’s ready for some wine? *raises hand*

I think I’ve finally found my new work-personal time groove this week, which means that I can start fitting in other things like socializing and working out with regularity. AHEM.

weekend:
I still need to wash my car… SERIOUSLY. And if the license bureau is open, I need to do that, too. We have a date night dinner scheduled with a few other couples (connections through boyfriend’s work), but my To Do List is seriously stressing me out. I have a lot of items labeled “return.”

seven things, seven days:
1. Special delivery from Bake Me Happy GF in Columbus. My lunch breaks just got more nom-tastic.
2. Even though I went on a little bit of a shopping binge after moving, I still have a nice extra padding in my accounts. I don’t know about you, but that always makes me feel so relieved to be on top of things financially.
3. HOLY HOT YOGA. I joined Life Time Fitness, and there’s a hot vinyasa flow class on Wednesday nights. The instructor is amazing, and my arms and shoulders are crapped TFO.
4. Have you tried out the new Goals app in the Google Calendar? I was really excited about it, until I realized that it was scheduling all my workouts when I was scheduled to be at work (and my work schedule is inputted as “busy” on my calendar). Hopefully, that will get fixed and/or it will learn my habits.
5. Instagram is ruining your vacation. Mmm-hmm. {via Backchannel)
6. It hurts because it’s true: Being tired isn’t a badge of honor — and it kinda makes you act like a dick {via Signal v. Noise}
7. 14 hikes for anyone in Iowa — I can’t wait to get out there and start exploring!

February 30: a lesson in getting out of bed

- Mel

I am NOT a morning person.

I am also an insomniac. In an attempt to regulate my sleeping schedule and embrace the creativity that comes with early-morning writing and generally be super cranky for 30 days, this month’s Wake Up Every Morning Before 8am had disappointing results. Meaning: I actually slept less and not more. I’d be worn out from a long day, and still be up until 1am or later (even when retiring to bed by 11pm) and still have to wake up by 8am. Not to mention, this last week we had painters come EVERY morning by 7am. SEVEN. I was exhausted and cranky and unmotivated and uncreative and felt lethargic for most of February. I know how important sleep is, and I’ve tried every trick in the book (there’s no TV in our bedroom; I read before bedtime; I drink tea) and I’ve tried several different drugs. (let me tell you about the time I took 2 Simply Sleep pills before an international flight from Germany and was WIDE AWAKE the entire trip. FML.) On top of all that, I have TWO separate sleeping problems (well, three if you count the asshole cat that wakes me up at 3:30): going to sleep and staying asleep. It’s one, the other or both on most nights… that I usually make up for by way of afternoon naps on my days off and a night or two a month of dead sleep for 10-12 hours (from pure exhaustion, I’m sure).

The only time I felt rested this month was in California — which, shocker, is closer to my regular sleep patterns considering Pacific Time (I was asleep by 11pm every night and up by 8am — and OUT THE DOOR with really shitty hotel coffee, doing things, by 9am). And if you’re thinking “it’s vacation, of course you slept better.” Not so fast… I had derby responsibilities nearly EVERY day on our trip, so it’s not like it was a no-schedule-free-for-all. Plus, there was a lot of drive time and no sleep in the car (since I was mostly an anxious passenger).

I have to accept that I just might not be on the same schedule as the “average” 30-something. Those two extra hours of sleep are imperative to my well-being. So this 30-day challenge* was a lesson in listening to MY body; not what society thinks is the “right time to be up-and-at-’em.” Also: ear plugs are a MUST. This is a new discovery, thanks to an awesome care package I received.

Do you have your own sleep challenges? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

*I used two days from the end of January to make up for the short month. And to be completely transparent, I missed two days — one, the day after vacation, I woke up at 10am; two, the morning after a couple margaritas, I woke up at 9am. I gave it the ol’ college try!

Next up: NO SUGAR FOR 30 DAYS IN MARCH. *gulp*

Read more:
My year of 30-day challenges.
January Success: No Alcohol for 30 days!