hair therapy

Weekly Therapy: Wherever you are, be all there.

- Mel

the week:
Finally got my butt back to spinning (and working out in general)! I’m trying to figure out what my workout schedule should be through December — when I then start training for the Gasparilla race(s) challenge in February 2016. I’m super excited about this destination running event, by the way. I need to sit down and figure out my race and training schedule for 2016 overall too.

I woke up on Tuesday morning at, like, 3:30 a.m. and considered staying up and going to a 5:15 a.m. CrossFit session but I found my way back to slumber (and dreaming again that all my hair was falling out, which is a little too close to reality right now). Daylights Savings Time, amiright? To be honest, I don’t know if my training will ever revert back to regular CF. I have a TRX system now at home (that I still need to set up) and maybe I’ll ask for a barbell for Christmas… but I just can’t stomach the $135/month membership fee anymore when I have a YMCA membership and a yoga pass and own enough equipment to get in decent at-home workouts.

weekend:
It only seems life-appropriate to have some dental work done the week after Halloween, right? I’ll also be watching a bit of the WFTDA Championships. I plan to get my first post-marathon run in on Sunday morning too, before my inlaws come out and spend the afternoon with us.

52 books in 52 weeks:
I finished FOUR books this week — I am determined to catch up! And it’s amazing how much time I have to read when the boyfriend is traveling for a week. HA!

#36: Lion of Hollywood: The Life & Legend of Louis B. Mayer — So happy that I kept with this book (it took me a LONG time to finish but it was worth it. Read my Goodreads review.

#37: Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek — great read for anyone who is a runner or likes big, limit-stretching goals. It wasn’t my favorite book about ultramarathons, but I liked it better than Rich Roll’s (and it had much less sponsor endorsements).

#38: Five Weeks in the Amazon by Sean Michael Hayes — well, I just hated this book. But after seeing how quickly I could finish it, I kept with it (hoping that Hayes would become more likable or authentic… and that just didn’t happen). Final thoughts: immature writing and attitude, and what a hypocrite!

#39: Living With a SEAL by Jesse Itzler — I received a Release Day copy of this book from the publisher, and I really enjoy Jesse’s casual writing style. I mean, I read it in two days! His storytelling of training with a Navy SEAL for 31 days was fun and you feel as though he’s one of your closest friends telling you his latest crazy story (and it’s nuts!). He cracked me up more than once! There’s even a tear-out workout page included in the book if you’re so inclined to repeat his insane month-long training schedule.

seven things, seven days:
1. When looking for socks for a Halloween costume, I realized that my ENTIRE collection of derby shorts, tights and socks are GONE (save for one pair of socks and one pair of cat shorts) — likely stored in a bag in the basement and tossed during our sewer backup over the summer. And, well, I’m pretty devastated about it.
2. All things considered, my Halloween costume turned out awesome for thinking of the idea on the day before.
3. My stylist seemingly mitigated my hair breakage problems with a keratin treatment (even if it has the faintest hint of a rose gold color… which is, surprisingly, kind of awesome). But it seriously looks and feels SO much better, and I got a few other products to use as daily/weekly treatments to help protect it.
4. When it’s 70 degrees on a November evening in Pittsburgh, you go have Thai food on Nicky’s patio.
5. “At distances over 2,000 miles, you are negating the benefit that males have due to increased muscle mass and aerobic capacity.” On Longest Hiking Trails: A Woman Finds Equal Footing {via NYTimes}
6. My definition of work-life balance is, simply, that I’m not living to work. But beyond that… it gets a little complicated. More about the assumptions of work-life balance {via APA Center for Organizational Excellence}
7. The things I learned from being an Ironman. SO GOOD. {via The Things I Learned From…}

Weekly Therapy: A change will do you good.*

- Mel

the week:
This has been a rough week. My job was realigned into a new department, on a new team, and I now also report to a new person. There has been a lot of confusion about how my role is changing for the company, and I’m really trying to be open about embracing those changes. What a lesson in organizational development and change management! I wish I was currently in those i/o-psych classes to tap into the experience a little more. And, maybe… help me process everything.

weekend:
It’s finally here — graduation and commencement! (Are they the same thing? WHO CARES! HOORAY!) I’m looking forward to spending some time with my family and celebrating this accomplishment. But also will be doing a LOT of thinking about my future on this weekend’s 16-mile (!!!) long run (I ended up registering for another half marathon to keep me accountable). I really think that I need that career coach.

52 books in 52 weeks:
I realized this week that I’m *tired* right now of reading self-development/inspirational/how-to books. I need a break and some more reading for fun. Have any good book recommendations? Please leave in the comments! I do prefer non-fiction, so a good memoir or biography that you’ve read would fit my interests.

seven things, seven days:
1. We went out (and subsequently got *smashed*) on a Sunday night when we found out that Howl at the Moon was having a luau because of the holiday weekend. We had a BLAST! Nice change of pace.
2. I’m all for social media, but can we PLEASE stop with the wedding hashtags?
3. Speaking of change, I had some lavender dyed into the “hidden”/underneath part of my hair. YOLO, amirite.
4. Pittsburgh blogger? Sign up for Allegheny Inn’s “Partei Für Blogger” happening next Friday.
5. The heel of my loafers somehow completely fell off on my walk to work on Thursday. Like, seriously life?
6. Performance sportswear gives psychological as well as physical boost
7. A breakdown of research about the role of Vitamin D in athletic performance — something that I’ve long considered is the reason behind all my persistent fatigue and exhaustion (I have extremely low levels of Vitamin D, despite supplementation; and yet, still have no answers as to why).

*can’t get that dang song out of my head!

Weekly Therapy: plan for greatness, but also don’t forget to adapt to reality

- Mel

the week:
Well, I’m glad my two new classes are rolling out slow this week, as I hit my midway point in my Coaching class (and have another paper due this weekend), AND I started my new job on Wednesday. I have a lot of nervous energy, but through my peer coaching sessions, I made some good measurable goals to take me through this transition with (hopefully) little anxiety and a lot of success and openness.

I have to say, I am loving the autonomy and flexibility that comes with this position (no more asking for bathroom or lunch breaks). But holy crap, you guys, I have been EXHAUSTED.

weekend:
I’m excited for a Trigger Point workshop hosted at the new yoga/spinning studio Urban Elements on Federal Street (North Shore) on Saturday — it’s targeted to runners and athletes with and emphasis on myosfascial techniques and work on mobility and flexibility or injury points common with runners.

Then, I’m GETTING MY HAIR DONE! (finally.) It’s also the Super Bowl this weekend, if you’re into that…

52 books in 52 weeks:
#5: Coaching & Mentoring at Work: Developing Effective Practice — my required textbook for my Organizational Coaching class, but finished the book in advance of some intense assignments coming up for the next couple weeks.

seven things, seven days:
1. Snow, YAY! LOTS of snow. Woah.
2. I tried out three different modes of commuting to work this week: car, walking, and bus. It’s certainly a benefit that I have options!
3. Is it silly that the thing that made me most nervous about my first day at work was lunch with my boss because of all my diet restrictions. (edit: it went fine — but of course I had to return my salad when it came out with tomatoes.)
4. LOTS of fancy deluxe-size sample goodies came with my Bergdorf beauty order, and my feminine side is all SQUEE.
5. Received — and LOVE — my new furniture from West Elm. Now I need to get this old couch out of here!
6. Some perspective we all need to consider: How to embrace Plan B {via Carrie Cheadle}
7. As I have been exploring more about the topic of Authenticity, I came across: The Authenticity Paradox {via Harvard Business Review}