Can I play too?

Typically, bloggers' weekly workout recaps give me slight major jealousy. If you are one of the, like, eight people that read this blog, you know why - my current injured state leaves my life void of running, so seeing your casual ten miler brings about self pity.

However, I've been keeping active in any way possible that doesn't aggravate my injury (big lesson learned the hard way... injuries don't heal unless you let them heal). And I want to join in on the documentation of exercise! Maybe this will be helpful in the future for someone who needs ideas on what to do (or not to do) during recovery.

Sunday 05/31
Attempted run. I say attempted because this was the run that made me realize I need to continue physical therapy. I walked/ran (let me tell you, these slow walk/run intervals are humbling when your stupid, earthly, egotistical mind wants to show the world you're a marathoner) for 28 minutes while dragging my right leg behind me. I cried the rest of the day as my workout. Crying burns calories, right?

Monday 06/01
PT homework and 45 minutes on the stair-climber. My PT homework can be found here. I have a love/hate relationship with most machines at the gym (except the treadmill). If I get into a groove, I love it, and I did on this day. I like to find songs where I can step to the beat on the climber, and country music usually hits the correct pace to leave me drenched in sweat 10 minutes in. I also pretend I'm climbing some unknown mountain. Usually at the end of a workout, I'll whip a flag out of my pocket and claim the stair-climber as my own.

Tuesday 06/02
I went to my NEW therapy on this day (yes, I was lucky to get an appointment within two days), so I wanted to keep it semi-light. I did this yoga video at home afterwards. My leg was still sore from Sunday's downfall.

Wednesday 06/03
I went to the gym before another PT appointment and did hip work, PT homework, and then I biked for an hour. Since my hips are the issue, I think strengthening them is going to help a ton. Hip adductor and abductor machines, while extremely awkward, give me that great leg burn (the good kind) and surprisingly don't hurt! In fact, they made it feel a little bit - dare I say it? - better. When it comes to the stationary bike, I keep things interesting by adjusting the resistance constantly. Wednesday, I picked an "easy," "medium," "hard," and "extra credit" level of resistance, and went up the ladder every five minutes. Once I got to "extra credit," I started over at "easy." Then I went to PT, and he had me run 1.3 miles after stretching me and pushing me and popping me and casting a spell on me, and I had significantly less pain... we'll see where it goes from here...

Thursday 06/04
I went rollerblading. While listening to the Chess musical soundtrack. Can we all agree I'm the coolest kid ever?

BuzzFeed

Friday 06/05
Friday I did one of my favorite arm workouts ever; I call it "Rock Arms" - not because my arms resemble rocks in any way, shape, or form, but because I always listen to classic rock while doing this workout. Grab your handy dandy timer and some lighter (but don't be a baby about it) dumbbells and:

1:30 minutes - hammer curls
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - tricep kickbacks
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - shoulder presses
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - bicep curls
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - side arm raises
0:30 rest

Repeat twice more for a total of 30 minutes.

I also did more hips and homework.

Saturday 06/06
Active rest - yoga at a local studio with a side of almost headstand and a dash of tanning in the backyard with some of Milwaukee's finest.

My one true love. Sorry, Joe.

Sunday 06/07
Hips, 45 minutes on the stair-climber, and 25 minutes on the bike. Country music and varying resistances were used as aforementioned.

Also, I now spend about 10 to 20 minutes foam rolling and stretching after my workouts.

Alrighty, guys...

Monday 06/08
I went to PT. Things have been getting better, but they aren't perfect. He pulled and poked some more and then said, "Go run a 5K. Come back in an hour." So I did... and there was pain, but not like before. I would not have done this if my PT did not give the okay. Fingers crossed, prayers prayed...

What do you like to do when your #1 workout/exercise routine is out of the question?

Addiction or Nah?

As a budding sports psychologist, I know the importance of exercise on relationships. I know that exercise can make you feel better about yourself, thus leading to being happier to be around and boosting social interaction. I know that group fitness classes and running groups are great ways to meet people and increase your friend circle.

Giphy

But what happens when exercise starts to become more important than those relationships?

What happens when you choose a run over a happy hour?
What happens when you miss the beginning of a friend's birthday party because you were at the gym?

What happens when a healthy goal takes precedence, takes dominance, and then takes your life?

It's a slippery slope, and I've teetered on it occasionally.

For example, I've said no to going to brunch because I would honestly prefer to go on a long run over sitting for hours drinking booze on a Sunday morning.

Giphy

However, I have also said no to going out on a Friday night because I didn't get my workout in earlier, and I felt obligated and guilty.

More Giphy

One was decided on preference and happiness, and the other was decided on a feeling of duty and shame.

I think it's very important to take the time to determine your motives. If you're starting to dread your workouts, or you're finishing them feeling angry and beat (in a not-beat-because-I-worked-my-ass-off-good-way-but-rather-beat-because-my-body-is-internally-rebelling-way), then assess your regime. I'm not a doctor (yet ;) ), but if skipping workouts or even the thought of skipping workouts is making you uneasy, irritable, and/or anxious, take a step back. Sit out for a little bit. Bench yourself from the game. Or even go talk to someone.

If you take a long break, you will lose some fitness. NOT ALL - but that's just basic body mechanics. That used to freak me out. Two weeks off of running, and my VO2 max decreases by 7%!? Yeah, I used to be really concerned about that, honestly, until I realized that it meant nothing to me. 

1. I'm not a "highly trained athlete," I'm a recreational runner.
2. I don't even know my (then) current VO2 max, so clearly I'm not going to know A) if it decreases any or B) if that decrease is 7%.
3. I'm already stressed about Garmin miles and paces, why add more numbers to be obsessed about?

Think about yoga. You begin softly, you warm up the body, you strengthen the body, and then at the end, you rest. The rest is built into the exercise. 

This blog post went from exercise addiction to the importance of rest... but I guess they're related?

Do you struggle with wanting to and having to workout sometimes?

25 Thoughts During Yoga

I love yoga. I really do, but meditation just doesn't come easily to me. I envy those who can sit in stillness and silence for more than 2.5 seconds and be at peace... wait, isn't part of yoga about accepting yourself for what you can do? See? Unsuccessful.

I begin each class SO READY to om may way into contentment and self-love, but it never fails that halfway through shavasana, I'm wiggling, looking around, and stressing over what future MK needs to accomplish.

Well, in the spirit of experiencing, noticing, and reflecting, here are 25 thoughts we all I have during yoga class.

1. Ahhh, chirping crickets and flutes. Peaceful. Eyes closed. Yes.
2. Oh, the instructor's voice is so calming. 
3. Ow. First down dog - come on now, work with me, calves. 
4. That was not a pretty chaturanga. Okay, next one will be better.
5. Up! Saluting the sun! Hey-o, sun!
6. Aaaaand back down. *THUD* Alright, my left side isn't having this low push up thing today.
7. Again? Really?
8. I swear, I don't even work this hard during a marathon.
9. OKAY, THAT'S A LIE, I LOVE YOU, RUNNING.
10. If warriors really stood like this, they probably wouldn't be very good warriors.
11. Why is she so flexible? Do I look that flexible?
12. ....Did anyone just hear me fart?
13. Has it been an hour yet?
14. No, shh MK! You are becoming one with your breath! Breathe!
15. One foot. Focus, focus... Wobble, WOBBLE.
16. Stretching feels goooo... Er, did I just touch someone's foot?
17. Wait, turn to the right or left? Because now this is some serious awk eye contact.
18. Headstand. I'm standing on my head... Standing on my... Nooooope.
19. SHAVANSANA. REST. I'M DONE. PEACE. OM.
20. I'm so hungry. What should I have for dinner?
21. I totally need to do laundry.
22. I need to set my alarm early tomorrow.
23. I need to reply to that email tomorrow.
24. Are we done!? I have so much to do!
25. Wait, we're done? Namaste? Nah - 'muh stay right here, thanks.

Can anyone relate?