The Last Time…
Guess what? We’re halfway through NaBloPoMo, which means we’re halfway through November. I’m a little sad about that- November is one of my favorite months. I don’t want it to fly by too fast, but somehow it always does. Last week when I wrote about running the New York City Marathon, I was disappointed that I didn’t have any pictures of the day, from either of the times I ran it. It was the 1990s so we didn’t have cell phones. I remember people carrying disposable cameras to take pictures, but that never occurred to me. I probably thought I would be running it again, many times. I didn’t know that I would move away from New York or that it would become much harder to get into that marathon. I don’t know this for sure, but 1996 was probably the last time I’ll run the NYC Marathon. Had I known it then, I would have soaked in the experience more. Maybe I would have been one of the people with a disposable camera. In this article, David Cain examines a simple truth: You always know when you’re doing something for the first time, and you almost never know when you’re doing something for the last time. Everything you do, you will eventually do for the last time. If you knew it was the last time, you would undoubtably appreciate it so much more. You wouldn’t get distracted, think about something else, or get annoyed about silly things. You would be fully present and aware of every single moment. He gives the example of picking up your child for the last time- every parent, without knowing it at the time, picks up their child and puts him down for the final time. When I read that I longed to pick up my kids again! Is it really over? David suggests taking simple, mundane moments and behaving as if you’re doing them for the last time. Not in a depressing way, as in “If I get in a terrible car accident I’ll never be able to mow the lawn again!” but more of an exercise to become aware of how precious these activities really are. I did it the other day when I drove my daughter home from school. It’s a neutral activity, meaning that I don’t love it or hate it. It’s okay. I wait in the parking lot of a Publix across the street from the school, and she and a large group of kids all walk across the street (this way I avoid the car line.) As I sat there, I watched all the kids enter the parking lot, in groups or alone- I looked at what they were wearing, whether they were laughing or serious, how their parents greeted them. Then I saw my daughter walk into the lot, look around for my car and walk toward me. It was a bittersweet moment, because I’m acutely aware that there will eventually be a last day that I pick her up from school. She’ll grow up, life will go on, and I’ll look back longingly to the days where I drove her home. But there will also be a last time I wash the dishes, or feed the cats, or turn off the TV. These moments might not seem as poignant as driving my daughter home from school, but consider that they’re also finite, Occasionally imagine that you’re doing some of these everyday activities for the last time, and see how much you find to appreciate in them. If you like this idea, you can read more of David Cain’s articles on raptitude.com. a blog about “getting better at being human.” He writes about gratitude and being present, but not in an abstract way. He suggests exercises- like this one- that will give you a deeper appreciation for the moments of your life. Can you think of a moment when you knew you were doing something for the last time? Is there anything you look back on and think, “I wish I had known that was the last time!”
Weekly Rundown- Countdown to Thanksgiving!
Welcome to the Weekly Rundown and Day 14 of NaBloPoMo! Thank you to San for hosting NaBloPoMo, and Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown. Phew! Lots of hosts. November is almost halfway over, and both my challenges are going well. For NaBloPoMo, I’m publishing a blog post every day for 30 days. So far so good! And I’m also doing a yoga class every day for the month of November. To be honest, this isn’t that challenging. All my classes are on the Peloton app- it’s not like I’m trudging out to a yoga studio everyday- and I’m not doing a whole lot else. I’m running shorter distances, four times a week, and I’m considering the power yoga classes to be my strength training. So there’s absolutely no excuse for not getting in a class every day. Monday Started the week with a 30 minute “slow flow” class with Denis Morton. Actually, once again, all my yoga classes this week were with Denis. I like the slow flow classes because the poses are held longer, and Denis gives a bit more instruction. It’s been a long time (like ten years) since I took an in-person yoga class, so I need all the instruction I can get. Tuesday Started the day with a three mile run. It was nice to run in the daylight at 6 am! Then I went to the podiatrist for my fourth shockwave treatment. I wrote about it in this post. I now have three weeks off- my next treatment is scheduled for November 30- and my doctor feels confident that I’ll see a big improvement during this time. Meanwhile… I can keep running. All is well. Later in the day I did a 30 minute power yoga class. Good class, Denis! Wednesday Started the day with a 45 minute power yoga class. I’m realizing that not all power yoga classes are created equal. Since I’m using them as strength training, I like classes with a lot of lunge work and warrior poses. This was a good one, with three rounds of a sequence moving into Warrior 3. Later in the month I’m going to do a post about my favorite power yoga classes. Thursday My daughter was off of school, so I had a more leisurely start to my day. Started with a three mile run……and then had time for a 30 minute power yoga class before work. Yay! Friday First thing in the morning I did a 30 minute power yoga class- I know… sounds so monotonous. These were all different classes, I swear. Different 30 minutes classes with Denis Morton. After work I did a 2.5 mile run. I feel like this was a bonus run. Last week my foot was pretty sore after the shockwave treatment, and I only ran three times. This week it felt up to four runs! I loved this run! Normally I’m a morning runner but it was so fun to get out for a run as the sun was setting. Saturday Started the day with a 30 minute slow flow yoga class. I work on Saturday mornings, and this was a tiring one. I had my absolute hardest client- a guy who wants the deepest pressure I can possibly give, for a 90 minute massage. It really is like a workout- I ended it drenched in sweat. And I did two other massages, both deceptively small women who also wanted deep pressure. Yes, it was “deep” day. Sigh! I got home in time to see the second half of the Baylor game, OH YEAH. They upset Oklahoma, and the Baylor fans stormed the field. Every single Baylor home game has been so much fun to watch! After the game I texted my son- it’s become a bit of a joke because my husband and I are so into the games, and my son just doesn’t care for football. He was probably in a practice room working on his etudes. I told him Baylor won and that he missed out on storming the field, and his response was “Oh good! Maybe I’ll order a pizza tonight to celebrate.” It’s okay- he’s enjoying himself, just not at the football games. I originally thought I might do a quick power yoga class in the afternoon, but I decided to go in the opposite direction and took a nap on the couch instead. I love that feeling when you stop fighting it, give in and let yourself drift off to sleep. Good nap. Sunday Long run day! Of course it’s all relative. Right now my “long” runs are five miles, but I’ll take it. After the run I did a quick 10 minute yoga flow, focusing on quads. Good, quick class! There were pistol squats (my old nemesis) but I modified them- I learned that lesson. I only had time for the ten minute class because we’re getting a new couch delivered- I see some improved napping in my future! But I would like to do a longer class later on- I have my eye on an evening flow. So all is well! I’m hoping to see more and more improvement in my foot. And the most exciting thing is that next week at this time, my son will be home. I haven’t seen him since I said goodbye to him on August 19th- I CAN’T WAIT!!! Fun times. Do you like naps? – I love them but my sister hates them- she says she wakes up all groggy. Are you getting excited about Thanksgiving- I AM!!!
Three Great Podcasts
Happy Saturday, and Day 13 of NaBloPoMo! Today I’m sharing some of my favorite podcasts. I love podcasts! I listen to them in the car, and also while I’m running. The amount of information and/or entertainment available to us- for free!- is incredible. Here are three recent episodes that I’ve loved. The Rich Roll podcast episode with Andrew Yang! Andrew has his own podcast, Forward with Andrew Yang, but if you want a good introduction to his ideas, this interview with Rich Roll is excellent. Andrew offers a glimmer of hope for American politics, and finding a way out of the mess we’re in. I love him. Training for Ultra is my current favorite running podcast. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about the host, Rob Steger. He has a quirky sense of humor that doesn’t always flow smoothly in his interviews- but he grew on me. He talks to incredible ultra runners, and in this episode he interviews Helgi Olafson. Helgi has a condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis, which causes inflammation of the spinal joints. There’s no cure for AS, but there are various treatments. On this episode Helgi talks about running a 240 mile race, while – in addition to his AS- he also had a small broken bone in his foot. WHAT?! I love listening to these podcasts while I’m running, because if I’m tempted to think I’m a little bit tired that day, I hear a story like Helgi’s and tell myself “Don’t be ridiculous!” while picking up the pace. Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings are recordings of Eckhart talking to live audiences. Initially I didn’t love that format, but it’s worth it to hear what he has to say. This is more of a “car” podcast than a “running” podcast for me. Every single episode is amazing. Eckhart is amazing. He wrote two books, The Power of Now and A New Earth. I loved his books, but some people find them hard to read. The podcast episodes may be more accessible. What have you been listening to lately?
Shockwave Therapy- A Christmas Miracle?
Hello, and welcome to Day 12 of NaBloPoMo! It’s time for another exciting update on my foot. What? You do consider this exciting, right? Let’s move right along. If you haven’t already heard all about the saga of my foot, you must be a fairly new reader. I’ve been suffering with plantar fasciitis in my left foot since April of 2020. To be more precise, it didn’t get really bad until September of 2020. So “only” fourteen months. SIGH. Plantar fasciitis is the weirdest ailment. Here’s how every day of my life has gone for the past year: Wake up. Attempt to get out of bed. Think: “no. I must have a broken bone. Must go directly to the ER for an x-ray. I’m going to be in a cast. Maybe I’ll even need surgery. ARRRRRG”. Thirty minutes later: running happily down the street. Once my foot was loosened up, it didn’t hurt anymore. It would hurt again during the day any time I stood up after sitting for a while, but the plantar fasciitis never kept me from running. HOWEVER… I also had a pain on the bottom of my foot, towards the outside, and that was what flared up any time I tried to run too far or too fast. I couldn’t seem to convince anyone that it was a separate thing- the doctors I saw kept treating me for plantar fasciitis. I admit that it was confusing, but I just felt that there was something else going on, and finally asked for an MRI. With the MRI and a new doctor, I finally got a diagnosis that made sense. Plantar fasciitis AND peroneal tendinitis, at the point where the tendon attaches to the bone on the bottom of my foot. AHA! I knew it. I started a series of shockwave treatments to treat both issues, one every week. This involved a real leap of faith, because for the first three weeks I didn’t see any change in my foot. I’m paying $125 a session, and of course insurance doesn’t cover it. But my doctor was extremely confident in this treatment, AND he said I could continue to run, so I decided to trust him. For each treatment, he would increase the intensity. I had my fourth- and most painful- treatment on Tuesday. I have a high tolerance for pain (I get my cavities filled without novocaine, for example), but I really had to focus on my breathing to get through it. I had to remind myself that childbirth was worse. Possibly. When he finished, my doctor said that we would have a three week break, so that “the magic can happen.” OOH! I like the sound of that! He said I should definitely see a change during these weeks, and at the end of that time I would probably need another treatment. I’ve already started to see little moments of improvement- a couple times where I stood up and expected to feel pain, but it wasn’t there. I know it’s not going to be cured in the next few weeks, but I’m starting to feel a glimmer of hope. When this is all over- hopefully- I’m going to do a deeper dive into shockwave therapy, why it works, and the exact kind my doctor used. I haven’t done it yet because I don’t want this to be yet another “miracle” cure for plantar fasciitis that doesn’t pan out. My doctor says this has worked for 100% of his patients though, so that post should be coming. At this point I can’t even remember what it’s like to just get out of bed without limping, hopping, desperately trying to navigate my way to the bathroom. But one of these days… eventually… I’ll be able to do it. And I’ll be able to increase my running speed and distance, without my foot holding me back. I’m excited! Just waiting for the magic to happen. Do you have a high or low tolerance to pain? – I think women tend to have a high pain tolerance. Ever had shockwave therapy?