Quotable

I promised myself I won’t whine to you poor, unsuspecting reading people, but I’m having a moment of weakness and figured I can rant if I want to.

No purpose of this picture, but to amuse you.

Today I was at the chiropractor for a little ART. Unfortunately, I’m the last of the NYCM injured carnage to be cured. He said to me, “You must be very frustrated…”

Of course, I am frustrated you nice man who is PEARLS-ing me and it makes me feel better because you are acknowledging my pain.

I replied pretty calmly, actually, saying, “Well, I’m doing all I can do.” And, I guess that is true, to some extent.

I was at PT today, too, and my PT does always ask me if I have any pain with this or that. I never know at what level of pain you should  just put up with it. I’m always honest and today told her that my SI joint and glute were kind of hurting with some of the exercises. I feel bad complaining because, I mean, it’s not horrible pain. It’s enough that I notice something, but I can work through it if I needed to.

I don’t know, I just feel like I’m becoming this whiner who can’t take any pain or something. One of those people who cries wolf all of the time. I don’t know at what point I just need to suck it up a little bit.

Cry Wolf --> Werewolf Howling --> Compelled to post picture of Twilight Werewolves

I can’t tell if I’m being hypersensitive or just doing that whole “listening to my body” thing.

I guess time will tell. BUT, HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?!?

Above line also said by King Julian in Madagascar.

Anyways, instead of continuing to rant and whine, I will share with you one of my favorite quotes, because I need to be reminded of it right now.

“Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” – Lou Holtz

Can someone stitch that on a sampler for me?

Something simple will do?

ADD ON: GOT A FAVORITE QUOTE OR QUOTES? AT WHAT POINT SHOULD I START IGNORING SOME OF THE TWINGES I’M FEELING IF THEY’RE NOT THAT BAD? TIRED OF MY WHINING?

Until next time…

P.S. Go congratulate Emilia on her sub-4 marathon and go tweet to the RC that she is awesome always.

Choose Your Attitude

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” – Hugh Downs

When I was a camp counselor in 2007, I used to always tell my campers to “choose their attitude.” As a counselor (meaning I lived in a cabin with 6-7 girls), you are mother, cheerleader, waitress, psychologist, teacher, disciplinarian, and friend. If one of my campers woke up on the wrong side of the bed, telling them to “choose their attitude” or “turn that frown upside down” sometimes worked to put them in a better mood. Key word: sometimes!

I’ve need a dose of my own camp counseloring lately as I haven’t had the best of attitudes since mid-November. With the whole hip/IT-band/back thing, my attitude wavers. Currently, I’m a low point.

Thankfully, my IT band does not hurt at the knee, as it did when this whole thing first started. I had a few days of pain-free running when I was in Arizona.

Now, my hip and back get very sore with walking. I can best describe the pain as being over the outermost part of your hip (or greater trocanter area, if you’re into anatomy) and where my SI joint would be (but does not feel like it needs to be adjusted, just inflamed). The soreness/pain somewhat gets better with running, actually, as I think the whole things warms up.

Part of me thinks that maybe this is just some residual soreness from the monster ART session I had with JB on Monday. I still have bruises to prove it.

Part of me thinks I should suck it up.

Part of me wants to ask an interventional radiologist to shoot some cortisone all up in there.

Part of me isn’t sure what to do.

Do I continue with PT exercises? Keep getting ART? Or just quit the whole thing, call it a day, forget about running for the time being, and become a professional ellipticaller complete with magazine. Plus, I can’t keep paying for much more treatment.

Unfortunately for me, I’m very stubborn and I won’t give up on the whole running thing just yet, especially my marathon goal. I’d love to get my 3:35 in the spring, but maybe I’ll just have to wait a little bit longer for my turn.

The worst part about not running or racing for me is that it lets my confidence slip. I convince myself that all my PRs are a fluke and that my marathon goal is way, way beyond my reach. Somehow I’ve just faked myself into thinking it’s possible. And, because when I’m the furthest thing from the runner I was in October, when I go run now, I can convince myself that it’s true.

This is really where I need to choose my attitude. I can believe I am as good as I want to be, or as bad as I want to be. It’s up to me. My own biggest cheerleader should be me.

But, sometimes, it’s hard to remember that.

Patience and positivity aren’t my strongest suits when it comes to running, but I’m working on it.

Thankfully, I have my Believe I Am journal to remind me of the right way to think. Seriously, get one. You won’t regret it.

CHIME IN AND HELP ME: ANY BRIGHT IDEAS RE: HIP/BACK SORENESS? EVER CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT YOUR GOALS ARE FAR TOO GREAT OR THAT YOUR PRIOR RUNNING WAS A FLUKE?

Until next time…

It’s Wednesday, Again?!?

Seriously, when I woke up this morning I thought, “It cannot possibly be Wednesday, again.” 2012 is flying already, people.

Before we begin, #0 for the week is watching the sun rise AND set at the Grand Canyon. Pretty cool, in my book…

Lookin' sharp and alive...or not so much.

Ok, time for the usual…

1. MY BRUISES FROM ART FROM JB

I have no pictures of my ART-induced bruises, but, trust me, they are a gnarly shade of purple. I like to think of them as my battle scars.

2. EXTENDED VACAY

So, I was supposed to go back to NYC at 6 am this morning, but decided to extend my little vacay with a few extra days at home to catch up on some stuff here.

Ok, really, I just wanted to hang out with Clip again. Here he is on his 4th birthday last month.

3. INFOMERCIALS

I watched a lot of them while in Arizona. Those are such a time suck. I can’t stop watching. And, I mean, who doesn’t want a Magic Bullet?

You can make everything with the Magic Bullet...or so they say on the infomercial.

4. MY CONFISCATED AIRPLANE BLANKET

According to my family, those blankets they give you on airplanes are not for you to keep. What? Seriously? That was a gift, Todd! And I’m taking it with me! (Name that movie).

Seriously, you can't keep these?

But, who wanted to borrow my blanket when watching tennis matches once it got chilly? EVERYONE.

5. “LEAP DAY SPORTS” BLOG

Jesse (Thomas, one of the Picky People) writes well and is honest and funny. I mean, I have wondered how those Ironman people sit on bikes for hours on end and, according to Jesse, their butts hurt, too. You can glean some good tips from Jesse’s posts. Sometimes, when I read Jesse’s race reports, I think I’ll try a triathlon. And, then I remember that swimming for >1 min feels long to me and that spinning makes my butt sore.

This is Jesse...winning a triathlon.

Plus, not so into the triathlon outfits.

There must be something cuter than this...

Warning: Jesse has like 6 degrees and does 20,000 things so sometimes I feel slightly lazy when I read it. Inspired, too. If my memory serves me correct, Jesse delved into the whole triathlon thing in his late 20s, maybe even 30 years old after getting a Masters, working in start-up things, and then getting an MBA. And, then he decided to become a pro triathlete. And, succeeded.

Maybe there is hope for my Olympic gymnast career then!!!

Can you name this gymnast?

No? Ok, fine. I’ll stick with medicine and recreational running.

Anyways, check out Jesse’s blog throughout his 2012 season.

ADD TO MY LIST: FAVORITE INFOMERCIAL PRODUCT? CAN YOU KEEP THOSE AIRPLANE BLANKETS? ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR ROCKING YOUR WEEK?

If you’re curious about the running front, I went and ran/walked a 3 mile loop today. I did the last 1.5 miles without walking. I got some horrible left groin pain about 5 minutes in and I swore that a) I broke my pelvis or b) I avulsed a muscle from my pelvis or c) I had a hernia. Seeing as the pain sort of subsided after a few minutes of walking, I was pretty sure a) and b) were ruled out. I hope it has to do with all the ART I got on Monday…

Thankfully, I didn’t feel as horribly out of shape cardiovascularly as I did the other day. I did, however, feel super awkward, like my limbs forgot what they were supposed to do and somewhat like I was waddling. I hope that’s normal when you haven’t run in a while.

Oh, and I loved all your half versus full responses. I’m still on the fence. So, you can keep those coming if you haven’t rocked the vote, yet.

Until next time…

 

Random Running Rambles

John Ball (the chiropractor) is my new favorite person. I don’t know if it’s the mildly sarcastic nature, the curly hair, or the fact that he makes you go run for a few minutes in between treatments, but I wish I could park myself here and see him weekly (or daily). The sunshine here isn’t half bad, either.

Now, although Dr. Ball is my new favorite person, his active release therapy brings the pain big time. The almost immediate increase in range of motion helps you endure the pain a bit more (in addition to the desperation to get back to your chosen activity).

Plus, he entertains all of my questions and random thoughts. Score!

I ran for 15 minutes, mostly pain free today! It was great, but 15 minutes also felt, well, long? hard? I ran for what I thought SURELY had been 5 minutes and lo and behold, it had only been 2 minutes. Suffice it to say, I’m out of shape. Whatever race I pick next – marathon, half, etc – is going to be the “couch to ___” version, I fear.

Roughly what I felt like today...

 

Speaking of races, I haven’t decided if I should do a spring marathon or not.

Part of me says I should go for it, seeing as I didn’t really get my chance at New York with that whole IT-band-injury-two-weeks-before thing and that I won’t get to train for marathons, at least “seriously” (ha! I couldn’t find a better word), for too much longer.

Part of me says I don’t really love the marathon, or at least haven’t found I have. I don’t mind the training, actually. I just don’t like that, first, a marathon is a lot of eggs in one basket. If a marathon doesn’t go well, I can’t just go do one the next month (some people can, I can’t). Consequently, I’ve never been able to really enjoy any of the marathons I’ve run because of that pressure (self-induced, of course).

Spring marathon + eggs in a basket = Easter eggs in Easter basket, no?

Another part of me says that I need to do another one and figure out a way to enjoy it and, maybe, my dream marathon time will follow (my PRs have followed enjoyment in my last races). Plus, I feel like I need to end on a better note than running a marathon injured.

And, I figure, I can put other little races along the way to a marathon to buffer the pressure of just one race (I do this anyways).

Yet, another part of me thinks a marathon might not be a smart decision. Maybe, my injury shows my musculoskeletal system has had enough for the time being and I need to scale back on the volume to let that system adapt a bit more (whereas my cardiovascular system may have adapted a bit more and can handle another marathon).

I don’t think I can give up my marathon goal so easily though…

So, we shall see – you can weigh in if you want.

CHIME IN: EVER HAD THIS DILEMMA? UNRELATED NOTE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CURRENT TV SHOW?

I’m watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills right now. It’s not my favorite, but it’s good.

Until next time…

Wanted This Wednesday: Personal Chiropractor

The usual…

1. FLYING INTO NYC WITH TOURISTS SITTING NEXT TO YOU: Sometimes, I feel like I take for granted that I see the Empire State Building every night (and always wonder the reason behind the color choice, if it’s not obvious). One of the landing patterns (I’ve flown into LGA one too many times), takes you right by the skyline of Manhattan. Tourists get so excited by this. One the other day was even enamored with the “yellow taxis – wow! just like on TV.” It reminds me that I’m pretty lucky to live here.

And kind of crazy I've lived here for seven years...

2. McDONALDS OATMEAL: Actually not half bad, if you’re in a pinch on the road. That McDonald’s commercial about the girl getting breakfast for the angry boss is getting old though.

3. THE RC IN RUNNER’S WORLD RACING NEWS: I am more excited for her being in the Olympics Trials than I am about Nastia’s comeback.

When the RC makes the team, I told her she needs to get this Kate Spade "London Calling" Bangle.

4. GRASTON TECHNIQUE: Dr. Steven Levine, of pre-NYC marathon saved my butt fame, told me he’d help me get healthy again. He is a God-send. For some reason, I slightly believe him telling me I’ll be ok eventually, even though he said I shouldn’t Jingle Jog (devastating…I still might walk it.)

Today he whipped out this seemingly innocuous silver tool, which ended up being a weapon of torture, but the good kind of torture.

Doesn't look so painful, right? WRONG.

Basically, what that silver metal thing does is it helps the practitioner identify areas of scar tissue, which he or she then using to break said scar tissue up. I think, but am not sure, that the sensation or vibration coming from the metal would change depending upon the consistency of the muscle in question. If it doesn’t glide smoothly, you have a problem.

It’s kind of cool, actually. If you rub the torture device over my quad, its glides smoothly and doesn’t hurt too bad. When you move it to my IT band, it feels like you’re trying to rub a tough piece of steak. Further, if the muscle or tissue has adhesions or scar tissue, you’ll start to develop redness and petechiae (little red dots signaling capillary breakage). My IT band now looks bluish/bruised. I like to think that means it’s working.

The first thing that came to my head when the petechiae starting to develop? Katy Perry’s song, “Firework.” It reminded me of like a firework erupting on my leg or something. I don’t know where I come up with these things either.

A somewhat abstract description of what the skin over my IT band looks like right now...

He also did some work on my medial hamstring and piriformis. What I want to know is – are those muscles essential? They’re literally a pain in my butt. I’d also like an SI Joint that stays in place and/or an in home chiropractor.

5. ANGEL TREE: Anyone do Angel Tree at Christmas? I think it’s through the Salvation Army. My family did it for many years. My brother’s school has its own Angel Tree this year. Reading the requests reminds me how lucky I am. One of the requests from a 15 year old girl was, “shampoo, jeans, hoodies, a jacket, the book ‘Texas Gothic,’ and room decorations in yellow.”

I think my family is going to do one or two this year.

TELL ME: Anything rocking your week? Ever had Graston? Did you bruise? Ever do Angel Tree?

And, if this IT band/SI joint/hamstring doesn’t get better by 2012, I will probably lose it and take up something else. Like knitting.

Until next time…

It’s A Good Thing I’m Not A Horse

Or I would’ve been shot by now.

Remember that horse they rehabbed and tried to save but it didn't work...heartbreaking...

Anyways, so I’ve done the whole resting thing. I’ve tried yoga. I’ve been dedicated to that foam rolling stuff. I’ve tried cross-training. I’ve barely run. I’ve stretched. I’ve done core things and lots of lunges. NONE OF IT WORKS. IT’S ALL LIES.

You're sitting on a throne of lies! You're a fake! It's a fake! He's not Santa!

Ok, slightly dramatic. However, today was my 3rd time running since the marathon (3+ weeks ago). It was suggested to me to try running fast as that would hurt my IT band less as you run with better mechanics when you run fast.

That actually kind of worked…for about 15 minutes. And, I had to keep increasing the speed for the entire 15 minutes as I’d start to feel some IT band pain at a certain pace and I found out that if I increased it then, I’d have a few minutes of relief. It was actually kind of nice to have to push myself again.

Around 15 minutes I got that sharp-ish type of pain (it wasn’t horrible, but it kept getting worse) in my lateral knee. That coupled with the fact that my medial hamstring (or adductor magnus, I still can’t figure out which its is, its the one that flares up with my SI joint concurrently) hurt the entire time made me stop.

Some anatomy, including the IT band. Woo.

Fortunately, no one in the gym turned me into a psychiatric ward after I was whispering to my leg, “I’m going to kill you.”

I briefly considered quitting and throwing the foam roller and my running shoes out the window. I determined I was going to re-take up tennis, considering that would probably be a lot of fun and improvement steep in the first few months as I haven’t played a match in 4 years. Tennis and I would have a beautiful honeymoon period where it was all fun again.

Tennis and I in our honeymoon period. It would be fun, new, novel, and I could throw in drop shots and swinging volleys as I so pleased.

But, I don’t actually want to quit running, like I didn’t actually want to quit tennis the time I left my racquets on the court in college and claimed I was done (that was so mature of me).

I’m just kind of frustrated as I’m at a loss of what to do. My plan to chill for November and be better by December has failed me.

It reminds me of the last practice test I took for the MCAT, a week before the real thing. I scored the second lowest score of all 10 practice tests I took for the real thing. I was shell-shocked and walked around NYC for approximately two hours because I was at a loss of what to do. I didn’t even want to eat (this is highly unusual for me). Fortunately, I had a lot of nice people talk me out of my funk, including my roommate’s mom who came up with the following mantra for me: “You’re smart, You study hard, You’ll be fine.”

Ahh, memories...

Fortunately, that worked out well for me in the end. I’m not so sure about this whole running thing. The SI/hamstring combo is the exact same thing that flared up last year. I sort of feel like I must’ve just dodged a bullet for about 10 months and, in reality, this may be a constant problem that can’ t be fixed (its SI Joint Dysfunction that, when all out of whack, makes the hamstring hurt like whoa.) The IT Band is completely new, but, seriously, how long is this going to take?!

"We will take them when they are deep in their sleep...HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?!?" - King Julien, Madagascar -- I feel you.

Anyways, I’m sure none of you wanted to hear this whiny-ness, but it’s cathartic to write about it for me, so you’ve been subjected to this, should you have read this whole whine-fest. My Believe I Am journal didn’t have enough space. I’m well aware everyone gets injured. I guess its just hard for me as my last real injuries were 11 and 12 (teeth knocked out and stress fracture, both gymnastics). And, truthfully, I don’t consider this a real injury as nothing is broke, fractured, or requiring surgery. This whole thing is just annoying, not an injury.

Thankfully, I’m getting ART/Graston tomorrow from Dr. Levine. He is a Godsend. Hopefully, he can fix this bum mare.

TOTALLY UNRELATED QUESTION: Favorite holiday/christmas movie BESIDES ELF?

Until next time…

Baby Sweat

Oh yeah – that’s right people. I ellipticalled for 20 minutes today and it was exhilarating. My little nucleus accumbens was firing like crazy I’m sure. What’s the nucleus accumbens you ask? It’s a little nucleus (think of it as an activity station) in your brain that is sometimes dubbed the “reward center.” This little guy also plays a crucial role in addiction. The neurobiology of addiction is actually fascinating.

Just so you can know where the nucleus accumbens is.

Ok, I’ll stop nerding out on you all.

Anyways, so I went back to Dr. Levine for some more ART and he says my IT band feels better. BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO RUN TOMORROW.

His reasoning is as follows. Today was the first day that my leg has not hurt walking since I re-aggravated the ol’ IT band last Thursday. Since it appears the IT band is on the upswing (or so we hope), why would I want to run tomorrow and potentially mess up all the healing that’s taken place since last Thursday? A reasonable person wouldn’t want all that tortured rest period ”super-taper” going to waste, now would they?

Surely, you've haven't forgotten about super-taper, right?!?

The problem is I haven’t exactly been reasonable and rational lately, which is probably why Dr. Levine asked me, “So, why are you wearing running clothes right now?”

BECAUSE I WANT TO PRETEND I’M GOING TO RUN — THAT’S WHY.

Ok, lies – I was wearing running clothes because they’re more comfortable than real clothes and, as always, I want all the world to know I <3 Sweat.

20 minutes of sweat is better than no sweat, right? I'm sure Ali agrees.

So, I’m trying very hard to listen to what other people tell me to do and not to let the crazy person that has invaded my body take over, which result in me taking myself on a 6 mile run that could potentially deter me from MARATHON GREATNESS. And, we don’t want that, do we?!?

I mean, this is completely what I anticipate myself looking like all marathon long. You see the resemblance, right?

Seeing as I have to do something before I lose my mind (and 20 min on an elliptical isn’t going to cut), I’m going to go senior citizen tomorrow and aqua jogging. I’m just really upset I don’t have one of the following awesome swim caps for the occasion.

Exhibit A --- and these models do NOT look like senior citizens to me...

Exhibit B --- she also does not look like a senior citizen.

I know, you can’t win them all. The NYU one I got from my friend who is the assistant coach (shout out to Spenser Popeson) will have to do. However, cool swim cap or not, I have to do something to burn off my excess energy so I don’t take off at the start of the marathon like a kid running from house to house trick-or-treating.

Paperclip, Paperclip's Older Sister, and I

Well, at least that’s how Paperclip – excuse me – Buzz Lightyear trick-or-treated last night.

Quick Tangent: Speaking of Halloween, best trick-or-treater at our  house last night was the girl whose father said, “Well, she’s really enjoying this, but Daddy’s getting his cardio – whew!” I almost wanted to yell, “Sir, do not take your cardio for granted!”

See, I have seriously morphed into a legitimate crazy person.

In case I don’t write between now and the marathon, I want to give big good lucks to the following: Kelly, Susan, Lindsay, Emilia, Celia, Lauren, Shannon, Gia, Skinny Runner, Betsy, Katie and Mike. If I missed anyone, I’m really sorry!

If you’re watching the race, you need to cheer the loudest for Lauren (Fleshman). Yell something about Picky Bars or sparkly headbands or beer…or something like that. Or just your usual “Go Lauren!”, yet, I feel we can all get more creative than that.

If you watch the 5K the day before, you need to cheer very loudly for the newly engaged couple, Steph and Ben, who I usually refer to as “the RC” and “the RCF.” You can yell something like, “Oh my word, your ring is blinding me!” or “Is that the guy that can talk like Donald Duck?!?”

All three will be really skinny. I am sure this will help you distinguish them from all the other professional runners.

Ok, now for the question I will pose to you all – WHAT NAIL COLOR SHOULD I WEAR FOR THE MARATHON? Possibilities include:

• Smokin’ Hot by Essie (gunmetal color)
• Lapis of Luxury by Essie (which was “belief blue,” but its very summery)
• Carry On by Essie (a deep plum, but that’s the color the IT band injury happened with so I’m thinking no)
• black (because it’s fierce)
• orange (because it’s my lucky color)
• Rock the Croc by Essie (because its my favorite “fall red”)

If I can find it, I may go with the new “Baubing for Baubles” by Essie – which is a deep sapphire blue, so it can be the new “belief blue.”

I hope its not so new that I won't find it....

ALSO, TELL ME: What was the best Halloween costume you saw? And Kim K divorcing already? Glad I caught the wedding special before that happened!

I saw a Jamaican bobsled team. Very clever.

Until next time…

[P.S. I'm sorry if this post made no sense whatsoever.]

The Weather Matched My Mood

Today was one of those days I just want to stay at home at watch Rachel Zoe all day…rainy, misty, kind of cold. Perfect reading day, actually. You know, one of those days you want to spend in your snuggie or, better yet, HEATED HUGGIE.

This look is dead sexy. Straight off the runway.

Dog clothes freak me out. Dog snuggies are even worse.

The weather actually perfectly matched my mood. I ran for 50 min today which, in hindsight, was too much, seeing as my knee/IT band/angry tissue started hating me again and hurt with walking and bending. I had violins following me around all day and, at a few points, almost cried, at which point I reminded myself that I was being ridiculous. I really wasn’t freaking out so much over the fact that running 50 minutes reaggravated my IT band or whatever. I was more sad that all of my hard work was going down the drain.

True Life: I was terrified of pool drains as a child after I watched a 20/20 special about kids dying from getting their hair caught in them. I've been watching 20/20 from an early age.

I was talked off the ledge by a few nice people and realized that I still have 10 days to get better and that, in reality, I just need one good day of running. That’s it. If gymnastics taught me anything, its that you can definitely throw some tape on whatever ails you and suck it up for one day.

I was brainwashed as a child to think this had magical properties.

I also went back to Dr. Levine today after leaving a message that probably sounded like a anxious person yelling, “CODE RED: MY LEG IS FALLING OFF.” I got ice and stim and feel much better. Dr. Levine told me to focus all of my energy into my leg being 100% better. That means no running, elliptical, biking, or anything with a bending motion that hurts my knee until Tuesday. No tennis because the torque isn’t good for the SI Joint. I can swim if I so choose. Basically, I have to treat my body as if its a princess.

But, duh, we already knew I was a princess.

Cinderella is the bomb.

So, this has led me to the perfect Halloween costume: SUPER-TAPER.

Duh, Super Taper is a super hero.

Super Taper’s powers include: resting, icing, not being sad or freaking out, foam rolling, healing, movie watching, book reading, and relaxing.

Thankfully, I’m going home this weekend so I’ll have my partner in crime (my sister, Allison) to accompany Super-Taper in my marathon movie sessions. Allison hates running so she will want to hear nothing about it, which is fine by me.

So, that’s my plan – focus on 100% getting better, not freaking out about not running, not being sad because I will run NYCM come hell or high water, and judiciously picking out the best movies to watch all weekend.

TELL ME: WHAT ARE YOU BEING FOR HALLOWEEN? ANY MORE MOVIE RECS? TV SERIES YOU LOVE THAT I SHOULD START?

If things aren’t better by Tuesday, I encourage any of you to come join me in singing kumbaya and meditating or something while also seeking out doctors who can shoot some cortisone all up in there.

And, for those of you who have asked medically related or anatomy related questions, first, you should speak to your actual healthcare professional always, seeing as I’m not a real doctor nor am I an expert in the musculoskeletal system. However, I’ll do my due diligence for you and get back to you. I’m no soft tissue or anatomy maven, but I do know good places to look for answers.

Until next time…

It’s Wednesday, People…

Typical…

FYI: I realize my homonym misusage has been awful lately. I’m sorry. I swear that I am educated.

1.  MEETING UP WITH GOOD COOKIES MOM

Follow @GoodCookiesMom and @Cookies4Kids

Remember that bake sale I held back in October? Well, today I met up with Liam’s mom, Gretchen, to talk about everything from pediatric cancer research to the benefit of NYC.

A particularly cute picture of Liam, who was made an honorary fireman by Engine 1, Ladder 24 of the FDNY.

Strolling with Gretchen through Central Park reaffirmed why I was so passionate about raising money for this charity. First, if you notice, the charity is not named “The Liam Witt Foundation.” This is intentional, as Gretchen wanted anyone involved to be able to do so in honor of whomever they want, whether it be Liam, their child, or all pediatric cancer patients.

In addition, the aim of the charity is transparent. Cookies For Kids’ Cancer has partnered with 5 of the top pediatric research institutions in the country (Dana Farber, St. Jude’s, Texas Children’s, CHOP, and MSKCC). Research groups from each of these distinguished institutions then applies and the medical advisory board for Cookies, which is essentially a brain trust of the top mind’s in the pediatric cancer world, decides which ideas will go most quickly from laboratory to clinic and, further, which show the most promise to affect difference in outcomes. Research discoveries from these 5 institutions then, in essence, “trickle down” to all patients being treated at any hospital in the US, seeing as the medical community is so electronically connected and free flow of ideas and communication is, in turn, easier.

I could go on, but let’s just say I scheming ways to make more money for Cookies…

2. PAPERCLIP THINKING HE IS ACTUALLY BUZZ LIGHTYEAR

To Infinity and Beyond!

That’s right. My favorite 3 year old is going to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween. The problem is that when he dons the actual costume, he thinks he is actually Buzz, meaning he will try to jump off things thinking he will start flying. His mom had to sit him down and tell him the harsh reality – the costume does not make you fly like Buzz.

3. BATH AND BODY WORKS BLACK HOLE

I swear that every time I go in that store, I don’t come out for another half hour, at the very least, and get sucked into buying God knows what, but usually copious amounts of themed hand sanitizer.

I already had the Halloween ones, but now I have the ENTIRE holiday season from October to December covered, including one of those hand sanitizer holders with Jingle Bells. I mean, how could I NOT buy that – its bananas.

100% necessary purchase. Hello, I can't get sick. Must sanitize.

4. GOING HOME THIS WEEKEND

I haven’t seen my sister since July. I think this is one of the longest times we’ve been separated since she emerged from the womb in 1988.

Mere days after Ally became my BFF.

She's always loved me...PS - that Little Mermaid pillow is bomb.

Of course, I’m excited to hang with the rest of my fam, too.

5. DR. STEVEN D. LEVINE, CHIROPRACTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

Homeslice is the rock in my emotionally volatile world lately, meaning that when I see ads for the marathon I want to rip them down and when the security guard of my work building asked me, “When’s the big run?”, I almost wanted to cry (PS- No idea how he knew I was running it, but I love him and we chat everyday so I know he was trying to be nice; PPS – No idea if there is supposed to be a comma after the question mark, but go with it.) Facebook updates and tweets about the marathon make me want to deactivate both accounts as they make me sad for some reason. I don’t know why I’m being so hypersensitive about it.

I went back in today for some manual torture and the man with the magically strong hands reassured me that everything is going to be alright come November 6th.

Today’s ART associated anatomy lesson! When the gluteus maximus is reflected away, lo and behold, there are a million other muscles beneath there that the medical/chiropractic/physical therapy/etc student must memorize, not to mention their innervation, origin and insertion, and function! My personal fave are the gemelli muscles – there is an inferior gemellus and superior gemellus, each flanking the obdurator internus. They are called “gemelli” because that means “twin” in Italian, I think – could be Latin. The piriformis is the one that is a pain in the butt to a lot of runners – pun intended.

Ok, I’ll stop boring you.

Anyways, if you wondering where I stand, as I’m sure you all are just DYING to know (kidding), I ran for 30 min today and it was better than Saturday, but not 100%, meaning there wasn’t a sharp pain, but something was there. Sometimes I describe that kind of pain that its dull or sharp as “the absence of nothing,” but I’m not sure that entirely makes sense to anyone but me. I ran all 30 min pretty slow and anytime I sped up the tightness got worse.

MORE ANATOMY - YES!!!

I got more ART after this today and Dr. Levine assures me that everything feels alright and it will all be ok.

Mentally, I’m trying to hold down the fort, but its not always so easy to not get upset and then chastise myself for getting upset over something that really doesn’t matter, even though its something I’ve put a lot of time into and care a lot about. I am living, healthy, and leading a very charmed life overall, thus far. I am focusing on today and that is it. Tonight I am better than I was this morning because homeslice broke up more adhesions for me and my sacrum + lumbar spine is readjusted. And, today I am better than yesterday because I ran.

TELL ME: WHAT’S ROCKING YOUR WORLD THIS WEEK? 

Until next time…

Tough As Nails

I’m right where we left off. Literally. I’m supine in my bed, in front of the TV, contemplating what to watch tonight since 13 Nights of Halloween is doing a Pretty Little Liars marathon tonight (and I’ve never seen that show, but my sis swears its ah-mazing). Basically, I’ve morphed into a invalid. Anyone want to offer to come turn me every so often to prevent a sacral decubitus ulcer?

Maybe I'll watch Hocus Pocus because it is literally the best Halloween movie ever made.

Ok, well, I guess I am not right where we last left off. I am much better, in fact.

At Kelly‘s suggestion, I went to see Dr. Levine for some spine cracking and ART (active release technique – aka manual torture, but the kind of torture that you actually want) as he worked wonders for her IT band ailments. In case you’re curious, from what I understand, ART works as follows. An ART practitioner basically applies a contact “tension” when the muscle or tissue in question is a certain length. Then, by moving you leg/arm/wtv in a certain direction, the practitioner is able to break up scar tissue or adhesions as you lengthen said muscle or tissue. Breaking up adhesions helps the muscle or tissue to once again move properly and, in turn, should allow for increased range of motion and strength. ART is purportedly the “gold standard” for soft tissue injuries.

***NB: I am NOT a soft tissue expert nor is any of this taught in medical school. Therefore, what I wrote may be false. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.***

You see that little guy, the piriformis? Yeah, not such a nice muscle there, that little one. ART on that guy hurt more than my IT band.

Dr. Levine also adjusted by sacrum and lumbar spine, which was apparently long overdue, especially considering I’ve had SI joint problems in that past.

Anatomy lesson, people! Check out the SI joint. Its my nemesis and prevents me from sitting for long periods of time (laying down is ok though, hence the current supine position).

Not only is Dr. Levine incredibly knowledgeable (he went to medical school at Tulane in addition to chiropractic school), but he is also extremely positive, assuring me he would work with me as much as I needed to make sure I could run the marathon. I’m grateful for not only his magically strong hands that can break up scar tissue I never knew I had, but for his positivity, reassuring nature, and kindness. He gets two thumbs up from Meggie…and a  pointer finger. That’s a lot of love from me.

Plus, Dr. Levine told me that I was really tough, meaning that I flinch and scream less than other people. So, obviously, this means I have to be an American Gladiator for Halloween, since apparently I’m tough as nails (his words, not mine).

What on earth was the point of American Gladiator anyway?

As per Dr. Levine’s recommendation, I took today off, which means I’ve taken Sun-Tues as rest days. He told me I could run today if I was going to lose my mind, but that it would be better to wait until Wednesday to try running, seeing as I’m also going back in for treatment Wednesday afternoon. Of course, as much as I would’ve loved to run on this beautiful fall day, I’d rather play it ultra-conservative, seeing as what I do physically between now and the marathon really doesn’t matter (or so the RC tells me).

Sitting makes both my IT band and SI joint hurt a lot, so these rest days have involved a lot of laying down or standing, including the “don’t mind me I’m just standing and typing at my desk” at work. Its what all the cool kids are doing these days.

I actually kind of want one of these one day. The ULTIMATE multitasking desk- walking and working.

My little speed bump, if you will, has really forced me to take each day as it comes. Each day since I got that stabbing pain in my knee, I’ve focused on what I need to do that day to make it go away. I haven’t really thought about tomorrow or next week so much, as all the possible scenarios and permutations that could result from what could happen or might happen leave my head spinning. It would be too overwhelming to think about, “Well, what if my leg still hurts next week, then what do I do?  or “Well, what if it hurts, but not until I’ve run for an hour?” So, I’m just focusing on today and what I need to do to get myself to tomorrow healthy. And, hopefully, a bunch of todays and tomorrows will lead to a November 6th healthy Meggie freezing her butt off on Staten Island at 7 in the morning, but very happy about it.

I'm not kidding about my pre-marathon Staten Island Olsen twin bag lady fashion statement.

So, that’s where I’m at right now – lying down, figuring out what movie to watch next, and surprised at how sore my arm is after my flu shot today. I’m also pretending I’m a sponge, absorbing all the work I put in the past few weeks and months, so all this rest is a good thing. The more I lay here, the more I’ll absorb.

Everyone's favorite sponge - Sponge Bob Square Pants

TELL ME: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MOVIE RECS? EVER HAD ART? DO YOU GET THE FLU SHOT EVERY YEAR?

I’m particularly curious about the flu shot. I’ve gotten one every year for as long as I can remember (and have to now, seeing as I work in healthcare).

Until next time…