Tag / swimming

by susanmcrae75

Sidelined

It sucks to be sidelined-in sports, life, whatever!  I have recently recovered from surgery that occurred just as I was getting on a real roll with progress in my beloved fitness and health program.  How humbling.  But it taught me a few things…

  1.  I am not going to heal any quicker than anyone else (ok, in general) so I better just suck it up and be good.
  2. It is easy to slip back into bad habits.  And darn it if my surgery didn’t occur right before Halloween, the little candy bars flooding my house…
  3. I must keep my eye on the bigger picture, the future goals…but the short term goals must change.  But they are just that-short term goals.  I tell my patients this all the time…this is just a short period of your life when you are recovering or trying to get out of pain or whatever the problem may be.  Your short term goal right “now” is to get back to that path, so let yourself heal!
  4. It is easy to be jealous of or even angry at those who are not injured, who are going about their activity with ease.  I was also angry at my own body, for not acting like it should and needing surgery.  Now what good does that do?  Absolutely nothing but make me eat little candy bars in self pity.

Another big hit that I wasn’t prepared for was the feeling of not being a part of the “team” anymore.  The team that was practicing, working out, encouraging each other.  Yeah, my friends encouraged me to “hang in there,” but I wasn’t doing what they were doing anymore.  I was an outsider.  Enter in feelings of the past…more little candy bars…

When I was in middle school, I had to have major surgery on my shoulder.  Looking back on my surgical report as a now physical therapist, I do not know how that thing was still attached (and I have a huge, huge amount of love for my surgeon who fixed it!).  There was absolutely no choice-major surgery.  So out of the pool I went.  I did my therapy and was good.  Return to swimming was slow, there was little support from my coach (I don’t think he even believed I had HAD surgery, despite the scars), and often resentment from those who were having to train more than I could.  That surgery enabled me to swim in high school and college, but I always knew even through those years many did not understand why there were some things I couldn’t do.  That is an awful feeling.  A feeling of being not good enough, and not healthy enough to ever be.  A little later add in a knee overuse injury and my entire path I had set since I was young changed.

At this point in my life I have to say WHAT THE HELL?!  What I wouldn’t give to be doing what everyone else was doing!  Why did they care so much about what I was or was not doing, when it was their own goals they should be focused on?  And recently, what I would have given to be attacking my workouts and having fun doing it….

So the commercial with the line “stay in your lane, bro” comes to mind.  Do not worry about everyone else’s journey.  That is theirs to worry about.  Do not let their thoughts, words, etc about your journey cause you to drift from your own path.  Easy?  Not at all.

Surround yourself with those who truly cheer you during both the ups and downs.  I learned a lot about who was this type of supporter during these past 2 months, and who reminded me more of past teammates (and coaches) who made me feel like crap.  Do not be one of those people to others…you don’t know what they’ve got going on and how much they would give to be “able”

And finally, revel in what your body can do.  It is an immaculate machine.   Be present in your workouts and be amazed at what your body can do.  You never know when that can change.

(And I need to throw the rest of these mini candy bars out!  Maybe just keep a few….)

 

by susanmcrae75

The Love (Hate) of Water

Ah, the benefits of water.  We all know we are mostly made up of water…make that about 60%.  As a former swimmer, I should love it, but it has always been a love hate relationship with me for sure.

Love:  got me into college with a scholarship, I loved racing and playing in it, love floating around relaxing in a pool or lake, love catching fish from it, and will probably retire somewhere where I can see it daily.

The hate runs a little deeper.  When I was very young, I would watch my older sisters dive into our pool.  So of course as soon as I could toddle around?  Yep, right into the pool-the deep end specifically, and my father had to perform rescue breathing on his one year old.  So not sure if it is due to this subconscious memory or not, but my whole life, I’ve been afraid of water and drowning (vehicle, ocean, lake, pool, whatever!).  Several teenage boys likely have permanent scars from my fingernails and knees when they thought it would be fun to hold teenage girls like me underwater-yep, they learned.  And, to this day, I really do not enjoy getting wet-pool or water gun-doesn’t matter!  Crazy for a swimmer I know.  I also never quite understood the importance of it with exercising and my sport.  Knew I needed it, knew I was thirsty, knew it possibly provided a nice 4 lap break during a workout, but no one really ever explained it.

So, fortunately now that I have learned a lot more about health and nutrition through my current fitness/health program, I have another mark on the love side.  I admit sometimes it is much easier with a little natural flavoring from fruit, etc.  However, I have been told once you get accustomed to drinking water, you crave it, and now I’m a believer.

Why drink it?  And why have the goal of half your body weight in ounces per day?

Reduces fatigue, decreases some headaches (one of my migraine triggers is dehydration…of course), aids in digestion/regularity, curbs appetite/assists with weight loss, decreases frequency of muscle cramps, improves hydration/appearance of skin, and more!!  Who out there could not benefit from improving one, more or all of these areas, simply by drinking more water?  It has definitely helped me lose 23 pounds recently, and helped me recover from the workouts I am doing!

I challenge you to start by adding one more 16 ounce serving to your day.  Gradually increase towards your goal of half your body weight and see how you feel.  Set goals and keep track.  It will help you on your fitness journey, doesn’t cost a thing (unless bottled of course!!) and improve your overall health in the process.

And as usual, if you are searching for an awesome program with and awesome group with awesome results, let me know!  There is always room for more people trying to get back out there, reach fitness goals, cross train to prevent injury, whatever!

Now go fill up!

-S

 

Our challenge group: https://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/d/annual-all-access-bod-shakeology-challenge-pack-BODChallengePack?referringRepID=1977090

by susanmcrae75

Where is the Fun in That?

My sister was a college swimmer as I was, and we are often asked-“why don’t you do Master’s swimming?”  (Well, I could list my physical aggravations and injuries here, but I will spare you!)  She responds by telling them “because I remember my times and where I was then (she was an Olympic Trial qualifier) and I also know I’ll never get back to that point.  Where is the fun in that?”  I completely understand this.  Some former swimmers differ, and I believe continuing to swim is just in their blood-they have reset those goals for this period in their lives.  That is great!  But for my sister and me?  Yeah, we have to be moving forward, setting new goals, blazing new territory!  So for that type of person, I challenge you to not just go back to your sport or your “go to” activity that you have always deemed your exercise program.  Here is your chance to change things up.  Go outside your comfort zone.  Make new goals!  Find your new team (even if it is one other person!).  Train for an event, to do a new yoga pose with ease, to make it to that next mailbox on your run today!  I’ve gotten out of my comfort zone and have to admit I am loving it, and setting new goals for myself.  Have you?

by susanmcrae75

Disappointment

Tomorrow would have been my father’s birthday.  He was such a pillar in my life and was always at my meets.  Our relationship was a great one, and I miss him daily.  There was nothing worse than swimming badly and feeling that he was disappointed.  He never said it, (well maybe that one time in college when he said “well Sus, it looked like you were dying out there!”  I could have melted into a shamed ball of putty right there) but I created this disappointment in my mind.  I never asked him either-I created it.

Why is it so hard for some of us to focus on the positive in ourselves?  Maybe he enjoyed watching me swim.  Maybe he enjoyed watching me interact with my teammates.  Maybe he was proud that I showed up everyday doing something I loved.  Instead, I was always focused on NOT disappointing him.  Fear of failing.

It took me years to develop a strong since of confidence in my own self, and realize the importance of self appreciation-not putting others’ thoughts and expectations above my own.  In fact, I’m still working on it-a work in progress.  Did you show up?  Good!  Were you a good supportive teammate/friend?  Good!  Are you working towards those measurable goals?  Good!  Where does perfection come in there?  It doesn’t.  Just show up, try hard, and be proud of your own self and this path you are on to improving that self!

by susanmcrae75

Confessions of a lane line puller

I have  confession.  I pulled on the lane lines in high school (not so much in college-much feared and respected coach!!)  I would be the last one in for warm ups (this did continue through college-I hated cold water).  I sat at the bottom of the pool with my friends where the coach couldn’t see us (he was sitting in the window-couldn’t see what was below the starting blocks and I could hold my breath for 2 minutes).  Why?  Because I did not like practice!  I did not, until college, understand the WHY of my daily training.  Yes, I knew I wanted to get better; I loved to win.  But I never thought of each set, each drill, each lap as getting me closer to my goal.  My goal was to win, to be the best-very vague….so I went through the motions, down and back, down and back, water break, second water break….

As a physical therapists, we are taught to make realistic, measureable goals based on what is important to our patient.  It doesn’t really matter what I want, if I can’t relate it back to what he or she wants.  They won’t work toward it.  Why should they, if they don’t understand what they are working towards?  Everything I instruct them to do, each time I mobilize something with my hands, should be directed at that goal(s).

What is your goal?  Your WHY?  Make it measureable.  Give it a timeline.  See each thing you do, positive or negative, as it will effect that goal.  Do not be upset by minor setbacks, but get back on track.

Today is the day I can begin signing up my team (included in a much larger, fantastic team!!) to commit for 100 days of 30 min a day different workouts (that’s it!).  The morning meltdown program.  We have a goal and are investing in ourselves.  We will help each other stay on track when it gets tough and with nutrition.  We will encourage and hold each other accountable.  We will achieve and believe in each other!  Join us if your goal consists of getting healthy and being proud of yourself for making a goal and committing to it!