The Little Things
March 31, 2014

The last few years for spring break I’ve gone to Marco Island, Florida and have really loved it. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me to be able to go this year, and while I was certainly really said about it, I made up my mind to have a fun little “staycation” for myself. My work was (mostly) off this week, so I had lots of free time!

I started off my break with an awesome 9.8 mile training run in the sunshine! I had to take advantage of the new weather while it lasted, as it was supposed to be in the 30s and 40s most of the week! In my “staycation” I also got to house/dog sit from Saturday to Thursday. Even though I was still in my same city, it sort of felt like a mini-vacation anyways. Playing with two dogs for 5 days certainly added some excitement to my week.

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(Clockwise from top L: Hour Barre Class, Reading “The Magician’s Nephew” while walking on the treadmill, my 9.8 mile run, and being constantly licked by one of the dogs I’m watching).

In elementary school I read only 3 of the Chronicles of Narnia series (of which “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is one of them). I’ve decided to go through and read the entire series, and I’m pretty excited!

image(Clockwise from top L: Painting party, strength training, dogs sleeping while I watch TV, and spring break apparently means snow…)

On Tuesday of spring break week, a friend and I went to one of those painting events where food is provided, and it was lots of fun! I painted a tulip, and it was the first time I’ve really painted anything since I took a “drawing and paining” class in 2004. I’m really not artistic, but it was lots of fun, and it led to a great night of laughter!

photo 1(Clockwise from top L: Blueberry cake donut for Dunkin Donuts! YUM!, I got an awesome massage on Wednesday, Thursday was my last day dog sitting for these little cuties)

On Wednesday I went and got a massage (this massage therapist is awesome and only charged me $50 for about 70 minutes, and then she absolutely refused to take a tip. And then she loaned me a book. She’s really sweet, and I’ll just sneak an extra tip in next time.) to help try to end this migraine. Sometimes my back just gets too knotted up, and that leads to nasty migraines. I have awesome medicine to take that helps, but after 10 days of that I really needed to do something different. It definitely helped. I don’t live by a Dunkin Donuts, but when I went to the painting party I ended up driving past one, and got one for the next morning! YUMMM!

photo 2(Clockwise from top L: Biking while reading, real pizza (not lactose free!), Breaking Bad, and reading outside)

On Saturday we had ANOTHER day of snow (#3 over spring break), so instead of doing anything outside, I did a shorter (10 mile) bike ride while I read! Most of the time when I eat pizza it’s lactose free, so because it was spring break, I “splurged” and got a pizza with real cheese! It was delicious! I also started watching Breaking Bad over break, and have managed to watch through Season 2, episode 7! FINALLY after a very chilly break, Sunday was a beautiful day out! I was able to sit outside in a tank top and shorts and read a bit, and it was wonderful!

I actually worked two days over my “break”, but other than that I got a couple big things checked off my “to-do” list, worked out quite a bit because it was half marathon training peak week, cleaned my house, and hung out with friends… all on top of relaxing! Now it’s time to get back into my normal routine and head back to work!

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you ever done a “staycation” before? Have you ever pet sit before? Any good stories that came out of your pet sitting?

March 30, 2014

Like I mentioned last week, the weather was so beautiful on Friday the 21st that I wanted to move my long run up from Saturday to Friday, which is why my training week started on Friday instead of Saturday!

As this week was my spring break, I had a little more time to do some fun workouts! I don’t normally get to do a barre class for myself, so that was fun! I haven’t done longer than a 8.6 training run since my first training cycle in April of 2012, so that was fun too. I ran farther, biked harder, and lifted heavier than normal. Needless to say, by Thursday morning I felt just a little beat up from the week, but also pretty about how the week looked too! This is obviously my peak training week- the next two weeks I’ll be slowly tapering before race day! Overall it’s been a great training cycle!

Now it’s your turn to share! Tell me something fun or different from your past week!

March 27, 2014

Happy Thursday! This is spring break week for me, so it’s been an extra chill and enjoyable week, even though I didn’t travel anywhere. I’ve made up my mind to have an excellent staycation, and that’s exactly what I’ve had! Here’s what I’m thankful for right now:

I’m thankful for barre training. Like I mentioned in this post, barre training was something that I thought about for about two weeks (I signed up pretty much as soon as I heard that there was going to be one near me), but I’m so glad that I did! Not only is barre class really fun to teach, but I love being able to challenge myself when I do barre too. This week I put myself through a barre class and was REALLY sore afterwards!

I’m thankful for a really good half marathon training cycle. Last week I did what will be my peak long run for this coming half marathon, at 9.8 miles. The run was fantastic, and I felt great!

I’m thankful my huge test is over. It’s been so nice this week to not have to worry about studying or taking my test- it’s OVER!!! It’s been such a relief 🙂

I’m thankful for the fun I’ve had this week. I was a little worried that I might be a little bored this week with lots of my friends being gone and me not going into work (well- i did lead one of my groups last night, but besides that I’ve been off), but I’ve had SO so much fun. I’ll do a post on it next week…

I’m thankful that I get to watch some of my favorite dogs this week. I’m watching two of my co-worker’s dogs this week, and I’ve been having a blast! I’ve watched these dogs since 2008, and they are  so fun to be around!

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for right now? Have you ever watched someone’s pets when they go out of town?

March 26, 2014

This past summer when I became a barre instructor, I was able to take a class or two every week, and I loved it! Then I started teaching and stopped taking classes. I often do 15-20 minutes of the class along with students (I demonstrate every move and do the first few 10-15 reps with them so they can watch if needed, and then go around and correct form as they finish), but that’s it.

As this week is spring break (and they, therefore, don’t have class), I decided to do a barre class for myself! On Monday I headed into the studio, plugged in my ipod, and started playing my most recent barre playlist. WOW- what an intense workout! Seriously, barre workouts are amazing, and I really like that I can do them for myself 🙂 Definitely a perk of going through the training program!

After the planks and cardio section, my legs were already shaking! I hit basic releves in first position and was shaking so badly! Ahhh- hello muscles! Now I remember why students groan and glare sometimes when I yell “10 more”- I was yelling that at myself, but student me wasn’t so happy at instructor me!

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I love that barre is a total body workout, and I love how intense it can be! The music definitely helped, and it was fun to sort of experience the class from the student end in the studio in which I teach. I did a full hour class, and by the end I was so happy to hit child’s pose and catch my breath for a minute! I think this class reminded me that, once I’m done with half marathon training, I need to get back to doing these classes for myself a bit more frequently.

photo 2It’s hard not to feel good after a barre workout! With the fun music and energy in the room, I almost always leave class feeling happy and excited.

Now it’s your turn to share! Is there a form of exercise that gets you really happy and excited? Have you ever done barre workouts? 

March 25, 2014

A week and a half ago I took the biggest test of my life (The NCMHCE), and I passed with flying colors! I know that many of you won’t be interested in what it takes to study for this test, but I thought I’d pass along some things that really helped me for those of you who are working on your hours towards licensure and getting ready to take the test!

A note quick about the application process. You’ll need to fill out all sorts of paperwork for the state. Once they get all of that they’ll ok you to get fingerprinted. Once that goes through, they’ll give you the “ok” to sign up for the test through NBCC. NBCC will take about a month most likely to get back to you, so don’t expect a really quick turn around! Once they give you the ok, then you’ll be able to schedule your test through one of your local (or local-ish- my test was almost 2 hours away) testing centers. The entire process took me about two and a half months (don’t expect to fly through in a week or two!).

I studied using two primary means, and I couldn’t be more pleased with what I chose:

First of all, I used Jonathan’s Clinical Exam Workshop. The cost was $180 dollars I believe, and it was worth every cent that I spent on it! He included about 5 hours of lecture to listen to, on top of 25 pages of slides (6 on a page), a set of assessments and primary therapeutic techniques, and examples of test questions. He is also really available by email, and a few times throughout the studying process I sent a few questions to me, and rarely had to wait more than an hour for a response. He has lots of excellent tricks and tips for taking the test, and I can’t imagine taking the test without the knowledge I gained from him!

The week before the test, I bought a week subscription to counselingexam.com just for their practice simulations. The practice simulations are very similar to the test, although it’ll tell you how many points you lose in the practice simulations, and it won’t on the test. Be aware that the practice simulations are much harder than the actual test. From what I hear, many people fail the practice simulations but still pass the test. Overall, it’s a great way to study and practice with the ease of the test.

Beyond the practice simulations and Jonathan’s material, I made notecards of around 60 DSM diagnoses, and included some of the durations, ages needed, general criteria, and how many criteria are needed to make the diagnosis. It’s tedious to memorize, but that will be critical for the test. I carried those notecards around with me and studied during all sorts of random moments.

These 3 things were quite a bit to study, but prepared me really well. Like I mentioned in my previous post, you get 4 hours to take the test, and I only took about 70ish minutes (and I took around a minute between each simulation to stretch and breathe). If you follow these 3 things, you should have absolutely no problem passing the test!

Good luck!

March 24, 2014

Friday was a beautiful day, and I knew that it would be perfect running weather. I moved my long run up a day, which meant that I would be running again right after work (which is a pretty rare occurrence for me). Jill Conyers is hosting a virtual race this week (Spring Fling), so I had a 10k on the schedule. I had a migraine the few days leading up to it, so I didn’t know if my body would want to go even 6 miles. I was nice and drugged up (I have 5 different prescription meds for migraines, and take them in various orders depending on what sort of migraine is going on-thanks POTS).

It was sunny and 60 degrees when I set off a little after 5 pm- awesome weather for running, right? I stopped at mile 4.6 for a quick fuel and water break (ate some sports beans, took in a salt packet, and drank some water), and then was off once again! I felt strong and solid the first part of my run, and every mile seemed to fly by faster than the previous one! Kids were out playing, adults were standing in the streets with their dogs, and people were out grilling. It was fantastic.

According to my Garmin (which I’ve had for 15 months), this was the fastest 10k I’ve ever logged- coming in at 1:09. In my head I sort of wanted to hit around 9.5 miles for my run, and at the 10k mark I felt fantastic, so I kept going.

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One of the migraine meds that I take has caffeine in it, and I’m wondering if that helped on my run? I never have caffeine before I workout in the morning (or before races), so I’ve not really thought much of the impact it might have on me? All I know is that I had an easier time keeping pace than in many of my runs in the last two years.

In my last 3 half marathon training cycles, I’ve only trained up to 8.5 miles, mostly because of IT band pain and weeks I had to take off so I didn’t get really injured. I’m a little nervous about how smoothly this training cycle seemed to go. I didn’t have IT band pain during my runs, and by and large I felt great during most of the miles I’ve run in training.

On my last long run (an 8.6 miler), I was starting to get little baby cramps by the end, so I was interested to see if full on cramps would hit during this run. Right around 8.6 my right calf cramped slightly, but after about 20 seconds of stretching it out I continued on and didn’t struggle again with it the rest of the run. I think that stretching it most days during the week is helping? I also plan on continuing to take salt packets in the middle of runs and during my upcoming half marathon.

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I finished the 9.8 miles in 1 hour 51 minutes for an average pace of 11:21 per mile!

Overall I couldn’t have been more happy with this training run. If I can keep that pace up for 3 more miles in the half marathon I will be a very happy girl. The weather, my fueling, how I felt, and my pace all seemed to work together well. It was one of those “on” days that led to a smile on my face most of my run! I’m thankful for this run…

March 23, 2014

This week I was SO so tired. Allergens have picked up now that it’s gotten a bit warmer, so I’ve had a migraine since Tuesday. On top of that, I came off a few tough weeks of long days of work and studying, and after going on an adrenaline high leading up to my test, I crashed a bit. I didn’t get in a long run last weekend, but after my test I wanted to run a bit, and 2 miles was just what I needed! Here’s how the week looked:

**My Friday run is really my long run for Week 11, but I bumped it up from Saturday to Friday because the weather was just so beautiful outside.  I’m still really loving the mix of pilates, lifting, biking, walking, and running- I think it’s working muscles far more evenly and I’m really loving all the cross training!

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you loving about exercising this week?

March 20, 2014

What a crazy last 7 days this has been, and it definitely feels like MUCH longer than a week ago since last Thursday. WOW. There’s been a lot of gratitude in my life this week, so here are a few of the things I’m thankful for right now:

I’m thankful that I PASSED MY TEST! Oh my gosh I cannot begin to explain how relieved I am that I passed my test. I’m really thankful that I found an awesome study guide that left me feeling as confident as I could be about it, and obviously prepared me really well.

I’m thankful for the supportive people who cheered me on the days leading up to/on the test. I felt surrounded by so many cheerleaders. I got texts from family members, friends, co-workers, and my boss in the hour leading up to the text, and I knew I was getting lots of prayers throughout it. I felt the support from them, and am so glad that I had people encouraging me along the way.

I’m thankful that worked paid for me to attend an awesome conference.  Last Wednesday and Thursday I was out of the state with a few co-workers attending a conference on attachment. It was really interesting and packed with lots of great information for me to use in the office! And it was free for me to attend, which is the best!

I’m thankful that my additions license has been renewed! It’s nice to have that done for another two years, and between now and then all I need to deal with are my continuing education units that I need (20 a year= 40 per renewal cycle).

I’m thankful for beautiful weather to walk in and enjoy. I love being able to leave work and go on afternoon and early evening walks. Days in the 50s have been increasing, and it’s been fantastic.

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you thankful for right now? 

March 19, 2014

Yesterday when I left work, it was 51 degrees and sunny! (Oh my gosh- is this endless, cold winter finally starting to break?!) I came home and plopped down on my couch to eat a few chips with greek dip, and was looking outside. It was a beautiful day (these are rare right now) and I was inside eating chips. Doesn’t seem right, does it?

I quickly changed into yoga pants and a t-shirt, slipped on my tennis shoes, grabbed my phone and headphones, and headed outside. I’ve really missed the feel of the sun on my face and arms- there’s something about it that immediately relaxes me.

I listened to a podcast called “The Extra Mile” and enjoyed the sunshine and warmth. I walked just about 2 miles, and it was wonderful. Children were out playing tag, adults were standing in the street talking, and dogs were out running in their yards. Birds were out chirping, and I was smiling. It was fantastic.

Sometimes, especially on days that I’m awake at 4:50 to teach pilates and barre classes, I just want to come home and sit. However, now that I’m not studying for my test anymore (YAY!!! I’m still so excited!), I don’t have a good excuse to go sit on the couch. So, I told myself- JUST GO WALK! You won’t regret it….

Related: How I Find Time To Walk {and other types of exercise}

Now it’s your turn to share! What was the last walk you took that you really enjoyed? 

March 18, 2014

One of the things I’ve learned over the last 5 half marathon training cycles is that it’s far better to be proactive than reactive in dealing with injuries (or potential injuries). The first time I started to increase mileage, I started to have IT band pain. I got some physical therapy exercises, but did I do them? Not so much. My first half marathon training cycle, I got shin splints. Again, I got some exercises to help strengthen some weak muscles that the sports medicine doctor decided that I had. Did I do the exercises, no? I only iced or stretched if I started to notice things getting tight. I gave up lifting and pilates to just focus on running. All of these things led to exactly the opposite of what I wanted, which was to run. These left me sore, aching, and injured.

I want to state up front that I struggle with all sorts of re-occurring injuries. Between genetics (my brothers (one in the Air Force and one playing college soccer) are both incredibly injury prone too) and POTS (increasing chances of injury in general), I’m more shocked than not when I end a training week and actually feel somewhat put together (my left shin is hurting a bit right now… and I’m REALLY hoping it’s just sore and not the start of shin splints!). But I’ve learned, regardless of how I feel, to be proactive in dealing with things, hoping to decrease my chance of (or severity of) injury.

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Here are the things I do on a regular (at least weekly on average) basis to help prevent or decrease injuries:

So, these are a few of the things that I do very regularly to help myself stay strong, healthy, and decrease the severity of the injuries that are inevitable.

Now it’s your turn to share! What do you do to help avoid injury? Do you tend to be proactive in preventing injury or work out until you’re injured and then go into crisis mode?