Tag: grace

#TinkRuns2024

My Recovery from 26.2

2chicksandapen

Well my recovery started at the finish line when I chugged my chocolate milk. Gone in two seconds!

Then there was walk to the car. The pitiful everything is tight stroll. The shower where you find out all the chafing spots that sting or burn like crazy. These effects will undoubtedly linger for days in the annoying spots you didn’t think to protect.

Then time to eat like a pig. Real food. Real fast. More food. Just a short time later. Hydrate. Relax. Savor the memories. Check the photo reel to relive the experience. So therapeutic. A little massaging or rolling of sore spots. 

Tylenol and Advil. A little more chocolate milk. Light stretching. Then the 4/5 hour car ride home. Not ideal to sit but I did get out midway to stretch and used a small roller ball on my legs while I drove.

I did acquire a massive blister on the ball of my right foot and a small blister under my right toe which may or may not make me sacrifice a nail. Time will tell. The blister on the bottom of the foot is a nuisance but should be out of the way before you know it.

Sleep. Solid sleep overnight. Monday had arrived. A recovery night sleep in my own bed has very much helped my recovery overall. Moving pretty well today. Just nourishing and babying my body the next few days. A little shake out ride on the bike erg to keep the body moving today but to keep me off my feet. A little light bench press to engage the upper body. Compression leg sleeves time each day as well to help with inflammation and circulation.

Solid sleep rolling to Tuesday. Making sure I eat and or drink a good amount of protein today to help with recovery. More stretching. Wednesday has arrived. Back to tennis on the courts. Legs are feeling pretty good. Foot is maybe 85% recovered from blistering. Life goes on post marathon.

I rotated rest and light workouts every other day for the first week after the marathon. I focused on sleep and nutrition including protein and veggies. All worked out and I’d say I’ve been more sore from a CrossFit workout than a marathon.

Thanks for following along on my race journey. I hope a tidbit I shared may help you in your first marathon quest especially if you try it after age 50. Patience. Grace. Determination. That’s really all it takes to live through a marathon.

Recovery my way consisted of rest, relaxation, reflection and smart eating choices. I kept it simple. I resumed my normal routine the following week. My blister even healed!

The end of the marathon series. Now on to a new challenge for the mind, body and spirit.

fitness and nutrition, health

Road to 5-0 and beyond

2chicksandapen

The road to fifty isn’t always so nifty. When you approach the big 5-0, many shifts take place. Your body. Your mind. Sometimes your zip code. Maybe even your friend circle.

Maybe it’s mood swings that hit today. Maybe it’s body changes next week. Maybe it’s aches and pains ongoing. Maybe it’s stress in life. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s all of the above. Maybe it hits all at once.

Maybe you become forgetful. Maybe you just seem over emotional on days. Maybe you are bloated. Maybe you move slower. Just maybe you are getting old. Gender doesn’t matter when it comes to aging.

There really isn’t a guide book for a mid life crisis. There isn’t an age point either. There isn’t a how to manual for menopause or grumpy man syndrome. There isn’t a road map to feeling old. For me I just want to age gracefully and keep up with what I still want to do each day.

It seems many in their fifties are starting to see signs of aging. Maybe the fast food is catching up with one pal while melanoma is rearing its ugly head with another. This is the time to do the breast checks. The annual physicals. The colonoscopy. The dirty list nobody really wants to pay attention to.

The next ten years will be the shoulder surgeries. The knee replacements. The second laundry list nobody wants to contend with. Getting old. Make sure you are treating your body like the temple it is. You only have one. Pay attention to any warning signs that rear their ugly heads.

I take each day as it comes. I try to live life to the fullest. I try to seek out adventures. I like to stimulate my mind. I like to tire myself out with fitness at some point in the day so I can sleep well at night.

I try to tune out negative people in my life. I have no room to waste mental energy on negatives. It will never help me make it through my road to 50-60-70 and beyond. 

awareness

Tonight

2chicksandapen

Tonight you spoke.

Tonight I listened.

We enjoyed the chitter chatter. We were candid and honest. We built trust.

Tonight you made a promise.

Tonight I promised you.

The time we spent together was time needed. We made time. Tonight was a priority.

Tonight there might be others who need somebody to listen. Tonight others will battle fears and uncertainty. Tonight you had an option. Tonight was about you.

You have the power and grace to look past the shadows. You have the power to reclaim you. You deserve all that is in front of you.

Don’t waste time looking back on what could have been, should have been, and so on. Just focus on you. Lean on your inner circle. You trust them. They trust you.

Be open. Be candid. Be approachable. Don’t give up. Your crew needs you today, tomorrow and the next day.

I believe you can do this. Look for the sunrise tomorrow. Think of the beauty of the day. Commit to yourself that you will have a good day.

Remember you are loved by many.

This post is for anyone who needs to hear this message now or in the future. Bookmark it. Read it. Believe it. 

mental health

Kindness

2chicksandapen

In the past week I have seen kindness in many shapes and forms. Each instance was in plain sight. Could everyone see the kindness? Would anyone react and create their own kindness towards others?

Some interesting questions I asked myself. Instead of wondering about the potential domino effect of kindness that could happen, I decided I should write a blog about kindness hoping kindness would be multiplied around the world.

Today some friends went caroling for the holidays. They visited a few sweet elderly ladies. One was struggling after the loss of a spouse of a lifetime. The other battles dementia. The music lifted their spirits. No matter if it was lifted for seconds, minutes or hours. The kindness lifted spirits of those who needed it most. Examples like this show me that hope is still alive today. 

Last week I witnessed an elementary-age school girl who wanted to raise money to buy kids toys for Christmas who were less fortunate. She drew hundreds of pictures and her parents helped her sell a digital copy of her art to buy the toys. So many toys were bought. This little girl’s kindness will make the holidays extra special for so many children. In addition she restored hope in many via the internet of goodness in the air. What an amazing story to share. 

Then there is the kindness in friendships. I am so lucky to have friends who are always there to support you when you need them most. The friends who help you in tough times but also celebrate with you in good times. Kindness and friendship work together in unison. 

In a world of chaos why not be kind? Kindness matters. Please read this short post and think of how you can offer kindness in your area. How can you support the elderly? How can you volunteer at a food pantry? How can you help guide somebody who is struggling? Think kindness today. Set a resolution for kindness in 2021 and every year thereafter.  

Be purposeful. Be intentional. Spread kindness like you would spread butter on bread. Offering kindness is free!