Feature Friday: Letting Your Training Marinate

You know I’m all about Carbs over here, so anytime I can relate training to something carbohydrate related- I’m all for it. It’s taken me so long to realize that training and fitness can ebb and flow. It’s funny how I often have to remind myself of that (especially among set-backs or when training starts up again and everything feels hard). Once I get into a routine with training and life and diet, I’m GREAT, but getting there takes so much patience.

It’s ok (and honestly HEALTHY) to go through different seasons of life and running- maybe taking a break is what you need or totally just doing a different activity for awhile (I certainly think that this Pandemic has taught us a whole lot about being patient). It’s the seasons of change and cut-backs that rejuvenate our minds and bodies and gives us the permission to dream big again. It’s all of the ingredients in our best homemade tomato sauce that we’re collecting and prepping.

Once we’ve got all of our ingredients ready to go (our training plan is set), we’re ready to start popping them into the pot. This is when we we’re adding a little bit at a time into our training. Maybe we sprinkle in some speedwork, a bit of a longer run, or a dash of tempo work. BUT we also can’t forget about the little things (I.e. our ‘seasonings’ if we’re sticking with the sauce reference)- like the importance of sleep/ nutrition/ stretching/strength training/foam rolling.

Then, we continue with our ingredients and let them simmer (marinate) for awhile. Nothing really new is added (maybe a bit of additional mileage), but we just continue on building a bit at a time. Our sauce (& fitness) will slowly come together, but it takes time (and a whole bunch of PATIENCE)! I continue to remind myself of this when I feel stuck or like I’m making no progress-> really good sauce takes time.

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-What ingredients are you adding now for a really good sauce later?

Feature Friday: Why I Took A Social Media Break

Happy Friday! Look at me blogging THREE TIMES THIS WEEK. It’s a new record for the year I believe. I’m setting my standards high this year apparently. At least I have these two cute faces to snuggle with for one more day today before I’m back at work (4 shifts in a row before I’m home again).

I took a break from social media from Thanksgiving through the New Year and it was one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a while. I started feeling a lot of pressure from others on social media to ‘run x amount of miles’ or just constantly comparing my situation to others. I also found that I wanted more things when I was on social media ( thanks influencers). I also just generally felt tired of it- wasting time scrolling meaninglessly through photos or posts from people or devices that I may or may not know personally.

I wanted to get back to feeling free on the run and wanting to do things on my own terms- something that I felt like I lost when I would feel ‘influenced’ to go run big miles or big adventures, when that just wasn’t within my schedule or needs at the time. I also felt like I really struggled with missing Stella (our pup that we lost in August) and social media time hops reminded me of her often. So, I decided to take a week off social media in November after Thanksgiving and then, when December 1st rolled around- I really enjoyed the break so I decided to stay off until January.

It was honestly the best time away. I ran when I wanted to, didn’t compare my miles to my ‘past self miles’, took a break from fitness when I wanted to, and just enjoyed the time at home. I felt myself engaging more with others IRL and spending less ‘wasted time’ on social media. I did really miss connecting with some people/accounts on Instagram, but for the most part- I didn’t miss it. I honestly still struggle with the balance of not wanting to be on social media at all and wanting that feeling of connection that I get from it.

I’ve thought about only logging in on certain days of the week (currently I limit my time on it to an hour a day), but I’m still not sure where I stand with social media. I’d love to find a balance between it all and still enjoy not feeling like I ‘need it’ (which I definitely don’t). It was also super helpful to be off of it when I was still on orientation and starting a new career. Talk about a lot of stress- especially steeping into a healthcare role as a ‘newbie’.

I’m curious to know if you’ve taken a break from social media and what your thoughts were? How have you been able to find a happy-medium balance on it? Are there things you miss when off of it? I love the connections that I make on it, but also love the feeling of reminding myself to make more IRL connections! I also love the idea that I’m not mindlessly scrolling and ‘getting sucked in’ like I can when on social media.

-What are your thoughts? Have you taken (or want to take) a social media break? What do you love/hate about social media?

Feature Friday: Self Care

Happy Friday! I originally always wait to put up our Holiday decorations until after Thanksgiving, but I’m kinda thinking that I might put them up earlier. I LOVE the holidays so much and the 4 weeks that our decorations are up never seems long enough. Anyone else put their decorations up earlier than normal this year? I think we’ll still wait for our tree though because this scene happens every year 🤦🏼‍♀️

I wanted to do a post special for self-care because it’s the Holiday season and with the pandemic, everything just seems like A LOT. Especially if you’re working in the healthcare industry (or have a spouse/family member/ friend that works in it)- always worrying about bringing the virus to/from work and dealing with all of the extra special precautions being mandated or restricted now. It’s tough and certainly not easy.

Know your limits. Know when you’ve extended yourself too much or when you’re starting to get burnt-out. It’s ok to take a step-back. You’re not doing anyone any favors if you’re not able to take care of yourself first. It’s OK to acknowledge that you haven’t been - don’t beat yourself up over it - acknowledge and move forward. I love to over-commit myself and have slowly learned that I’m doing a disservice to everyone when I do that. Rested is best.

Find your favorite hobbies and make time for them. It doesn’t need to be running. It doesn’t even need to be anything active. Maybe it’s reading for 30 minutes or having an extra cup of coffee/tea. Just give yourself some time to ‘fill your cup’ however and whatever you want to fill it with (wine, anyone? 🤷🏼‍♀️… JK, unless a glass of wine is your self-care then go for it!)

Don’t feel guilty for your time. Even if you have fifty other things to get done, it’s so important to do ‘you’ first. Maybe that means getting up earlier (OR sleeping in more rather than getting up early)- try out some ways to help you give yourself some time to rejuvenate. It’s ok if not every meal is hand-made or that you didn’t set the coffee maker or laundry doesn’t get done today. No one is perfect and no one is ‘doing it all’ .

The most important thing? Be kind. To yourself. To others. Because these are challenging times for all🧡

Feature Friday: Tips For Your First Weeks In Nursing School

Happy Fri-YAY! I wanted to put together a blog post for all those who have just gotten started in Nursing School. Either those who are beginning their first few nursing classes or those who are coming back in to excel their degree or obtain a new one. Nursing school is TOUGH. It’s so much work, stress, and I honestly still kinda feel like ‘I’m in a bubble’. It’s getting better (especially since starting a real RN job), but it’s been a whirlwind the past 18 months.

Remember that you got into the program for a reason. It’s something that I CONTINUE to remind myself over and over again. It wasn’t a fluke, you have the potential to become a great Nurse. You already have so many tools in your belt to succeed.

One bad grade does not dictate anything. I have completed bombed quizzes or exams and I still passed with our 80% exam requirement. Maybe you had other stressors going on at the moment, or maybe you need to assess a different study technique. I didn’t always click with all of my professors-> which meant more ‘teaching myself’ and less relying on their lectures.

Find a study technique that works for you. This one took me almost 9 months to finally figure out. I always though that flash cards & extensive notes were my jam, but actually reading (& less notes) and talking through the patho helped me with every subject. While I can’t take back those 9 very stressful months of constant notecard making- I feel prepared to take future classes and succeed in them.

Find your study tribe and take time away from your books. Balance, self-care, & support from others is absolutely necessary. This really is the key (I believe) to everything in life-> you can’t do it alone and you certainly can’t take care of others if you can’t take care of yourself.
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-What tips do you have for new nursing students?
-What way do you learn and study best?

Feature Friday: Why Get A Flu Shot?

It’s that time of year again- No, not Holiday season- Flu Season! I feel as though there are more myths and rumors about getting a flu shot than just about anything else. “Getting the Flu Shot makes you sick”/ “It doesn’t do anything anyways “/ “I’m young, so I don’t need to worry” - any of these sound familiar?

Well, thankfully I’m here to help clear-up any confusion there is around the Flu shot!

Who Should Get The Flu Shot? Anyone 6 months of age & older.

Who shouldn’t get the Flu Shot? Those who have had a severe reaction to flu vaccines or ingredients in the vaccine, and those who are under 6 months of age. Talk with your doctor if you have an egg allergy, have Guillain-Barré syndrome, or if you’re feeling unwell.

What’s included in the Flu Shot? The vaccine injects antibodies into your body that take two weeks to develop. Once they develop, your body is better equipped to handle the vaccine. Research is done every year to help pinpoint what strands of the flu (influenza) could be spread among the communities.

Why get it every year? The strands might change from one year to the next. Your immune system also weakens over time, so it’s not as equipped to handle the virus the following season.

When should you get the vaccine? You should ideally get it before the flu starts to spread in your community (2 weeks before), however it’s recommended to wait no longer than the end of October. Can you still get the vaccination later in the season? Yes.

Do you get sick when you get the flu shot? The vaccine injects killed virus cells, so they are no longer activated - you cannot get the flu from receiving a flu shot. Some people might experience side effects from receiving the vaccine (should subside within 1-2 days): sore throat, headache, soreness, muscle aches, or swelling.

Can you still get the flu if you’re vaccinated? Yes. You might have already contracted the flu in the two week period leading up to your body building the antibodies, or you could have contracted a different strain of the flu than what the vaccine included. However, getting vaccinated yourself can protect those around you.

Where can you get vaccinated? You can go to your local doctors office, pharmacy, or walk-in clinic. I did mine at our local Walgreens and it took a total of 10 minutes.

Biggest benefits of getting a flu shot? It’s been shown to decrease Pediatric Intensive Care Unit admissions by 72% if children receive the flu shot, decrease cardiac related events, and decrease Intensive Care stays (think: more money in your pocket if you can decrease your time spent in the hospital this season).

I utilized the CDC website for guiding my post today. What other burning questions do you have about receiving the flu vaccine?