Do you ever see the tv shows where they indicate the passing of time by showing you a clock where the hands spinning in fast forward? That is what my weekend has felt like. It seems only a couple of hours ago I was packing up my bag to head home Friday night, and now I'm packing a bag for Monday morning. Why can't the work week pass this quickly?
Would love to say that at least I accomplished a lot, but alas not so. I rounded on Saturday then had to head to a work picnic that lasted 6 hours in 99 degree sun. Today's only accomplishment was an exciting trip to the grocery store. Oh well - there is always next weekend. Why do I find myself promising that a lot.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Darwinism run amok
Darwin argued that species adapt to survive, and those that do not adapt perish. My body seems to have taken that concept to an unhealthy extreme.
My trainer is constantly remarking on how quickly my body adapts. She changes my training program every three weeks so that my body doesn't get used to it. I had perceived this as a good thing. I get to try different stuff at the gym so not only does my body not grow accustom, but my mind doesn't get bored either.
Then the last two months happened. As anyone who has tried to reach me can attest, the only free time I have had the last two months required that I leave the state or even the country. Otherwise, I work, eat and sleep. When I showed up for my training session yesterday, I realized it was only the third session I had made it to in the last 8 weeks (and I normally train 3 x per week!).
Turns out my body also adapts quickly to not working out. During my session yesterday, I had a whole new appreciation for the Biggest Loser contestants. The closest I have ever come to being physically sick from a work-out, and the first time I wasn't able to complete one in its entirety. This morning - walking hurts. We won't even discuss lifting my arms.
Let's hope that it readapts as quickly. If not, I'm in for a rough fall.
My trainer is constantly remarking on how quickly my body adapts. She changes my training program every three weeks so that my body doesn't get used to it. I had perceived this as a good thing. I get to try different stuff at the gym so not only does my body not grow accustom, but my mind doesn't get bored either.
Then the last two months happened. As anyone who has tried to reach me can attest, the only free time I have had the last two months required that I leave the state or even the country. Otherwise, I work, eat and sleep. When I showed up for my training session yesterday, I realized it was only the third session I had made it to in the last 8 weeks (and I normally train 3 x per week!).
Turns out my body also adapts quickly to not working out. During my session yesterday, I had a whole new appreciation for the Biggest Loser contestants. The closest I have ever come to being physically sick from a work-out, and the first time I wasn't able to complete one in its entirety. This morning - walking hurts. We won't even discuss lifting my arms.
Let's hope that it readapts as quickly. If not, I'm in for a rough fall.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Owie
I got my flu shot yesterday. I would like to blame it on lack of sleep, hunger and exhaustion. While all of those statements were true yesterday, I get the flu shot every year so nothing really to blame. However, I forget every year how much it hurts. Can seriously barely move my left arm today. Will seriously be upset if I actually get the flu this year.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Complications
The dictionary defines the word complications as something that introduces, usually unexpectedly, some difficulty, problem, change, etc.
I am not a fan of unexpected. I am a planner - always have been. I like to know what is coming next and when it is coming. I am a surgeon so I am used to difficult, but I find that I don't like difficulties. There is a distinct difference there. Don't even get me started on problems.
As you can probably guess, I am currently dealing with an unexpected difficulty at work currently. Said problem is why I am still sitting in my office at 7:45 on a Friday evening. It is not that part that bothers me so, though perhaps that speaks volumes about my dating life.
What bothers me most about complications - proof that I am not perfect. And I try so hard to be.
I am not a fan of unexpected. I am a planner - always have been. I like to know what is coming next and when it is coming. I am a surgeon so I am used to difficult, but I find that I don't like difficulties. There is a distinct difference there. Don't even get me started on problems.
As you can probably guess, I am currently dealing with an unexpected difficulty at work currently. Said problem is why I am still sitting in my office at 7:45 on a Friday evening. It is not that part that bothers me so, though perhaps that speaks volumes about my dating life.
What bothers me most about complications - proof that I am not perfect. And I try so hard to be.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Glory Days
Many of a rough day of training was survived by imagining the "Glory days" of being an Attending. Big salary, better hours, less stress, more control - all things for which I could look forward. Boy was I delusional. At least as a fellow, I would have gone home several times the last few weeks for hours violations.
Last Thursday I came home at 11pm, made a quick dinner, sat on the couch to eat, and my next conscious thought was at 6:47 am Friday morning. I woke up on my couch, still in my scrubs with my dinner still on the coffee table - untouched.
Tonight I finally got home before 9pm. How am I celebrating you might ask? I'm getting ready for bed. The heating pad is warming as I brush my teeth with the smell of Icy Hot still in the air. Oh, these are the Glory Days.
Last Thursday I came home at 11pm, made a quick dinner, sat on the couch to eat, and my next conscious thought was at 6:47 am Friday morning. I woke up on my couch, still in my scrubs with my dinner still on the coffee table - untouched.
Tonight I finally got home before 9pm. How am I celebrating you might ask? I'm getting ready for bed. The heating pad is warming as I brush my teeth with the smell of Icy Hot still in the air. Oh, these are the Glory Days.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Losing My Zen
What a difference a week makes. One week ago today I felt fantastic. I was rested, relaxed - in a word rejuvenated. I felt ready to conquer the world. . . . Turns out the world wasn't quite ready to be conquered. It fought back, and hard.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Best. Trip. Ever.
Please disregard my prior entry. I no longer have any feelings of guilt regarding my recent Canyon Ranch experience. As a matter of fact, I am already ready to commit to a stay there next year. I now firmly believe that spending a week concentrating on nothing but yourself should be mandatory for . . . well everyone.
We arrived at the airport and was met by a driver who came equipped with a "little" snack of pita wraps, carrot sticks, apples, and homemade granola bars for the car ride home, but "not enough to spoil dinner". Things only got better from there. With an idyllic setting deep in the Berkshires, fantastic staff, a loaded gym with amazing trainers, a world renown chef and "hot" days in the mid-80's, they had me at hello.
This was way before I even had my first massage.
Did I mention that I had more than one massage, or did I brag about the undereye bag eliminating facial that I was willing to fly back to Massachusetts to repeat regularly when I learned that it was offered here at the Canyon Ranch Miami Beach? Perhaps I should tell you about the detoxifying ritual that involved scrubs, clay, and oil that felt like a little slice of heaven.
Don't get me wrong, the exercise classes were hard. Can we discuss 45 straight minutes of squats and lunges in a class aptly titled - Rock Bottom. Or perhaps the 45 minutes of crunches and planks titled - Melt your Midline. And I would recommend to no one 45 minutes on a TRX - it is a great piece of gym equipment, but only when used in moderation. However, the trainers were all so funny and motivating that you smiled as you worked through the pain. {In full disclosure, however, after 4-6 hours of daily exercising - my body is now hurting in places that I'm not even sure I learned in Medical school.}
I was even educated. I had my flexibility and posture analyzed, and learned that perhaps always skipping the calf stretches after running is bad. Turns out I have almost no ankle flexibility, and much of my hip stiffness is related to my super tight gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Unfortunately this also puts me at danger of an Achilles tendon injury. I also learned that when standing I lock my knees which causes my pelvis to tilt forward anteriorly. This contributes to my hip tightness, over time can cause scoliosis, and worst of all pushes out my belly causing it to appear even larger. Needless to say, that is one problem I corrected VERY quickly.
Best of all, despite my travel woes (2 hours parked on a runway in ATL), I came back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world - or at least my little corner of it. I would highly recommend it to everyone, and don't be surprised if you bump into me at the gym while you are there.
We arrived at the airport and was met by a driver who came equipped with a "little" snack of pita wraps, carrot sticks, apples, and homemade granola bars for the car ride home, but "not enough to spoil dinner". Things only got better from there. With an idyllic setting deep in the Berkshires, fantastic staff, a loaded gym with amazing trainers, a world renown chef and "hot" days in the mid-80's, they had me at hello.
This was way before I even had my first massage.
Did I mention that I had more than one massage, or did I brag about the undereye bag eliminating facial that I was willing to fly back to Massachusetts to repeat regularly when I learned that it was offered here at the Canyon Ranch Miami Beach? Perhaps I should tell you about the detoxifying ritual that involved scrubs, clay, and oil that felt like a little slice of heaven.
Don't get me wrong, the exercise classes were hard. Can we discuss 45 straight minutes of squats and lunges in a class aptly titled - Rock Bottom. Or perhaps the 45 minutes of crunches and planks titled - Melt your Midline. And I would recommend to no one 45 minutes on a TRX - it is a great piece of gym equipment, but only when used in moderation. However, the trainers were all so funny and motivating that you smiled as you worked through the pain. {In full disclosure, however, after 4-6 hours of daily exercising - my body is now hurting in places that I'm not even sure I learned in Medical school.}
I was even educated. I had my flexibility and posture analyzed, and learned that perhaps always skipping the calf stretches after running is bad. Turns out I have almost no ankle flexibility, and much of my hip stiffness is related to my super tight gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Unfortunately this also puts me at danger of an Achilles tendon injury. I also learned that when standing I lock my knees which causes my pelvis to tilt forward anteriorly. This contributes to my hip tightness, over time can cause scoliosis, and worst of all pushes out my belly causing it to appear even larger. Needless to say, that is one problem I corrected VERY quickly.
Best of all, despite my travel woes (2 hours parked on a runway in ATL), I came back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world - or at least my little corner of it. I would highly recommend it to everyone, and don't be surprised if you bump into me at the gym while you are there.
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