the christmas alphabet!
December 1-26 *** Letters A-Z
Sometimes ideas just “come to me” and I have to roll with it … so here we go!
Each day leading up to Christmas (and one day after) I will post a letter & word — these are things that are representative of the Christmas season AND something health/fitness/running-related. Follow my social media accounts (FB: @immersionphysicaltherapy // IG: @immersion_pt) for the daily post, and I’ll also add some extra info or links here on the blog.
Merry Christmas!
-Dr. Coach Megan
A IS FOR APPRECIATE
use this holiday season to start to appreciate your body. it is easy to get wrapped up in what our bodies look like — it’s all around us on social media, tv, billboards, weight loss ads, “getting your body back” after having a baby … yikes!
try writing down two things every day, and keep the list in an easily visible place:
- one thing your body can DO (ex: today, i lifted heavier weights than last week)
- one thing you FEEL (ex: today i feel energetic)
B IS FOR BELIEVE
In college, our team motto was "believe". It was written all over everything, said frequently, and was almost always part of our team cheer before races.
If you BELIEVE in it, the chances are better that it will happen. Of course, there are no guarantees in life -- and in sports, there are many factors that are outside of our control (weather, competitors' performance, shoe/clothing malfunction, etc.). But one thing that is entirely in our control is our MINDSET.
A positive mindset may not be 100% perfect, but a negative mindset is juuust about guaranteed to not lead you to success.
In the wise words of Josh Groban (and so fitting for the season): "you have everything you need, if you just believe"
Today's challenge: Write down TWO things that you have been told in the past that have impacted your performance ... and then next to (or under) them, write TWO ways you can reframe that idea/thought into something positive and supportive.
C IS FOR COOKIE …
… that’s good enough for me! (thanks, Cookie Monster) :)
A cookie with a purpose is worth eating! Here are some potential purposes for letting that cookie into your system:
your kid(s) made them and you can’t say turn down an official taste test!
you're really hungry and the only food available is a cookie
nutritional value, like an oat-based breakfast cookie before a morning workout, or a no-bake energy cookie during a hike
because it tastes so dang good and brings you JOY!!!
What is your favorite kind of cookie, and what purpose does it serve you?
D IS FOR DANCING!
>>DANCE like no one is watching<<
Fun fact: I was a dancer when I was younger! I did modern dance from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. I wasn't the best dancer, and I wasn't wholly invested in it, but it felt SO good to have that time each week dedicated to moving my body in a way different than running.
As an adult, I sometimes find myself randomly turning on my Alexa and dancing in my kitchen. I used to hold my dog's front paws and dance to Mackelmore's Thrift Shop whenever it came on or we felt silly :)
Dancing -- whether structured or free -- taps into my right-brain and is a serious change in pace.
Today's challenge: turn on a fun Christmas song and DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING. Smile, laugh, sing along at the top of your lungs, and dance your heart out. Cheers!
E IS FOR EXCITEMENT!
Sometimes the excitement -- the anticipation -- can be more than when the event actually happens ... and that can be helpful or harmful.
Consider the Inverted-U theory, which suggests that we each have an optimal arousal level for optimal performance. Below that optimal level or threshold, we might experience boredom or apathy. Above that threshold, we might experience panic.
There are many things that contribute to our arousal level, such as:
"caring" about a performance (i.e., the race you've been training for all season vs. one early season that is used as a training session)
external factors & knowledge of how they affect you (i.e., you have not performed well in the heat previously)
your physical well-being (i.e., coming off of an illness) ...
Some ways you can manage your arousal level on or before game/race day include:
listening to calming music if you feel TOO revved up
visualizing HOW you want your performance to happen
controlling the things you can control
making back-up plans & goals for external factors outside of your control
listening to a famous pre-game speech or favorite pump-up song right before the game
Today’s challenge is to draw an Inverted-U and write out some things you can do to bring you from the ends toward the middle “peak” of the U for your optimal performance!
F IS FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY
Friends & family -- and teammates -- are our support crew.
Read this NYT article about the "Shalane Effect" (not an affiliate link, may need subscription to view) to appreciate the power of our support systems in athletics. Role modeling, setting & sticking to goals, passion, camaraderie --> COLLECTIVE SUCCESS.
G IS FOR GRATITUDE
Gratitude can come in many ways -- and thinking about the ways in which we are grateful for our bodies can go a long way in our athletic performance and enjoyment of our sport.
Sports are designed to be competitive, to get the best out of ourselves on a given day, maybe to earn a prize or money (if you're at that level).
I am grateful that my body is healthy on the inside, allowing me to participate in various athletic events (mostly running!) and push myself.
I am grateful that I have been able to train and develop my muscles, lungs and bones to support being able to train (full circle!)
I am grateful for medicine, for physicians (& NPs & PAs!), for technology -- all have been instrumental in supporting my ability to move my body, and surely will continue to be!
>>What are YOU grateful for?<<
H IS FOR HOPE
--It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry.--
(regina spektor, "the call")
Hopes & dreams >> actions. We can always have hope.
Today, I challenge you to identify something that you have HOPE for -- write it down and stick it on your bathroom mirror. Tomorrow's word will build on your hope...
I IS FOR INVITATION
Yesterday's word was HOPE -- and I suggested writing down one thing you have hope for, to put on your mirror ...
Today, I encourage you to take a minute to think about what (or who!) you can INVITE into your life to support that hope.
A hope without an action is just a hope ... it never becomes an action or accomplishment.
I HOPE to see a marathon PR in the next year ... I INVITE the support of my running partners & friends, and redistributing my time to include a wider variety of training methods (i.e., more consistent strength training, additional non-running aerobic activities)
J IS FOR JOURNEY
Life is a journey, right? Enjoy the ride?
Sometimes that is easier said than done. We are bombarded with "should do" and "must have" and "be this not this" messages throughout our day -- through emails, conversations with peers, unsolicited advice & comments from strangers, social media, billboards, fad-diet promotions, gym gimmicks to "lose that stubborn baby weight" ... I could go on.
Think for a minute about your car: You take your car to the shop for an annual inspection, or to change the oil, change to snow tires, or address that weird "clunk" you've been hearing. Not very car is the same, but there are a lot of similarities across similar models, ages, terrain, mileage.
Now think about your body: do you take yourself to see a [physician, physical therapist, dietitian, massage therapist, psychologist, OB/GYN, endocrinologist...] for a regular check-up? How about to get a new pair of shoes, or change a prescription? Not every body is the same, but there are a lot of similarities across similar ages, sports, training history, sex, medical history ...
Now, imagine you are in a car -- maybe it's even a bus or RV! YOU are the driver, and your body "is" the car. Your body is literally carrying you through this journey called life. Imagine the people who are in the car with you: Are they helping or harming you? Are they licensed & knowledgeable health professionals, or are they social media influencers? Are they looking at the maps & the road ahead and helping you to navigate to your destination ... or are they saying "quick, look at that!" and causing you to swerve or miss your exit?
Today I invite you to sit down in a quiet space for a few minutes, and visualize your car. Remember, YOU are the driver, and YOU get to choose who's riding with you, and where that car is going.
If you want to explore this journey together a bit more deeply, check out these THREE options (no gimmicks here, just sharing info!):
EFA Retreat, June 2023 (registration opens Jan. 1)
Nutrition for Optimal Performance’s Journey to a Positive Body Image program
For female athletes, ages 11-17: email me to sign up for The Body Confident Athlete program/research study, beginning in January (register by Dec. 18 - space is limited & already half full!)
K IS FOR KINDNESS
"Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person." -Plato
Kindness can be challenging sometimes - we all know that! But being kind often feels GOOD to us; not only does it lift another person, like Plato said, but it lifts US too. Kindness can be a restorative touch (did you know a welcomed hug can facilitate the release of oxytocin, one of our "feel-good" hormones!?), practicing patience & a smile. It doesn't have to be complicated, but it has to be genuine.
Today I challenge you to reflect on some acts & expressions of kindness that you have experienced or witnessed in the last week...and how those experiences made you feel! I'd love to hear about them, so please share in the comments or a private message to me!
L IS FOR LAUGHTER
Laughter is life's best medicine!
I'm taking a slight detour from the body image theme today to share a personal story...
Emma was out of school all of last week while we were on vacation (worth it!). Prior to that, she had missed 3 days due to strep/RSV -- felt better with one dose of antibiotics in her, but had to keep her out due to a lingering fever.
She was SO excited to go back to school today, see her friends & teachers, show off her new haircut ... and last night she said her tummy hurt, and wanted to snuggle with me on the couch. Well, you can probably guess how that ended up ... it was a fun night!
We got about 6 inches of snow -- the first accumulating snowfall of the season, yahoo!! My plan for today (pre-sick) was to drop her at school, meet up with a friend for a run/post-run treat at a local coffee shop, and then run some errands & go to an appointment.
Turns out our snowblower isn't working, and Emma can't go to school...
Yes, this is frustrating, and I have to adjust my plans for today (I will find a way to run somehow, even if it's up and down my driveway while E is napping!) ... but, I just need to roll my eyes and laugh at this -- because if I don't, I will be miserable and resentful and what good does that do?
M IS FOR MUSIC
Did you know that MUSIC can influence your CADENCE?
Multiple studies have shown that runners pair their cadence (number of steps per minute) to the tempo of music (beats per minute).
WHY THIS IS HELPFUL:
if you are actively trying to change your cadence (there are many reasons to do this, or not!), you can identify songs to listen to during your runs to practice the new step rate
if you find yourself "shuffling" along when you get tired, listening to music at your normal tempo may help to keep your legs moving a bit longer!
if you are planning a workout with changing paces, you MIGHT also find yourself changing your cadence (not always -- but that's a topic for another day!), so you could try making a playlist to your workout rather than constantly monitoring your watch or other landmarks/distances (just switch gears when the next song comes on)
HOW TO DO THIS:
Identify your "baseline" cadence: in the middle of a regular base/easy/distance run, set a timer for 60 seconds and COUNT every time your right foot hits the ground. At the end of the minute, multiply by 2 and you have your cadence! (or, don't multiply and you have your STRIDE RATE which could also be paired with music)
use filter features on Spotify or Pandora to find songs that match your desired BPM (same number as your cadence)
make a playlist on an app/website like "jog.fm" or "getsongbpm.com" (no affiliation!)
RUN!
N IS FOR NEWBORN
NEWBORN (adj.): recently or only just born. born anew; reborn.
Newborns cry
Why??? They are hungry, sad, scared, have a wet/dirty diaper, tired, etc. Crying is the only way they know how to communicate at first. As we grow up, we learn new ways to express our needs, express/regulate our emotions ... and how to control what is controllable, and let go of what is not.
YOU have the ability to choose your response to whatever comes your way ... YOU have the ability to choose how your first few minutes and hours go ... YOU have the ability to go to sleep at night and decide that tomorrow is a new day, another chance to be a newborn. While the circumstances may not always be in your control, YOU have the ability to decide how you'll react.
Whether you are religious or not, the origin of Christmas is religious, and it's about a baby. Every year we celebrate this baby in whatever way we choose to celebrate. Every year, we acknowledge that this newborn is somehow -- big or small -- a part of our lives.
Today's activity: write down the word NEWBORN on a piece of paper, and 2-3 ways that YOU will consider yourself "newborn" every morning. Stick this next to your bed or on your dresser so you see it first thing when you wake up.
Remember, YOU have the power, YOU are in control ... and every day, you are newborn.
O IS FOR OPENING
How many of you immediately thought of presents when you saw this post? :)
Today I'm going to challenge you to think of the Christmas spirit in a different way -- of course, one that relates to your physical & mental well-being!
Being OPEN, mentally & emotionally, can allow us to recognize and embrace new opportunities, new challenges, new problem-solving skills, new friends ... Being OPEN, physically, can literally support the emotional openness, by facilitating our physical openness & presence. If our bodies and minds are in concert, some AMAZING things can happen.
Today, I'm going to encourage you to be a STAR!!! Literally -- google "yoga star pose" and do it! The star pose is a great opener, physically AND emotionally, and will make you feel ready to take on the world!!!
P IS FOR PLENTY
PLENTY.
There are plenty of fishes in the sea ... but maybe you're not fishing in the right ocean, or the right depth, or the right time of day ...
Optimal athletic performance requires the perfect balance of mind, body, & spirit. We need to be physically and emotionally ready to perform. There are some factors outside of our control (the weather, mainly!), but we can do our best to mitigate that (or, if it's an indoor sport that is certainly less of an issue!)
Your task today is to identify what would be your IDEAL set-up for optimal performance. Think back to that idea of plenty of fish in the sea -- which fish do you want to target?? I'll post mine in the comments!
Q IS FOR QUANTITY QUALITY!
Quality >> Quantity.
Quality = going hard on hard days, and taking it easy on easy days.
Quantity = obsessing over your watch hitting 5.0 miles on Sunday so you can hit exactly 35.0 on the week.
I promise you this: running 34.3 miles instead of 35.0 one week will NOT make or break your training or your upcoming race.
Today's challenge is to re-organize your upcoming training weeks based on these themes:
[ranges]: 35-40 miles this week, 6-7 miles on Friday after work, etc.
OR
[minutes]: 55-60 minutes on Sunday before family brunch, 200-210 minutes of running all week.
AND
[quality]: run HARD effort on [1-2 days] + run EASY effort the other days ("easy" = slow, conversational, but not shuffling!)
PS -- in life: have you ever heard the phrase "quantity time"? Nope, just "quality time" -- quality >> quantity
R IS FOR REST
Rest (v): to cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength
In training for athletics (ok, and in life!), rest can sometimes be mistaken for laziness or a loss of motivation. Our bodies literally need rest in order to get stronger: during a hard workout, our muscles experience micro-trauma ... during a recovery day or rest day or when SLEEPING, our bodies work hard to repair the damage that was induced earlier.
We need DEEP sleep in order to optimize our recovery from hard workouts -- especially if they are consecutive workouts, or hard physical efforts on top of a tough mental load (i.e., prepping for the holidays or studying for a big test!)
You are not lazy. You are resting, and rest is important.
>>How many hours of sleep did YOU get last night?
S IS FOR SNOWFLAKE
every snowflake is different…
just like every animal is different…
just like every human being is different…
just like every BODY is different.
next time it snows, try to capture a few snowflakes on your scarf or mitten, and inspect it closely -- no two snowflakes are exactly the same.
T IS FOR TOLERANCE
I think it's safe to say that most (if not all) of us can use a little practice with this one ... agreed??
In order to "jive" with other people in our communities, workplaces, schools, households, etc. we have to learn to tolerate (and ultimately, ideally, embrace!) our differences.
Think back to yesterday's post about snowflakes: just as they are all unique, so are we, as humans.
In training for athletics, we learn to tolerate challenging feelings, both physically and emotionally. Speaking from experience here, the last 250m of an 800m race are quiiiite painful, and our natural reaction is to slow down and "conserve energy" or just step back off of that ledge that is so uncomfortable. We also learn to deal with frustrating performances, injuries, and other setbacks. Personally, I think the BEST athletes are not those who never fail, but who take each perceived "fail" as an opportunity to learn something about themselves and make adjustments for the future. Failure is good, if we are able to view it as a stepping stone.
In another sense, related to endurance sports, we train our bodies to tolerate a build-up of "junk" in our muscles when we work at a very high level. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT lactic acid that causes us to feel like garbage or cramp up -- lactic acid is actually used as fuel to create more energy, but the hydrogen ions that are associated with that chemical reaction DO cause that intense cramping / fatigue sensation (because the H+ ions interfere with normal muscle contraction and ion passage).
>> Tolerance can be defined, explained, viewed in many ways. What are your goals for improving your tolerance (in whatever way you see is currently lacking)???
U IS FOR UNWRAP
What does it mean to unwrap?
It means a new adventure, another fun memory, an exciting moment, witnessing joy and happiness, experiencing gratitude and thoughtfulness.
We unwrap presents -- and today I challenge you to unwrap yourself. Shed some layers (whether literally or figuratively is up to you!), and see what you can find underneath…
Remove the mask of forced emotions at work social events;
peel away the hooded sweatshirt of pleasing others at your own expense;
take off the long-johns and Spanx of hiding your body and true self.
We are all human, we are all unique, we are all amazing and wonderful and strong and intelligent in our own way. Don't be afraid to show it.
#unwrapyourself
V IS FOR VOLUNTEER
Are you looking for some new volunteer opportunities in 2023?? Check out these great local organizations!!
W IS FOR WELCOME
welcome (verb): to greet someone (something) in a glad, polite or friendly way.
We welcome each season -- it is a change, and change is good, even if we don't really love what the next season brings (hey, Syracuse, how's that snowstorm going??)
We welcome our families and friends into our homes for a holiday get-together, a gift or cookie exchange, a parents' night in ...
We welcome our students into the classroom every morning. We welcome our patients into an exam room every visit. We welcome our congregation into the church sanctuary on Sunday mornings. We welcome our teammates onto the bus as we leave in the dark for a competition. We welcome customers into our shop as they browse the selections.
>>>Do you ever intentionally welcome yourself? Do you take a moment to welcome yourself home as you walk through the door after a long day at work? Do you welcome yourself, as a healthcare provider or a store owner, to your practice/shop every day?
We make a concerted effort to make others feel welcome -- and that is great, and appreciated by others! But I want you to work on welcoming yourself -- because once we start welcoming, accepting, and appreciating our own selves, our mental state changes and we start on a positive note.
As we (very quickly!!) approach Christmas, I want you to pause and welcome yourself as you move onto the next "task" or location on your to-do list. I encourage you to change your statement from "I have to do [xyz]" to "I get to do [xyz]" -- and see what happens to your outlook!
X IS FOR XENIAL
xenial = hospitable (especially to strangers or foreigners)
A few letters back, I said Christmas is, at its foundation, about a newborn. It is also about hospitality. We know the story of the "innkeeper" saying there's no room for Joseph & Mary -- and that they ended up hanging out with the animals and lying Jesus in a manger.
My question to you is: was this an act of "xeniality" (I'm not sure that's actually a word?), or was it the opposite?
I believe it WAS xenial. Historically, foreigners were not treated very well, and sometimes outright rejected (xenophobia, perhaps??) -- OK, so there was no room at the inn (or, rather, the guest room of the house) ... I mean, I think it's pretty harsh when you see a very pregnant woman needing a place to give birth and you say "eh, sorry, no can do lady!" but the room was full! They still found room elsewhere, so it wasn't a total rejection!
What does this post have to do with body image, athletic performance & confidence? Nothing at all, really. I just thought it was a really cool word, and X is a hard one to find -- xenial seemed fitting for the sake of Christmas.
Y IS FOR YES
We say YES to:
- appreciating ourselves, our bodies, our efforts
- believing in something!
- COOKIES
- dancing!
- exciting adventures & anticipation
- friends & family (make new friends, but keep the old!)
- being grateful for all we CAN do
- HOPE
- invitations to challenges, social events, opportunities
- a JOURNEY
- kindness
- laughter
- music
- newborns (in whatever sense of the word you'd like to use!)
- OPENING presents, the fridge, our front door, a box of new shoes...
- plenty (& sharing our abundances!)
- quality > quantity
- REST!!!
- snowflakes & all of their uniquities
- tolerance for others, for mistakes, for differences
- unwrapping!
- volunteering
- welcoming others into our homes & into our lives
- being xenial
(and we also say YES to this being a 26 days of a Christmas countdown, and I'll explain why tomorrow!)
Merry Christmas, friends!!!
Z IS FOR ZEST
On the 26th day of Christmas, we find some ZEST! ;-)
One of my family traditions dates back to when my brother was a baby (so, 40ish years ago - he's so old! 😜) -- we call it "Fred". At its most basic level, it is Secret Santa, but in my family we add our own extra spice to it, and each person not only has to give a gift to their "picked" person, but also write a CLUE for who it's to & from ... and then on Boxing Day (aka December 26th -- today! -- used to be Christmas Eve, but our tradition has evolved...), we all gather together and figure out the clues, eat lots of yummy food, and share so many laughs together!
I wanted to end my "countdown" on this memory/tradition because I think it is important that we all find SOMETHING that brings us such joy and enthusiasm. It is traditions like this that keep us going -- this one literally keeps our family connected, even if we haven't seen each other since last Christmas!
With regard to our self-confidence, body image & athletic performance ... I challenge you to find your ZEST!!! Add your own spice to your training, your race day regime, your favorite workout 'fit. Find a way to make it YOURS. The ownership makes your goals feel more real, more meaningful, and more achievable!
Your final challenge for this countdown is to identify one piece of your athletic performance / training that is unique to you -- what do YOU add to "spice it up" and make it truly yours?