Still thinking about what really happen and why and my feelings and what I will do

So my last post, I stated my trainer resign from the gym. That means resign from continued training for us. I know it was a matter of time she will leave the gym and pursue her flight attendant job but she assure us that she won't leave right away.  So since her training and graduation which was later July, sporactically,  we had 1 day in July, and one day in August. She told us she got some days off, so she will be able to train with her. She said 4 days one week, and 4 days next. We were so looking forward to seeing her Sunday 9/4/16 but that never happen. So we just thought she was tired and will get with us either Mon, Tues or Wed.

Well, on Wed, 9/7/16, she said she is resigning from the gym because she has no time to do this anymore and that was the last I heard from her.  It really threw me by surprise, no warning. I, now, have to scourge around for another trainer, so I can use up the sessions I purchased.

I am very happy for her that she found her dream job and I wish her luck but I am bothered by the fact, she did not even say good-bye or to say keep in touch. I just don't know what is going on. I guess it frustrates me since I've been training with her since 2013. I grew attached to her. 

I need to move on. Nothing is forever. I need to look in front of me and I realize there are a lot of activities that I can continue doing which is equally great. I have my kettlebells class which I think will help with my muscle imbalance and glute activation. I have my yoga classes which I love. I have my swim class I go to once a week and I have my second family, Arrichion.

I was so focused about the training that I lost my way. But when I went to Sparta this past Sunday, I realize, here is a group of people who care about one another and encourage one another. I once again feel better.

So these are the things I will focus on now and forever. Whatever the reasons why Jackie did not tell us or have not contacted us, I wish her luck!

Some things in life don't last forever. What I once thought was so important, maybe what is is right in front of me. I know now!

So as many of you know, I have been with my trainer, Jackie since the beginning of 2013. I have learn many things in regards to eating right, and exercising. I also learn to be strong emotionally. If you read my previous post , a testimonial about her which I sent to her boss at Fitness Connection., you can sense how important she is to me.

Jackie has decided to go to flight attendant training and is now a flight attendant. I am happy for her and wish her well however, the training for me will end. Just from the times she is in town, she is not able to come to the gym to train. So, yes, it is sad, but I know good things don't last forever and I need to move on. I am bummed out but it is what it is.

So now what? I am going to continue with my training with other trainers until I used up my sessions and then decide what I should do next. 

Fortunately, I still have my Arrichion family. Things were a little hectic for a while but now it is time to head back and get my ass kicked.

I also signed up for Kettlebell classes at Raleigh Kettlebell company. Good thing it is in the same place where Crossfit Goliath is - another great place. I had to resign from doing crossfit since I hurt my back again and plus having major muscle imbalances and glutes activation issues. So it seems kettlebells is a good alternative.

So a little of weight training, some hot yoga, some kettlebells and oh yes, swimming. I'm all set.
I just have to realize what I thought was important is right there. 

So no cooking recipes, been busy, but will eventually.

At times when I write things down, besides talking to my buddy, I feel a lot better. For those reading my blog, thank you!

Have a wonderful day!



 

My Journey, my Trainer - a testimonial

Here is my  testimonial about my training with my personal trainer, Jackie Williams at Fitness Connection, North Hills location. I had written 2 other testimonials  when I first joined in 2013 and again, 6 months later. It's on this blog. My friends asked me what is my secret. So why not share so they can be equally successful.

I have been through every conceivable diet plan out on the market even since 13 years old. I was a fat kid, fat teenager, fat adult most of my life. Every year my new year resolution was to lose weight, eat healthy, be healthy and be fit. Every year, I would lose weight and then gain it all back. I tried bootcamp classes, boxing classes, all kinds of group classes and even took up running. The weight loss would be short lived.

In 2013 I met Jackie. She is the most knowledgeable personal trainer I've ever met. She knows by looking at you what specific exercises is needed for your body and if you are not able to perform that exercise, she can quickly come up with an alternative without hesitation. I had a bad shoulder and ultimately I had to get cortisone shots and was not allowed to do any heavy weights. Jackie knew exactly what to do. She had me doing rehab exercises for the shoulder and that enable me to recover faster and have better range of motion and gave me that second chance in life to strengthen my shoulder. I can not speak the same for other trainers.

Doing exercise is not something I enjoyed so initially training was extremely hard. I almost gave up and I have done that in the past. Jackie has such a great rapport with her clients that makes me not give up and continue to plow through the workout. Each time I would work harder. Jackie truly cares about you. She wants you to succeed and achieve your goals.  Once done, I felt great! I actually look forward to the next workout.

Besides working on my weight loss, Jackie is all knowing about nutrition, what to eat, how much to eat. She had me make some adjustments to my food choices and that has helped me tremendously. Today I am a CLEAN eater and that will never changed.

Jackie is also a great listener. When life events gets in the way or your diet is just not working out, she listens with all her heart.   I felt inner peace and inner strength that enable me to continue with my training. Now when I do anything in life, be it training, be it work, I do with conviction. I used to say "it's good enough" or go through the motions. Jackie has helped me not just the physical being but the mental, emotional being. I thank her wholeheartedly for all she has done for me.

It has been three years since I started training with Jackie and I am not stopping. I no longer find exercise a drudgery and because our workouts are never the same. I am much more self-confident and my self-esteem is much better.  And again, I want to thank Jackie for that.

To Fitness Connection - you have here the best trainer of all. If you did not know that then, you should know it now.

I am sad, I am happy, I am glad I can help someone, and I feel kinda proud

So lots of things have been happening, not with me, with people around me. I was a little bummed out but I realize what is is what is. 

I met the most wonderful girls when I went to Crossfit Goliath and we have become good friends. I call them my Crossfit sisters. Each month we would gather to go to dinner and just have some laughs and some chic chat. Unfortunately there was a disagreement 2 of them and now they are no longer friends. I am not sure I want to mention names, maybe later. Two of us try to mediate and bring them together but...I  did not want to choose sides because I want to keep all as my friends. I will just have to see them separately. Luckily, I still go to yoga class at Goliath so I may see my other 2 sisters. So this is the sad part.

Again, I don't want to mention names but I have a friend I know she was stressed out and really in need of talking to someone. I really did not know what to do except to support her and be a good listener, but I also know, there is a trust issue and she did not want to show her tender side. But for her to one night texted me of what was bothering her and by her talking about brought some relief to her. I felt I did my job as a listener and be empathetic to her feelings.  So this is the good part.

I headed over to Earth Fare this past Friday to visit a long time friend of mine, Rachel. I really miss her. We used to take karate classes together and where I met her 4 sons. This must have been over 10 years ago. So yes, a long time. I stopped over, we had the most wonderful conversations and d we just couldn't stop laughing. My heart was very happy. We are going to get together and have dinner together. She said "Sue, I am a lousy cook, can you cook?"  "Yeah I think so" That is the good part too.

Today I went to see Tim my massage therapist, I think he finally figure out I can get the left glute to activate but that message is not relaying back to my brain. He said we will work on completing that cycle. He also said he was very proud of me to get into doing  so many things since he knew my history of injuries.  That felt good! That is good part three.

Tomorrow, I will go to Sparta. I actually have taken all the revised hot yoga classes: bloodstone, MMA yoga and Diamond. Bloodstone and MMA yoga are killers and Diamond is a deep stretch which I like plus Topaz. But my favorite still is Tiger's Eye, because it is half circuit and half yoga. It is the best of both worlds and it is truly the hardest. Sparta is weight training and I like it because I get to work in groups and go my weight so I can concentrate on getting better. Arrichion, I am so glad I found this place. Yes, I love the yoga and circuit classes, but what I love the most are the people. They are so friendly, down to earth. The coaches they are so helpful and motivating, they want you to succeed.  So , so happy here. That is good part four.

After that, I need to figure what I will cook for the week. so hopefully I remember to take pictures and post for everyone to see.

Talk later,

Sue

oh btw, if there is anything you want me to write about in regards to recipes, let me know and I will see if I can help you!

My diary of my injuries, who I went to see, and what is happening, it is my way to remember what I need to do, that's all!

I am going full throttle trying to get my body heal so I can do the things I do but want to do them better. Right now, I am a little frustrated but I know I will make the progress needed. I don't give up that easily.

For a while I had to stop seeing my massage therapist whose specialty is NMR (neuro muscular reprogramming) where the objective is dealing with muscle imbalance and to once again teach the brain to make the connection to the body to work together. With all the injuries which means I had going to seeing many doctors so it means I only have so much money. It was not a good decision but I'm back with Tim now.

 I start seeing Tim Hackett in 2010 when I training for a half marathon. My hip, my hamstring, my calves would tighten up after one mile run.I have to think back that I had strain  a hip and hamstring because prior to that, I train for a 5K race, I may be tired and sore as crap, but I was not in pain. I quit going to the boxing gym and started hot yoga at Arrichion while continue to see Tim. Race day, my lower body did not start to tight up until mile 7 and then again at mile 11. I have to believe it is the combination of massage and hot yoga. I finished the race and I was very proud of myself, my first one. 

Fast forward to a couple more years, my right shoulder was giving me pain. What caused it? I have to think it was 25 years of karate training, all the tugging and shoulder throw and submissions and joint locks. Trying to do a bench press, there was no strength and forget doing a pull-up, but for some reason I was able to do push-ups. I ultimately had to go see the orthopedic Dr. Wood and the physical therapist who told me to get those cortisone shots to relieve the inflammation. For the next 2 weeks, I was not allowed to do  heavy weights. My trainer, Jackie, she's the best, she had me doing rehab exercise for the shoulder. She knew exactly what was needed. I was given a new lease in life with my shoulder. I started strengthen the shoulder, get better range of motion. It's not perfect yet, but now attempting a pull-up, I can feel the romboids and upper lats activating and I was able to go back to swim lessons. Yes, I had to stop that too, because of hip and shoulder pain.

Hip pain, shoulder pain, what's next? back pain. I went to see Dr Linda Foglia and she spent 90 mins with me the first time. She had me get x-rays done. I found out my L4 was shifted in and the bulging disc was hitting a nerve which hit the sciatic nerve. With adjustments and strengthening, the back got better. I wonder if it is as a result of the bone spur where I had to wear a boot for 3 months that caused the lower extremities to be misaligned. 

So I thought I was all done with being in pain, then it was my calves, I would go do a warm up run and the calves would get really tight that my only remedy was to stop and the pain would go away. My chiropractor thinks it's exertional compartment syndrome. So once again, I'm looking for another doctor and I heard dry needling works best to alleviate my pain. I made an appt. to see Dr. Kari Smith at Run Raleigh PT. She did a gait analysis and thinks I am running from my calves and not engaging the glutes to push up to do the work. 
I started see Kari in July 2015 and it's a slow process. She did dry needling in my calves and each time it gets better. I can do a short run without it getting too tight but the biggest problem was that the left glute does not fire. 

So between Kari and Tim, the glute was working hard but then my lower back would hurt because of weak QL. So as you can see, all my aches and pain went to full cycle. But I'm hopeful it will get better. Working with Tim today, he said the left glute does activate based upon the exercise he has me do but my brain is not getting the feedback. The QL is not as sore so it is a good sign. The dry needling to starting to work, Kari said the left glute is talking. If all when is done, I want to be able to do a squat, and push off with the heels and activate the glutes to come back up. Right now, I can do that with very little weight. And if I can do that, I want to be able to do a short run and feel tired afterwards, not in pain. 

Why am I writing all this? I want to remember the series of events of what happen, with what injuries I had and what I did, what I should continue to do, what I have to do. This means I will continue all 3 specialists.

So what has been happening thus far

So any of my friends who knows me, I don't hold back, I tell it like it is! As a result I might lose a few friends. At times, it makes me feel bad and I have to live with it.

So my last post, I was thinking of stopping Crossfit. I am thinking I need a break from it or my body doesn't like it. Two years ago, my hips were in agony and then I hurt my back. I had to ultimately stop anything that compresses the spine so the adjustments would take. Back got better so back to what I was doing. With the long hours, I had to put my things on hiatus: crossfit, arrichion classes and even training with my trainer,Jackie. 

When I did do Crossfit, chirpractor would be forever adjusting me. So when I went back to crossfit, i twang my back again and had to stop and went back to arrichion classes and back training with my trainer, Jackie.  The adjustments to the back, thoracic area were less so I am thinking crossfit is not for me. The owner did tell me to contain weight training of some sort. He even gave me recommendations.

 But I already have a trainer who is the best in my opinion. For those of you who don't know who my trainer, friend; her name is Jackie Williams. When I started in 2013, after suffering from a stressed fracture on my foot. This means I could not do any sort of run or jog, maybe walk. Not that the running was going to control my weight, which I was having trouble controlling, that was all I knew how to do.  I was not sure if I wanted to spend all that money on personal training. But at the moment, it was the right thing to do for me now. I needed to be a little selfish. Her workouts kills me and the next day, I could hardly move but I had to keep at it. After all, I paid  for it. But eventually, I started enjoying classes. I would say I finally learn from Jackie how to deal with my bad eating patterns. My many, many years of being obese, I finally learn. 

Everyday is a battle for me with my weight but I tell myself that I cannot beat myself up, if i slip or if went on a eating binge. I now know what to do because of this fine young lady I have who trains me.  Talk to me if you want more information!

Going back to Arrichion was a wonderful feeling. It's the people positiveness and encouragement that makes you go and do classes together. The coaches are wonderful. I don't know how more to thank them. I am  supplementing my training with classes at Arrichion. I do yoga for stretching, I do yoga to gain strength, I do yoga to get a stronger core, I do circuit classes and weight training to become stronger. 

And I have gone back to swim classes at Gypsy Divers. I did start but with shoulder and hip injury, learning that freestyle is hard, well, everything is hard. Again , the 2 instructors there Jessica and Lisa are excellent, they make classes enjoyable. I wanted so bad to learn how to swim if nothing else conquer my fear of the deep end. There was a family tragedy where my mother won't let us learn to swim and I thought I almost drown when the canoe capsized. So some day!

So this week, I had a tooth extracted and bone graph done so face a little swollen. It's tiring sitting in that chair with your mouth open and seeing tools fly by your face and knowing that they are stitching your gums. 

I just don't know why we have teeth when you lose them anyways. I had 4 teeth taken out so they can put braces on because my mouth was too small. Now I got 2 more out- sheesh, pretty soon, I am going to talk funny!

So no special recipes this week! 

This weekend is Mother's Day! Be good to your mom! Take her out! Do something special. For those otherwise, she's always in your heart always. 

That's all for now!

Later,

Sue

Work busy, life busy, feeling much better - Now only if this damn pollen go away!

My last post, I talked about my injuries. Just not been a good year again! I am not sure how it all happen. All I can remember, one night doing 200 m sprints in the cold, gave me a bad cold and my hips were killing me. Then the lower back issue that led me to stop doing lifting so the chiropractic adjustments can take to help with the healing. Then it was the calves tightening up and ultimately, I had to stop running all together. Maybe those fast run warmups don't like me!  I thought about Crossfit and thought it would help me gain strength but I realize, squatting is so difficult for me and so are the other activities. So with all of that, I am going to stop going to Crossfit, take a break from it and work on other activities to mend and heal.

I have met some friends there that we called ourselves sisters. They are the best! I know if something happens, they have my back! Love you girls!

I started back to swim classes this past September. I stopped because my favorite swim teacher left and also, the shoulder and hip injury was preventing me from learning and doing the freestyle stroke. I may make swim as part of my exercise program once I learn to swim better.  I still have my YMCA membership.

Also the end of last year 2015, I joined back Arrichion Hot Yoga. This is a real family operation. You feel so much part of the family. No matter what class you take, you get the encouragement, and once you get something, you get that motivation to do even better. I had to stop last year with all the long hours at work.

I need some therapeudic mind-body medication and doing hot yoga, even though you sweat and feel exhausted, you feel so much better. Besides being a yoga studio, it also has circuit classes where there are 20+ stations you go through, interval training. You feel stronger each time you attended class. Then there is the pure lifting class - which is superset of exercises per body part - such has tricep extension, bicep curls , pushups as a superset. You are in a small group of 2-3. Yes, there is squats, because I am going to take this opportunity to focus on my glute activation issue. I am going to use lot less weight and concentrate on form and activating. The hardest class I have taken there is Tiger's Eye, half circuit, half yoga, you are completely exhausted but feel wonderful that you were able to do what you can.

Arrichion was the place I went to, my massage therapist's suggestion to look for a yoga studio, in the heat, to stretch , strenghten to help along with my hips, hamstrings, and whatever pain I was having. I started in 2010, was training for a half marathon. Running a mile was painful! I attended every stretching class at first before going on to the more difficult. I took  what I called hot pilates - it's a core class. In November, I went and did my race. I always hurt at mile 2 - nope, no pain, then it was mile 7 - no pain. It was not until mile 11 when I had to stop and stretch a little, walk more and I finished my first half marathon. I have to thank my massage therapist and Arrichion. It's a Process as Quinn would say! You can do it Sue as Ty would say!


I will continue seeing my trainer. Imagine that, it has been 3 years since I started training with her and I am still going! I usually get bored and eventually stop. Her workout are never the same, and some exercise I can't do, she is able to improvise quickly. I do group training now with 2 other girls. I like this better, I get more out of it. One on one is great but cost adds up so this is doable. 

So that's my plan! Meanwhile when I get a chance to create in the kitchen, I will post pictures. I did do more fish dishes but I will have to do pictures next time.

And most recently, my crossfit sister gave me a scoby so I can make my own kombucha. I used to buy bottles of it but at $4 a bottle, it gets expensive real fast. Oh, I had my trial and tribulations with the making, but so far, I have been successful. I even gave some scobies to a friend. So my scoby made baby scobies. So i am a grandma of scobies and my crossfit sister, is great grandma. I'm happy that I make someone happy

That is what I do, I love seeing smiles on people's faces. I love giving hugs, and when they are in pain,I am too!

So if you ever need a hug! And yes, I'm a good cook too so I was told - but my other friends said I'm a chef because I create where cooks follow a recipes. Well, I don't know about that - I just cook from my heart - this is what my father told me to do when I asked if there are recipes for his dishes.

Enjoy the read!

Sue