Last week I had a fantastic meeting with S.D. at the fertility clinic to start planning for my practicum placement in May. It was so exciting! She introduced me to all the nurses, doctors and staff, and gave me a tour. The clinic is even bigger than I realized. I am going to have my own office space to see clients and I am going to be helping her with some very interesting projects including:
* Creating and presenting a training program for staff on dealing with the emotional needs of clients.
* Starting a support group for clients who have had miscarriages.
Next week I have a meeting with D.B., from the therapy clinic where I will also be spending some of my practicum hours to discuss how things are going to run there. S.D. confirmed that getting experience doing more general couples counselling will greatly compliment my work in the infertility field, since you end up doing a great deal of couples counselling anyways.
I am so thrilled, I cannot believe that I may finally have a career that I love! I think back to all the years I spent in the research industry feeling miserable, bored and unfulfilled. I thought it was pretty much hopeless that I could turn things around for myself. But I seem to have turned things around and I couldn't be happier or more excited.
The only thing really bumming me out right now is my stupid hamstring. It's hard not to focus on it since it hurts the most when I am sitting or walking and, as the sports medicine doctor commented when I mentioned that months ago, that is a problem unless you are a fish. And I am not a fish.
My new physiotherapist seems to be taking me in the right direction. I have a whole series of new exercises to do - none of them core related! And I am supposed to get up from my desk every 15 minutes and do them. It also finally dawned on me that switching from hill walking to power walking on the treadmill has actually made things worse. Apparently incline is not the problem? So I have slowed down my walking and increased the incline again, which is also helping.
Ironically, my physiotherapist would like me to start jogging again. I'm a bit reluctant as I am worried about my knees. I wonder if he is forgetting that I am a good 20 years older than most of the competitive youth athletes that he trains??
I don't think my age is to blame. At least I hope not. But 2 pregnancies, c-sections and years of running and high impact aerobics have to have taken a toll. Still, my cardiovascular fitness is better than its ever been so it is very frustrating that I am being inhibited by my musculoskeletal system.
Last week I ordered the Insanity cardio DVD program as an alternative way to get a good cardio workout without the treadmill. I have only tried the abs workout so far, but even that was killer! I'm excited but nervous for the challenge. If I can't do it, my ego will definitely be hurt. It will really test if I'm as fit as I think...
Now that I know core training won't alleviate my pain, my motivation to do any additional training (aside from my usual a.m. workouts) has waned. I was doing the Jillian Michaels DVD or teaching an intense abs class twice a week at lunchtime for the past couple of months. But the last 2 weeks, besides trying out the Insanity abs workout, I have done nothing.
Fortunately, today I am subbing a boot camp class at a Goodlife Club, so I plan on taking some of the kick-butt moves from the Jillian Michaels DVD plus some of the plyometrics stuff from the Insanity workouts, to really give an intense class.
Really I only have 6 more weeks to improve my hamstring situation through any additional training or physio, because once I start my practicum placements, I won't have any time!
I leave you with another great move from the Jillian Michaels DVD:
Start in a straight-arm plank position. Start pulling in your knees, one at a time towards the outside of your elbow on the same side. To crank up the intensity even more, add in a push-up by bending your elbow when your knee is pulled in. Try to do 30 reps (15 on each side). I love this one!
* Creating and presenting a training program for staff on dealing with the emotional needs of clients.
* Starting a support group for clients who have had miscarriages.
Next week I have a meeting with D.B., from the therapy clinic where I will also be spending some of my practicum hours to discuss how things are going to run there. S.D. confirmed that getting experience doing more general couples counselling will greatly compliment my work in the infertility field, since you end up doing a great deal of couples counselling anyways.
I am so thrilled, I cannot believe that I may finally have a career that I love! I think back to all the years I spent in the research industry feeling miserable, bored and unfulfilled. I thought it was pretty much hopeless that I could turn things around for myself. But I seem to have turned things around and I couldn't be happier or more excited.
The only thing really bumming me out right now is my stupid hamstring. It's hard not to focus on it since it hurts the most when I am sitting or walking and, as the sports medicine doctor commented when I mentioned that months ago, that is a problem unless you are a fish. And I am not a fish.
My new physiotherapist seems to be taking me in the right direction. I have a whole series of new exercises to do - none of them core related! And I am supposed to get up from my desk every 15 minutes and do them. It also finally dawned on me that switching from hill walking to power walking on the treadmill has actually made things worse. Apparently incline is not the problem? So I have slowed down my walking and increased the incline again, which is also helping.
Ironically, my physiotherapist would like me to start jogging again. I'm a bit reluctant as I am worried about my knees. I wonder if he is forgetting that I am a good 20 years older than most of the competitive youth athletes that he trains??
I don't think my age is to blame. At least I hope not. But 2 pregnancies, c-sections and years of running and high impact aerobics have to have taken a toll. Still, my cardiovascular fitness is better than its ever been so it is very frustrating that I am being inhibited by my musculoskeletal system.
Last week I ordered the Insanity cardio DVD program as an alternative way to get a good cardio workout without the treadmill. I have only tried the abs workout so far, but even that was killer! I'm excited but nervous for the challenge. If I can't do it, my ego will definitely be hurt. It will really test if I'm as fit as I think...
Now that I know core training won't alleviate my pain, my motivation to do any additional training (aside from my usual a.m. workouts) has waned. I was doing the Jillian Michaels DVD or teaching an intense abs class twice a week at lunchtime for the past couple of months. But the last 2 weeks, besides trying out the Insanity abs workout, I have done nothing.
Fortunately, today I am subbing a boot camp class at a Goodlife Club, so I plan on taking some of the kick-butt moves from the Jillian Michaels DVD plus some of the plyometrics stuff from the Insanity workouts, to really give an intense class.
Really I only have 6 more weeks to improve my hamstring situation through any additional training or physio, because once I start my practicum placements, I won't have any time!
I leave you with another great move from the Jillian Michaels DVD:
Start in a straight-arm plank position. Start pulling in your knees, one at a time towards the outside of your elbow on the same side. To crank up the intensity even more, add in a push-up by bending your elbow when your knee is pulled in. Try to do 30 reps (15 on each side). I love this one!
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