Music Motivation

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Isn’t it amazing the power a song can hold? It can bring us to our feet to start dancing, it can touch us in a way that brings tears to our eyes and it can lull us to a peaceful savasana after yoga.

This morning’s spinning class was an American music themed class in honor of the upcoming holiday. The instructor (same as Monday’s class) picked songs pertaining to America or that were American classics. As soon as she started with Something Corporate’s ‘I Woke Up in A Car,’ I knew it was going to be a good class. While she didn’t play The Boss (bummer!), she included some great jams like:

But there was one song this morning that caught me off guard in a great way: Van Halen’s ‘Jump‘. Watch the video at your own discretion – it’s total 80s!
 
I’ve always loved this song and in a silly way, it has personal meaning to me. I love to rock out to it when I hear it on the radio, in a bar, on my iPod. Today, the instructor paired this song with what is, to me, the most exhausting part of her spin class: a series of stand-ups, bring-it-outs, and sit-downs. Essentially, we start with resistance sitting for 30 seconds, then stand straight up like running for 30 seconds, then lean forward onto the handle bars for 30 seconds. Over and over and over, increasing resistance periodically. We usually do this for a number of minutes. It. Is. TOUGH!
 
But with Jump blasting on the speakers, I powered through that series. It was still tough and I was panting like a dog afterward but during the series, it was almost like my mind went on power auto-pilot. I zoned out and pushed hard – not even realizing it until it was over! I couldn’t believe how fast that part of class felt.
 
I hadn’t ever thought of using ‘Jump’ on an exercise playlist until today but now, when I’m cleared to run again, you better believe that this is going to be one of my motivator songs – when a run gets hard and I’m feeling tired, ‘just go ahead Jump’. When I want to start walking and give up, ‘might as well Jump’.
 
We all have songs that do this for us – kick us back into high gear and help us push ourselves to the next level. What’s yours?
 
This is my favorite motivating song: Switchfoot – ‘Awakening’

Osteochondritis Dissecans: My Treatment Options

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In my latest endeavour with addressing my Osteochondritis Dissecans, I’ve had to consider a wide spectrum of treatment options. After reviewing my MRIs with my doctor, we discussed some of the options available:

  1. Stop doing the activities that aggravated my knees. Unfortunately for me, the activities that aggravate it are the activities I love: running, indoor volleyball, hiking, snowboarding, fitness classes, etc. By the time we’d gotten to the options discussion, I’d already sidelined myself from most activities that impacted my knees and was very frustrated with the limitations it presented.
  2. Wear an ‘Unloader’ brace while doing above activities. This presented mostly a temporary solution, if it ended up being a solution at all. The Unloader brace is designed to redistribute the weight on the knee. You may have seen people wearing this:   For me, I want to ‘fix’ the OCD as best I can with a more permanent solution so that I can return to my active lifestyle without a big brace. Also, it is cost prohibitive for me. (retails around $500+!)
  3. Surgery. Within the surgical option, I learned that there were a multitude of choices here and am learning more as this experience goes on. Some of these include: arthroscope ’clean up’, microfracture, autogenous cartilage implantation procedure (ACI), and a whole slew of experimental/clinical trial procedures.

For my situation and lifestyle, I’ve decided to proceed with the surgery option. While there is no ‘cure’ for OCD at this point, surgery will most exactly ‘fix’ the problem areas in my cartilage - better than the brace can do. Now, which surgery is another discussion and post in itself. However, assuming that I am diligent and thorough in my recovery, the surgical options I’m considering will both get my knees back into sports condition.

I know it’s going to be a long road to recovery in the coming months but I know I’m making the best choice for me now and my future.

Exercise Class vs. Solo?

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Today, my arms are J-E-L-L-O and they are certainly letting me know they’re alive.

Last night I did a free level 1 yoga class at Corepower Yoga. Even though it was ‘Level 1′, I got a great stretch and sweat. The room was warm from the class before and since I know the flow, I was able to focus more on technique. I paid particular attention to my chaturanga and my triceps are feeling it today.

This morning, my alarm went off at 530a, just as the sun was rising, so I could make it to the 6a spin class at my gym.

And yes, I was still in my skivvies when I took that picture on my balcony. I have to admit, when my rooster alarm annoyingly started crowing so early this morning, I was tempted to snooze it for another 20 minutes. But I knew if I wanted to make it to this spin class, I had to leave early to make sure I got a bike. So I hopped out of bed, snapped a sunrise picture, changed and was out the door.

I’m so glad I pulled myself out of bed and into class. It was just the kick in the pants I needed to start this work week off right. I’ve taken this instructor before and LOVE her – she’s young, energetic and puts together a great workout. And anyone who plays Enrique, Brittney and Coldplay in a class, before ending with Taylor Swift, is a-okay in my book.

During one of the loooong uphill climbs, I got to thinking about exercising in a class vs. exercising solo. While I am a fan of both, recently I’ve found myself wanting to take more classes. I think it’s partly the social aspect of being with other people and friends but I think a lot of it is that I push myself a lot harder in a class. Be it my competitive nature or the high energy music, I always kick it up a notch when I’m in an exercise class.

Case in point – this weekend, I tried to do  YogaTV 30 minute session after biking but quit halfway through. Frankly, I got bored. There was no music, there was no instructor walking around to offer suggestions, there were no classmates to feed off of and the flow was slow.

Classes keep me accountable – to stretch longer, peddle faster, turn the resistance up a smidge more than I would on my own. I knew this morning that if I didn’t get up and make that spinning class, I would be left to ‘ellipicize’ and would hardly work as hard.

The same goes for groups – when I have the green light to run again, I look forward to running buddies and new running groups. Another way to socialize, push myself and keep accountable. Every now and then, it’s nice to have a solo run but in general, I’d much rather have a friend or two with me.

What about you? Do you like exercising solo or in a class/group setting?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, these tired arms need to take a typing break before the long work day!

A Ride on the Cherry Creek Bike Trail

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I woke up very sore this morning with very tight muscles. After 40 minutes on the elliptical + lunges with weights at Bally’s at 6 a.m. yesterday, an hour of walking to and from the car repair shop, and a really fun softball game, I needed a bike ride and yoga to shake my legs out.

My apartment is right on the Cherry Creek bike path. When I could run, I used to like to do many of my runs on the trail. Denver has a great bike trail network that connects most parts of the Denver Metro area and beyond. I’ve not ridden my bike on the trail too much because I have a heavy cruiser bike which is not conducive to riding long distances.


To get my blood flowing, I set out on a 10 mile bike ride. I rode 4 miles south on the trail first, entering from Cherry St/Cherry Creek Drive S. This part of the trail is more ‘business’; it’s mostly trail and trees.

 

The trail follows a creek at certain points.

I turned around at 4 miles (per my Garmin watch), passed me apartment exit and continued on for another couple of miles. North of my apartment on the trail is the more ‘fun.’ Since it’s close to the Cherry Creek Mall, there were many families biking, people walking, couples picnicking.

Near the mall -

I also found the Cherry Creek BCycle station!

The Denver BCycle is a bike sharing program throughout the city. For a very reasonable price, you can check out a bike at one station, ride it around and drop it off at the same or another station. There are 50 stations and more than 500 bikes throughout Denver in the BCycle program.

Around mile 7, my legs started to get really tired. I pushed through and was proud of myself for sticking with the last few miles. It felt really good to work out some of soreness in my legs. I rounded out my morning with some Exercise TV yoga for one final stretch. Unfortunately, Yoga Refresh was too slow for me and I turned it off halfway through and finished with a couple of my own flows. Much better. :)

I’m also pleased that my knees aren’t hurting today. It must have been the ice last night but I didn’t hurt at all on my ride and haven’t yet this afternoon.

On the way home from my ride, I decided I earned a treat and stopped at the Whole Foods up the street from my apartment.

Delish. And yes, I drank it out of my wine glass because I’m just that classy.

Softball is NOT My Forte

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About a month ago, one of the guys at my volleyball league asked if I wanted to play on their softball team. In a temporary lapse of judgement, I said YES! – forgetting I can’t run – and offered one disclaimer: I haven’t played softball since the age of 11. Desperate for girl players, they took me.

A couple of weeks ago was my dismal debut. I showed up late because the directions to the field I had were wrong, borrowed a glove and wore tennis shoes. I felt really out of place – the rest of the team wear cleats, each has a baseball bag and the team tracks errors and batting averages.

This week, I was determined to do better. I still wore my tennis shoes and running shorts, still borrowed a glove but this time, I was not going to let that get me down.

I had a lot of fun at the game tonight! I hit the ball each time I was up to bat, made it on base maybe a 1/3 of the time and even made it to third base once! I played catcher (this was a riot… I didn’t catch one ball… mostly just chased them behind me) and then in left field. I ALMOST caught a fly ball but my borrowed glove was a bit small for the large softball and the ball popped out. Dangit!

Tonight had a lot of running – bases, in and out between innings, trying to field balls in the outfield. It felt SO GOOD (!!!) to play a competitive sport without thinking about my knees. I played hard and loved the excitement and adrenalin. I temporarily forgot about my knees and felt like my ‘old’ self during the game.

Unfortunately, my knees started feeling sore almost immediately after I slowed down after the game. I’m icing them now and hopefully they won’t be too sore or swollen tomorrow. I’m afraid I overdid it tonight and will have to take it easy tomorrow but it felt soo good. And I’m not one to argue with a mandatory pool Saturday.

In an attempt to sweeten my team’s deal for ‘signing’ me and my lack of skill for the session, I brought some yummy chocolate chip cookies. Big hit. (did you ‘catch’ that pun right there?) :)

Ice, rest and rehydration are all that’s left for my crazy Friday night. After busy evenings this past week, a night at home relaxing is just what this girl ordered.

Film On The Rocks: VIP Style

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One place I don’t think I will ever get tired of visiting is Red Rocks Amphitheater. From concerts, to workouts, to races, I’ve done ‘em all. As much as I love live music and exercise, my new favorite thing to do at Red Rocks is watch a movie.

Red Rocks and the Denver Film Society have partnered to present Film on the Rocks. The schedule consists of 11-12 movies each summer once a week. A taste of this year’s choices include: Pineapple Express, Twilight, Top Gun and Edward Scissorhands. There’s a movie for everyone!

A few weeks ago, Sarah and I went with a fun group to watch the opening film, The Big Lebowski. Instantly, I fell in love with Film on the Rocks. Who doesn’t like watching a movie outside, surrounded by beautiful red rocks and thousands of your closest friends?  So when @YelpDenver posted a contest on twitter for tickets to this week’s film, A Fish Called Wanda, I immediately entered. Much to my surpise and delight, I won!

I grabbed my newest newlywed friend, Morgan, and we battled minor traffic out to Morrison. Rather than just winning tickets to the movie, YelpDenver gave away VIP/Trading Post Pre-Party tickets! Neither of us had been to the pre-party before but the promise of food, drinks and close parking was more than enough to excite us.

It was held in the Trading Post backyard and there were about 40 or so people mingling. Our belly’s were growling when we got there so we immediatly sought out our dinner options…we could smell the pizza before we saw it.

I’ve heard raving reviews about Basil Doc’s but hadn’t had the opportunity to try it yet and it did not disappoint. While it wasn’t piping hot, the Canadian Bacon pizza really hit the spot. It would not be a lie to say that I made repeat trips to the pizza table. :)

Of course, we needed something to wash the pizza down and the pre-party provided a variety of options. After reviewing our beer options, a cold cup of white wine was our answer. And the wine was by Infinate Monkey Theorem – Morgan’s friend’s fiance is one of ‘the originals’ at the winery. I met said fiance at Morgan’s wedding and heard about the wine so I was excited to finally try it!

It was an Albariño – which I’d never had or heard of but I LOVED it. Not too sweet but deliciously refreshing. I will be looking for this at the liquor store.

And what goes better with pizza and wine than tiny cupcakes? Answer: nothing.

Toasted coconut and orange cream. Yum!

And the view at dinner ain’t half bad either.

As the evening sun started setting, the pre-party cleared out for the amphitheater and we follwed suit. On the way in, we were drawn into a booth that was registering people to be bone marrow donors.

I am a regular blood donor and believe in giving what I have if it can help another person. If the healthy marrow or blood that I have can save someone else’s life, sign me up. And so they did. It was a simple process – we just swabbed our mouths for a few seconds and it gets sent off for testing. Morgan signed up too!

We’ll stay on the registry until we’re 65 and if we ever match another person in need, they’ll call us up and ask us to help. Some people are on the registry for years before they’re matched, some never get matched. One of the guys at the table just found out that day that he was a match for a little tiny infant. What an incredible gift to give that baby and it’s family.

After we found our VIP seats, we watched a couple of comedians and cartoons before it was movie time!

Seth Myers with Weekend Update.

The movie was very funny – lots of laughs and cheers from the audience. The movie isn’t quite how I remembered and I appreciate it a lot more being 13 years more mature. Watching a movie at Red Rocks is similar to watching at a drive in but with more comradarie and comfort.

And great scenery.

If you’re considering a Film on the Rocks experience, I highly recommend the VIP ticket. For just a few extra dollars over the standard ticket, you get the Trading Post Pre-Party with food, drinks and close parking in addition to your ticket with VIP seating. Especially on crowded nights (as most movie nights are), it’s really cool to have a blocked off seating area in the middle of the amphitheater.

 Unfortunately, one glass too many of last night’s white wine has made for a dehydrated and hungry girl today. Today I’m drink-drink-drinking water like nobody’s business.

Overwhelmed

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It’s been a while since I’ve blogged specifically about what’s going on with my Osteochondritis Dissecans. Frankly, I’ve been really overwhelmed with all of it recently.

Between trying to nail down surgery specifics – still don’t know which procedure I’ll be able to have – to researching what my health insurance will cover, to working out a time for surgery that will allow either Alex or a family member to come and be with me, to rehab, etc, etc. It’s a lot to think about and figure out!

What I find most overwhelming about this is that I’m in Denver alone trying to navigate all of this. While I am constantly bouncing ideas and questions off my mom, dad, Alex, friends, it’s not the same as if my parents or Alex were out here. I’ve found that each person has their own opinions, their own suggestions of what I should research, how I should proceed. And while it’s ultimately my decision, I value the opinions of those who may have faced a similar situation (surgery, job, living solo, etc).

Historically, my parents have always been at my knee doctor appointments. They made the decisions, they knew best. I was part of the decision but ultimately, I did what they recommended, what the doctor recommended. This time, I’ve had to navigate everything alone. No one to be my second set of ears at the doctor or hold my hand in the waiting room; no one to help me review my treatment options; no one to be here for the full 6-8 weeks of recovery per knee. This is not to say that my parents are not involved or supportive- they are! It’s just a completely different involvement from 1200 miles away.

I am a fairly independent young woman. In the past 2 years living in Denver, I’ve challenged myself and learned so much about myself that I know I can handle this frustrating obstacle in front of me.

I know that I will be stronger physically and emotionally after I’ve conquered this chapter of OCD. And i know I’m not alone in this. But some days, it’s hard to not feel defeated, to not feel overwhelmed.

But –  it’s nothing a little Michael Franti can’t cure.

Seriously.

Izakaya Den Girl's Night

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Girls night #2 this week! Earlier this week, I went with 2 girlfriends to Canvas and Cocktails for a fundraiser. Tonight, sushi.

My friends Mary and Cheri and I met at Izakaya Den off Pearl Street in the Wash Park side of town. Wash Park not only has a fantastic park but it’s also full of great pockets of neighborhoods, like this one. Tucked back a few blocks from the ‘main’ road, is a 2 block retail area with shops, restaurants, auto repair shops, etc. It fits seamlessly into its surroundings.

Mary, Cheri and I have been trying to arrange a sushi night ever since we made sushi plates a couple months back. After we finally found a time to meet, we decided on Izakaya Den for its central location and great reputation.

From the beginning, we were impressed with Izakaya Den – beautiful, classy decor that still had a relaxed feel. We sat on the patio to enjoy the mild Denver evening.

We started with a smooth Malbec, edamame and an interesting spicy tuna cake.

Then came the sushi. Cheri is quite the sushi connoisseur and Mary and I deferred to her judgement and Cheri did not disappoint! The spread was amazing!

The eel and fatty tuna were crowd favorites. In fact, we loved the eel so much that we ordered a few more varieties of the eel.

Spicy poki tuna on the left, eel with avocado on the right.

More eel, avocado and cucumber

Shrimp Tempura

The sushi was de-lish-ous. Isakay Den provided impeccable service and incredible, fresh food. We ate, drank and laughed for almost 4 hours tonight! It hardly felt that long – it never does with good friends.

Since moving to Denver just over 2 years ago, I’ve been so fortunate to meet and become friends with some great girlfriends. When I first moved here, I was a tiny bit apprehensive of how I would meet people now that I wasn’t in large college lectures or living on the same street as many of my friends. I couldn’t have picked a better city to move to – the people in Denver are open, friendly and active – all things I want in a friend. Since most people in Denver moved from somewhere else, we all know and remember what it was like to be ‘the new guy’ in town and Denverites, generally, are inviting and inclusive.  /end sappy Denver love note. <3

Have you tried mixing soy sauce and wasabi? If you’re a fan of spicy like me (LOVE SPICY!), you will appreciate this ‘trick’ Cheri taught me last time we met for sushi. Before, I’d pick a bit of wasabi off of the mound, smush it onto my sushi piece and enjoy. What I’m about to show you will change your sushi life.

First, take a good sized chunk of wasabi and add to your soy sauce dish.

Then, add soy sauce to your taste!

Dip your sushi and enjoy. Salty, spicy and the perfect addition to many sushi pieces. The best part about this is you can add as much or little wasabi or soy sauce as you like! I prefer mine to be a bit more liquidy whereas Cheri prefers her’s to be more of a sludge.

And now it’s 1145p and I’ve missed my ‘goal’ bed time by almost 2 hours! But the dinner and company was certainly worth it.

Work Travel: Steamboat Site Visit

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In my current job role, I have the opportunity to travel to many different and new places. Most recently, I visited Portland for a work conference.

I was on the road again today for a day trip in and out of Steamboat Springs. I’m on a conference planning committee for an organization that provides educational seminars and resources to our industry and this year’s conference is moving from Vail to Steamboat.

This morning, 3 other conference members and I met bright and early at 6:45 a.m. and caravaned up to Steamboat in a speedy 3 hours.

Time flies when this is the window view:

And there is still snow in Steamboat! The hotel staff told us the snow is less than 50% melted in their area and it may still be snowy in August for our conference.

This site visit was to walk through the conference rooms we’ll be using, guest rooms people will be staying in, and, most importantly, to taste the entree dishes for our main dinner event.

We walked through the newly renovated hotel and were very impressed with the decor, decorations and accommodations. And this property has 4 outdoor ‘spa tubs’. You know where you can find me in August.

After a thorough review of our spaces, it was time to taste test! I’ll admit, as much as I was interested in looking at the hotel, this part was the selling point. We tried 3 salads, 5 entrees and 3 desserts and decided on an excellent dinner for the attendees. I hope the group likes everything as much as we did! All meals that we’ll be providing are sustainable and most are locally sourced. This hotel is committed to sustainability. Win!

Another quick drive back – put 3 girls in a car and our gift of gab passes time amazingly – I’m home and off to my weekly volleyball game. I’m glad to get my blood moving tonight but man, I’m pooped! It’s funny how all that car sitting is draining. And maybe that 5:30 a.m. wakeup call had something to do with it.

Canvas & Cocktails Painting Fundraiser Night

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Canvas and Cocktails is, hands down, one of my favorite places in Denver. Canvas and Cocktails is an innovative establishment that makes art fun! Each night, they feature a painting that a high energy instructor leads the group through. This isn’t stuffy, technical teaching; it’s more like guiding. The instructor shows how to make the strokes what colors to mix and generally how to recreated the featured painting but it’s less about coming out with a perfect painting and more about letting go, relaxing and enjoying creating your art.

Oh, and did I mention the fun, sing-a-long pop songs that they play while you paint? And that you’re encouraged to sing and dance while you paint? Oh yeah. It rocks.

In the course of the year that I’ve known about Canvas and Cocktails, I’ve painted a LOT of paintings.. A few are hanging in my apartment (3), many have been gifted, some are still waiting to find a place to live in my apartment. Like these guys:

Tonight was a fundraiser for my friend Mary’s sister’s group called Ben’s Bells. A portion of the registration fee went to Ben’s Bells tonight. It made me feel good that my money was going to a good cause tonight.

Around the corner from Canvas and Cocktails is a frozen yogurt place that has become tradition for the painters to stop at before the class. Yogurt Guru is a self-serve froyo place with a wide variety of flavors. I was excited to see Red Velvet as a yogurt flavor and loaded up on Red Velvet and Chocolate and, of course the toppings. (yogurt pretzel, bananas, mochi, raspberry truffles)

Yum!!

After a yogurt dinner, it was time to get ready to paint.

Mary is the ‘Gleek’ in the middle – she, Katie (on the right) and I all play volleyball together.

As I mentioned, tonight’s painting benefited ‘Ben’s Bells’ organization. This organization started after a family in Arizona lost a child. The family had a hard time with the fact that they looked so normal on the outside but were hurting so terribly on the inside. Strangers didn’t know the tragedy they experienced, the sadness they knew and yet, outwardly, everything looked ‘normal.’ During this sad point in their lives, the small acts of kindness carried them through.

So the family started ‘Ben’s Bells’. The organization (volunteers) constructs beautiful hanging bell decorations and then distribute throughout the local area with a little note asking the person who finds the bell to either re-hang the bell at home or pass it on. It’s a small act of kindness that brings a smile to those who both give and receive the bell. The principle reminds me of Operation Beautiful in that it’s a random act of kindness that touches people and brightens their day.

Mary’s sister is heading up the Denver expansion of Ben’s Bells (you can find her blog about Ben’s Bells here).

It was a packed house tonight and I’m happy that so many people came out to support this organization. Our table had a great time singing, painting and laughing. I will refrain from posting our final painting pictures because I plan on gifting this painting to some soon-to-be parents who may occasionally read the blog. So no final pictures tonight.

The best part about Canvas and Cocktails is that, as Mary says, no matter how you feel about your painting when you leave, it always looks a thousand times better the next day, away from all of the other paintings. So true. I’m liking my painting a lot more already! Maybe it actually won’t be gifted….

I’m up an hour past my ‘goal’ bed time and am really tired! Time to hit the hay – I’ve got a fun work day tomorrow involving a road trip to Steamboat Springs!

Cheers!