Liminal State: What’s next?

As a young graduate student, I learned about the concept of liminality. In Anthropological theory, liminality is described as a state of transition during rites of passage, such as those associated with the transition from childhood to adulthood. Liminality is a betwixt and between state in which you are no longer who you once were, but you have not yet transitioned into who you may become. The processes we go through to get to and live through a rite of passage changes us: who we are, how we relate to others, the choices we make. Through the performance of rites of passage, we mark our change from one social status into another: child …

I have a secret… I love to taper

That’s right. You read that headline correctly. I. LOVE. TO. TAPER. In fact, I think it’s pretty darn taper-ific. I realize this taper-love makes me something of an endurance-weirdo. I read the tweets, Facebook statuses, and articles that attest to how much people hate to taper, or find the taper as something that must be tolerated, not loved. Sure, I understand the taper-tantrums. The first time I did a “real” taper was before my first marathon. I didn’t like it so much that first time. But, on race day, I was able to run so well, on such fresh legs …

Neurokinetic Therapy, a.k.a. Voodoo Magic

I arrived at Dr. Eric Nelson’s office for my usual appointment. Even though my leg has not shown signs of ITBS for several months, I still go for maintenance every two weeks in order to STAY healthy. When I showed up, Eric was excited. I was too because just a few days prior, I had completed a 75-minute run with mile splits that were as fast as I used to be before ITBS decided to overstay her welcome. I was better–or so I thought. I walked into the examination room, and he said, “Okay, we’re going to do something a …

I don’t know what’s wrong with me

At first, I was hoping I just needed a really good fart. During my class on Tuesday evening, I began to experience an uncomfortableness in my lower left abdomen. When I got home from work that night, I chalked it up to gas pains. By 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, I couldn’t stand the pain any longer. I could not find a single position that didn’t aggravate my belly. So I drove to CVS to buy some Gas-X.  After a few toots, I fell into a fitful and somewhat painful sleep. When I woke up Wednesday morning, I still had the …

Because I say so: A different perspective of injury

I’m a communication studies professor at Rowan University, and one of the key themes of all of the classes I teach is that communication shapes our understanding of reality. The way we talk about “things” is a meaning-making process. Before you start to think I’m a little crazy, let me clarify. I am not saying we are all plugged into the matrix, and nothing is “real”. (Although that could be true – how would we know ;)?) Objects, events, and people do exist. For example, when I crash on my bike, it will hurt, no matter how I choose to …

The ART of healing

Two weeks ago, I got off my bike after a five and one-half hour bike ride and started my brick run. It was supposed to be a 45 minute jaunt, nothing fast and furious, just your basic brick run. A mere twenty minutes into the run, my right leg became so irritable I had to stop and walk. It was time for me to accept the fact that this leg was not getting any better–and in fact–was getting worse. Tendonitis, ITBS — whatever the heck the problem was, it was signalling its presence and stopping my run. At that time, …

Getting back to normal

I’ve come to the conclusion that the Boston Marathon bears a similarity to Thanksgiving dinner: lots of preparation and anticipation – and then it’s over in a flash, and life gets back to normal. With less than 13 weeks to go until Ironman Lake Placid, normal can only mean one thing: swimming, eating, biking, eating, and running, followed by eating and sleeping, which is then followed by swimming, eating, biking, eating, and running. But, the formula is not as easy as all that since recovery from a marathon is just as important (more important?) as preparation for a marathon. So, …

Sticking to the plan…or not: When to call in sick from your training plan

Once set, I stick to my training plan. If it says “60 minute bike, zone 2 heart rate” I bike for 60 minutes in my zone 2 heart rate. Not 59 minutes. Not zone 5. 60 minutes. Zone 2. It’s not that I never deviate – it just causes me considerable angst when I have to switch things up for some reason, such as illness, let’s say. On Wednesday morning, when I awoke for the third day in a row with an animal of a cold living inside of my chest, my training plan mocked me. “Brick: 60 minute bike …

Siberian Soaks

“Hoowwwwwllllleeeeee,” I scream as I plunge my legs into the snow and water filled tub. “La, la, la, la, la, la,” singing now, as my not-so-little tushie, hips and lower belly hit the water for my daily 10-15 minute Siberian soak. “Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God…” I repeat almost at the top of my lungs. I know it’s not good to take the name of the Lord in vain, but really, I am praying. The water is as cold as a tub filled with two 5-gallon buckets of freezing snow. Clearly, the real thing is descriptive enough – no …

Making the best of the off-season

 I’ve been involuntarily thrust into off-season due to the aggravation of my bicep femoris (one of my hamstrings) during the Vermont 50 several weeks ago.  My initial reaction to off season? It’s hell on earth. It’s a prison. It’s worse than being dipped in hot tar and feathered. Okay, maybe not the last one.  Suffice to say, I don’t enjoy this part of the annual training plan. But, that type of thinking is not very positive or productive. So, I’m turning this frown upside down, and I’m going to make the best of this early entré of off season.  It is my hope …