Compress Don’t Regress: Tish’s Take on the FBG Retreat
Compression socks became kind of my theme for the FBG retreat, so my overall thoughts on the week center around all things recovery — both physical and mental. There’s just nothing like the joy of healing I tell ya!
A little back story: The night before I left for Kansas City, Kathy from Marvy came over and gave me oodles of fun compression socks to give to the girls. I was super duper grateful because I’ve loved rocking them post workouts and knew they’d be perfect for the trip being that all the girls would be flying and we’d be doing some killer workouts that would require recovery time. Enter the magic socks!
We wore them after after every physical activity that we did. I giggled the day after our last workout because all the gals were going on and on about how they weren’t sore. The little compression sock lover in me was pleased and wanted to high-five Kathy for her work. We did this fantastically sweaty Spin class that beat our legs into submission (no soreness). We all participated in the PowHer event (no soreness!). The little sock that could, did.
And at least for me, I’ll continue to rock those puppies because they were a godsend on the plane. I’m one of those gals whose toes can never warm up. I always have cold feet and poor circulation, so plane trips are always a bit uncomfortable. I’m gangly tall with legs for days, but always have to sit in the window seat, which means my feet have nowhere to stretch and move. I’m constantly having to wake them up, stomping my feet awkwardly as folks look at me crazy. This was my first trip sans foot stomping! Kathy’s hand should feel lots of phantom high-five slaps actually.
I love that I’m pain-free. Pardon the sappy moment, but I appreciated knowing I’d have something to come home to and help take the pain away. Because I knew I had recovery goodies waiting, I gave it my all in workouts. I’m infamous for half-arsing something the first time I do it if I know it’ll leave my body in pain-ridden rigor-mortis mode. This time I gave it my all; I had no post-workout pain to worry me silly. Whenever that happens the clouds part, Queen songs can be heard drifting through the winds and little fit bottomed fairies get their wings. Basically, nirvana is reached, which I totally took with me to the PowHer event on Saturday.
I tried climbing the ropes and actually made it half way up! I would have gone the whole way, but I made the cardinal mistake of looking down. I’m terribly afraid of heights, so when I saw the tops of women’s heads, the room started spinning, I spazzed, dropped the rope and plopped/fell to the ground. Trust me when I say everyone who was watching was laughing at the spectacle I made, but I didn’t even mind because I had climbed the rope! I tackled that menacing-looking thing with joy and fearlessness. (If I hadn’t looked down, I totally would have kept going and rang that bell, yo!) You couldn’t tell me I wasn’t the most awesome of awesome after that climb. There’s nothing better than the moment I get my empowered groove back. I haven’t felt that sense of awesomeness since the marathon, actually. (I just read one of Jenn’s past posts. I’m laughing because she had the same dang feeling and comparison after climbing it.)
Sometimes I slip into the most perfect pockets of peace. I feel like I can do whatever I put my heart into … I feel comfortable and beautiful in my own skin, strong both mentally and physically and when that happens I take a moment to feel and appreciate the magic. All the worries, the stresses and pains flake off and flit away, and life is balanced and good.
Seriously, if you’re craving that feeling but don’t have the time to train for a marathon then find your nearest climbing rope and purchase some compression socks. They both do a spirit good! —Tish