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Improving Flexibility in Tendons and Ligaments with Yin Yoga

March 2, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

I used to only focus on muscles and strength, but as I get older I am finding that being strong and improving flexible in tendons and ligaments has become more important to me.

One way I am working on improving my tendons and ligaments with through yoga. I am very much a beginner and am still have so much to learn. Perhaps you’ve been in a yoga practice for a long time. If so, please let me know what works best for you.

I used to really enjoy the constant moving workout type of yoga that burns a lot of calories and works the muscles, but as I have gotten older, I’m finding that flexibility and releasing tension to be more of my goal with my yoga practice.

Only recently I have discovered yin yoga.

Yin yoga is a slow hold yoga that allows the connective tissues, ligaments and tendons to slowly release. It helps with stiffness. As we age, our bodies get stiffer and less supple. I guess that is obvious. If you think of a little baby and how flexible they are, with joints, muscles and even skin, that’s the other extreme.

Yin yoga helps to release tension in the body that comes from bracing and clenching. Dealing with difficult people, situations and problems will cause the body to stiffen and hold tension. It holds tension not just in the muscles, but also in the ligaments, tendons and joints that get very stiff.

I know that the hours of sitting still in front of the computer, working my “day job”, have made my neck, shoulders and parts of my spine become tight. Too often I end up hunched over the computer all day. It’s a bad position for the body! Of course the hip flexor tendon, the ones that connect my front thighs to my abdomen, get shortened and the rear tendons tend to get stretched. (I believe its the part that attaches the psoas and iliacus muscles to the upper thigh and the lower spine and pelvis.)

Whatever you call it, I know I can feel it! It’s especially noticeable when I stand up from sitting too long – either a 2-hour car ride or a 2-hour intense computer session! I feel the stiffness that has tightened in my body. Even when getting out of bed in the morning, I definitely move slower in order to let my whole body wake up.

Doing repetitive motion workouts like cycling and running also effects my body. I want to make sure that my ligaments and tendons don’t get over worked, stretched or too weak from not working out.

Yin yoga has helped. I enjoy holding the poses while I feel the benefits. This type of yoga has improved my posture, flexibility and strength. Although I have not measured myself lately, I feel like I have grown half an inch with a longer spine.

I do it slowly and progressively over the days, weeks, and months. It’s not the type of thing you force your way into, but rather relax your way into it. It’s not about stretching but rather about relaxing… if that makes sense.

Improving Flexibility in Tendons and Ligaments
It takes a while to warm up and get comfortable in these positions. I recommend taking a class with a certified yoga instructor or view a trusted site for a yoga class.

You’ve got to make sure your body is warmed up before going into these poses. I’ve been focusing on one or two classes a week at my gym and supplementing with online videos. The classes at the gym have been gentle Hatha yoga and restorative yoga. Both those classes employ yin yoga moves that I am finding very beneficial to adding to my work outs of cycling and run/walking.

Yin Yoga is not about doing the flowing type of yoga that people often think about. It is more about getting into a position and holding it for tension release. Holding for 45 seconds or two minutes allows other parts of your body to release. It’s difficult to relax enough to get your tendons and ligaments to let go. In some positions, being supported with a block, bolster or foam roller allows me to more easily relax for up to 5 minutes in a pose.

Here are 3 positions I find particularly beneficial to me for improving flexibility with tendons and ligaments.

Butterfly pose where you sit on your yoga mat with the bottoms of the feet touching each other. Right now I’m working on zippering my toes together. It’s difficult for me and I seem to only get a couple toes to cooperate. I’m in the very beginning stage of this! The tendons and ligaments in my toes are very tight.
Cobra pose with your feet, legs and hips on the matte with the arms supporting your front. Keep elbows bent and support the spine. It is difficult to relax my tendons that attach the hips to the abdomen but I can feel lengthening the front. This is a back bend pose. I am still working on sphinx and baby cobra but eventually will work on cobra and eventually upward facing dog where the legs, knees are off the matte and the elbows are straight.
Bridge pose where you lay on your back with your knees bent. Raise your hips. This pose off sets some of my sitting. This seems easy for the first 30 seconds but if I am holding longer, I like to use a prop to allow my body to relax to get the full benefit. It feels like the opposite of the spinx, baby cobra and cobra up dog poses.

Perhaps you know all about yin yoga, but maybe this is the first time you’ve heard of it. If you enjoy yoga, what type do you use? Are you working on flexibility and balance? Which are your favorite yin yoga poses for keeping your tendons and ligaments flexible and strong?

Gym Etiquette

February 28, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

I notice more questions about gym etiquette from people new to gyms than I do about working out. I think many of us are nervous about fitting in to the gym world. Many women over 50 did not grow up using the gym so we’re a bit more shy about it. I know I didn’t do much exercise of any kind until I was in my 40s or 50s.

Here are the most common questions about gym etiquette that I see and my answers. I’ve spent many years going to different gyms but I think there’s some common courtesies that hold true regardless of which gym you’re at. There’s no book of gym etiquette that I know of but I think these rules work.

Gym Etiquette

Sharing Equipment

If people are sitting on a machine or standing in front of it and talking, you can ask them to move. If someone is sitting on a machine and clearly not just resting between sets, certainly you can ask if you can use the machine. They’ll either say, “oh, I’m almost finished” and wrap it up and let you use it or they’ll just say “no problem” and let you have it.

Usually if people are standing by a machine and talking, they’ll simply move aside if you ask to use the equipment.Conversely, if you’re sitting on a machine and someone asks if you’re finished, either wrap it up or let them use it.Sharing equipment at the gym shouldn’t be a stressful thing.

Working In

What is working in? Sometimes you want to use a machine while someone is using it too. Typically people rest between sets so you can ask if you can work in which means use the machine for a set while the other person is resting. You basically end up alternating using the equipment. If a gym is busy, this is more common. If the gym is not busy, I find it’s better just to go use a different piece of equipment and then come back to this when the person finishes with it. There is nothing wrong with someone asking to work in. You can ask and don’t be offended if someone asks you. The best answer is “sure” or “I have one more set and then this is all yours.”

Clean Up

Put away your equipment. If you’re using free weights, it’s frustrating not to have the weight you want because somebody has stockpiled every dumbbell in the joint. Use the dumbbells and then put them back on the rack, even if you’re going to use them again. Obviously, if there are five sets of 12 pound dumbbells, this isn’t such a big issue, but if all of the 20 pound dumbbells are being used, don’t leave a set lying on the ground while you use something else.

If you’re looking for a set of dumbbells and someone has a set lying on the ground, it’s ok to ask to use them. The person may say sure or they may say they’re almost finished but at least you’ve let them know that you need those dumbbells.

Similarly, if you put plates on a bar, put the plates away when you’ve finished. Be considerate of the next person.

If you want to use a bar and someone has left the plates on, you may have to just put the plates away. It’s frustrating but that’s the only way you’re going to use the bar. I’ve seen young guys leave 100-pound plates on a bar which is probably more than I can easily remove. If that happens to you, you may have to ask someone for help. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that. The people who work at the gym will help you if nobody else is around.

Wipe the Equipment

Wipe off the equipment when you finish. If you’re using a machine or a mat or a bench, wipe it off when you are finished. Most gyms have some kind of anti-bacterial spray and towels or paper towels available. Be considerate of others and clean the equipment before leaving it.

Talking to People

It’s ok to talk to people and to ask for help if you need it. If someone is wearing headphones, don’t try to strike up a conversation. It’s still ok to ask if you can work in but it’s not the time to ask someone detailed questions.The flip side of that is not to tell people they’re doing something wrong. We all get irritated when a stranger starts to correct our form. If you need help or advice, consider asking someone who works at the gym.

Spotting

A basic tenet of gym etiquette is that people spot each other. If you need someone to spot you, ask someone for help, but try to choose someone who is not intently focusing on their own workout. I notice that few people ask me to spot because I’m an older woman and I think they assume I’m not going to be a good spotter. That is probably true, especially for the guys lifting heavy weight. Sometimes when I’m doing a chest press with dumb bells, I’ll ask someone to hand me a weight. Once the dumb bell is in my raised hand, I can do the exercise but getting started is sometimes a challenge.

Safety Concern

One additional point. If someone is rude to you or threatening or super critical, let a gym staff person know. They’ll deal with it. Don’t get into an altercation.

Basically, life in a gym is like life anywhere. Treat others in the way you want to be treated. Clean up after yourself, don’t hassle others, and be willing to share.

Using Triathlons to Overcome Adversity: Diana Woolf

February 26, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Fit Strong Women Over 50 Podcast Episode #28

In episode 28 of the Fit Strong Women Over 50 Podcast, Jill and Chris talk with Diana Woolf about how she overcame her PTSD resulting from years in the fire service and how that motivated her to try to help others battling PTSD.

In 2009, Diana Woolf began competing in off-road trail races and triathlons to deal with her own PTSD symptoms and found great healing in the sport. Since then, she has competed in over 50 triathlons, including 7 half-distance and 3 full-distance Ironman triathlons, consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile marathon.

Diana has been a part of the fire service for 20 years serving on volunteer, part-time and career departments. Diana retired from her fire service career in December, 2018. She now works in Environmental Health and Safety at the University of Akron.

Using Triathlons to Overcome Adversity

In order to raise awareness for others in the fire service who are battling PTSD, Diana has completed some of the full-distance Ironman triathlons while wearing full fire-fighting gear for the marathon-length run. She created Rescue 4 PTSD to help raise funds for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and to encourage others in the fire service to discuss their emotions with someone. Diana wants to help remove any stigma of dealing with PTSD and to support resources for others in the fire service.

In this episode, Diana talks with Jill and Chris about how she heals trauma through hard physical effort. She also discusses her training to be able to compete while wearing firefighting gear and how she cross trains. Diana does CrossFit in the off season and practices yoga on a regular basis. She attributes her lack of injury to yoga. Diana also tells us how she eats and how she fuels herself during a race.

Diana’s journey is an inspirational one. It’s amazing to hear what she has done to challenge herself.

Links:

Contact Diana Woolf: Rescue 4 PTSD

Rescue 4 PTSD Website

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Diana’s Ironman Boulder Video

You might want to check out an earlier episode of this podcast for a discussion with another triathlete, Loretta Harland. Episode 18 of Strong Fit Women Over 50, Interview with Loretta Harland

Fried Riced Cauliflower – Veggie of the Week

February 25, 2019 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

I prepared my cauliflower in a way I never tried before. I know I tried riced cauliflower last week, but I it was from a package rice and I tried it with a warm riced cauliflower salad. Pretty good!

However this week is special because I riced it myself to make “fried rice” which is actually “fried riced cauliflower.” All I can say is WOW, this is a WINNER!

Start with a beautiful head of cauliflower. It’s still messy to rice cauliflower using a grater, but that’s okay, it’s easy enough to clean up and worth it for the delicious taste.

I even grate the core of the cauliflower to use the whole thing. Usually I throw that part away, but since it is riced so small, it doesn’t need to be discarded.

Chop up other veggies into a small size too. Use what is in your refrigerator, but make the cauliflower the star. By that I mean, don’t use a whole stalk of celery or a whole onion.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
Onions
Green pepper
Red pepper
Celery
Carrots
Riced Cauliflower
Salt & Pepper
Soy Sauce (if desired)

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions. After they get a little translucent, add the other veggies. Toss or flip with spatula. Add the rice, cover for a minute and flip again.

Wisk one egg to scramble it. Drizzle over the mixture. Stir, turn and blend into the veggie mixture while it cooks. The cauliflower cooks pretty quickly since it is riced so small.

Add soy sauce if you need to, but I like it plain.

Serve with stir fry chicken or inside out egg rolls.

Seaweed Salad — New Vegetable Challenge

February 25, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I found this seaweed salad on the salad bar at Whole Foods so of course I bought some, simply because I thought, “now this is a great choice for the new vegetable challenge we’re doing at Becoming Elli!” How was it? Pretty good, actually.

According to the sign on the salad bar, this seaweed salad is made with kombu seaweed, sesame seeds, sunflower oil, scallions,ginger, natural flavor (what does this mean anyway?), and sea salt.

Thanks to my Google search, I learned that kombu seaweed is a type of edible kelp. Kombu is a good source of glutamic acid, iodine, potasium, calcium, dietary fiber, and many obscure enzymes. You don’t want to eat too much of kombu because too much iodine can be harmful to you.

Because I bought this already prepared, I have no idea if it’s hard to make your own salad.

I will certainly buy this again next time I’m eating at Whole Foods. It was very tasty. I don’t know if I’ll buy it unprepared and make my own salad but perhaps if I’m feeling even more adventurous, I will.

3 Tips for Motivation using Little Rewards

February 23, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Keeping focused on healthy eating, working out and being fit is very important to me. It’s both a long term and a short term goal. I know that staying focused and motivated will lead to bigger successes and reaching my goals.

Some days however, I’m just not feeling it, so I have some mental tricks I use. One of the tricks is something I call “Little Rewards” that use tools to finish something to get on to the next thing. It’s like playing a little game with myself.

Maybe everyone does this and it is nothing new or earth shaking. But if not, I thought I’d share what goes in my head when I’m trying to motivate myself. These Little Rewards flip some switch in my brain.

1) Baby Steps: I find it easier to tackle something I don’t want to do by breaking it down into steps. Then after each one of the steps, providing myself a little reward.

Rewards need to match the step. If it’s a big project with lots of steps I don’t particularly enjoy (let’s say doing taxes), I give myself a little reward for each little step. Gathering papers. Printing out reports. Finding a file. Gathering the forms. Making an appointment. I guess it all depends on the task you are doing.

Here are some of the little rewards I might use are: have a cup of coffee after I complete the step, or put on lavender hand cream. or take a 20 minute walk and listen to a podcast, or call a friend to chat. Sometimes the reward is taking a selfie photo of myself after a run or bike ride. Sometimes listening to a favorite song does the trick.

2) Timer: I will set the timer at the kitchen stove or on my phone so that I can reward myself after I complete 20 minutes of something I have been putting off. It’s funny how much I can actually accomplish if take 20 minutes and just focus on that one thing. Procrastination often blows the project into a big thing in my mind, I find that if I set a timer and promise myself that I can stop when the timer goes off, I will get it done!

For the timer to work for me, I have to concentrate on the thing I don’t want to do. Maybe it is cutting up all the vegetables for food prep for the day. It’s not that I don’t like cutting vegetables… I do! But I also tend to procrastinate because I don’t need them right now. Then when I do need them, I’m in a rush and wish I had them ready. Setting a timer helps! Twenty minutes of vegetable chopping goes pretty quickly. I put them into containers in the bottom of the fridge and it’s amazing how much more often vegetables get added to something I’m cooking. Or I find I turn to them when I’m looking for a snack.

3) Gold Star: Although I don’t have the little stickers, I make a star on the pocket calendar that I use to track my various workouts. Two stars is an especially good workout. It’s funny that at my age, the stars still have a little power over me and acts as an incentive.

It must be a hold over from childhood and getting a star on a school paper, because now just a little hand drawn star, somehow feels like a great little reward. (I also remember getting pins with little gold star in Girl Scouts to represent each year of scouting – but I think those were considered awards, not rewards!

Either way, a gold sticker or a hand drawn star — it provides an Atta Girl and there is some switch in my brain that gives me the little oomph that I need to get something done.

Having the timer go off or coveting a little star may seem silly or pointless, but I’m still motivated by it. Looking back at old photos of biking or running activities is definitely motivational for me. Big rewards like a medal after a race are certainly motivating, but it’s the tiny things each day that helps me to make up a daily healthy and fit life.

What tools do you use to get yourself going? Please share below or send me an email at Chris@becomingelli.com. Or leave a voicemail at 330-970-6662.

Coming Back from an Injury

February 21, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Oh, glory! You’re finally ready and you’re coming back from an injury. What a great feeling.

Being down with an injury is tough. It’s hard on you physically and mentally. You’re usually focused on your workouts and training and then wham! Something happens and you’re down. You lose all the benefits of working out, including all those endorphins and other feel good hormones. It’s easy to feel down and defeated.

Then comes the moment when you realize you feel better or your doctor says you can begin to resume your routine. Great news! However, before you get too carried away, here are a few tips for coming back from an injury successfully.

Coming Back from an Injury

First, listen to your body! When you first start working out again, you’re going to feel muscle fatigue. That’s normal. Personally, I like feeling that muscle fatigue. It means I’m getting results. However, if you’re feeling pain, whether while working out or later, reevaluate what you’re doing. Maybe you’re pushing it too fast. Consider scaling back on what you’re doing. If you’re running, slow down or do a run/walk routine.
Listen to professional advice. If you’ve been seeing a doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist, now is not the time to decide you know better. Instead, be sure to follow their advice.
Continue to do the therapy exercises or preventative exercises that you’ve been doing during your recovery. This is not the time to stop that stretching or targeted exercises. Some of those exercises are things you may want to continue doing for a long time. For example, Chris has written about the work she continues to do to avoid problems with her Achilles tendon.
Next, be patient. You’ve been out of commission for a while and you can’t expect to start where you left off. Don’t frustrate yourself by comparing yourself now to where you were then. Instead, where you were then can be the goal of what you’re working for. In the meantime, start slow and celebrate what you’re able to do now.
Finally, consider that if you’re starting over with your training, now is the time to try to correct any form issues that you might have. If you’re running, consider working on your gait as you work to recover speed or endurance. Similarly, if you’re working in the gym, focus on your form as you deadlift or squat. I know that when I squat, my knees tend to move inwards. Since I’m just coming back to doing a squat, I can now really focus on getting my knees going where I want.

Congratulations on being ready to resume your physical activities! Truly, this is an exciting time. Just be patient and careful and listen to your body. Take it slow and work hard to avoid having a relapse.

Riced Cauliflower – Weekly Veggie Challenge

February 19, 2019 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

Riced cauliflower has the advantage of looking like a grain and taking on the flavors of spices and other ingredients. It’s a lovely way to “veggie up” a meal without realizing that you added a whole lot of fiber and nutrients without adding tons of calorie dense pasta or rice.

The downside of riced cauliflower is the mess. When I used my grater to rice the cauliflower, it was all over the place. I’m going to try again with a different, more careful plan and will post photos then. A head of cauliflower here in Ohio in the winter is around $2.50 or $3.00 depending on the size and the store.

Easy Short Cut: Meanwhile, you can take the easy way out, by buying frozen riced cauliflower. Seasons Choice brand from Aldi, for around $2 for twelve ounces. This version had some garlic and parsley added to it, but they offer a plain version too. The parsley adds a nice color balance, because when served plain, it’s kinda drab.

Here I added some riced cauliflower to a warm veggie salad. (chopped onions, peppers, celery with about 6 olives thrown in for flavor) and it tasted great! Next time I may add some tomatoes or other color for more visual appeal.

I will definitely add riced cauliflower to my on-going veggie list.

Building Endurance by Working Out in the Fat Burning Zone

February 16, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been experimenting with lower heart rate training than I usually do in my workouts. Some people call it the “Fat Burn Zone”, although I’m still not convinced that it is burning “my” fat. I do know, however that it is easy to keep going with exercise. I am not watching the clock. Exercising in this zone, I don’t feel tired or worn out in the least.

The idea is to work out at the level of exertion where your heart rate stays at the aerobic level called the fat burning level. If you exercise just a little harder, you begin to breathe harder, your heart pumps harder and you’ll enter the cardio level. Really push it and you’ll go into the peak level.

Cardio Vs Fat Burn

The vast majority of my running and group exercise workouts over the years have been at cardio/peak levels, which burn a greater percentage of carbs/sugar and less of a percentage of fat. These type of workouts also burn a ton of calories – both carbs/sugar and fat -there is no doubt about that.

While doing workout in the fat burning level feels like I’m not doing enough to be considered working out, I find that I can keep going a very long time and not get at all tired.

The idea of building a strong base by focusing on endurance and working out at the fat burning level is supposed to increase your ability to do more work while still keeping your heart rate at the lower level. Over time, the heart gets stronger and you can do more with your rate in the low level and your speed increases.

If you’re interested in learning more about this type of endurance training, you may want to listen to some of Dr. Phil Maffetone’s work. He has a lot of information about it – videos, podcasts and articles. Besides improving endurance and performance, it has other benefits. More time in the fat burning zone aids recovery from high impact exercise, helps reduce stress and provides protection from metabolic syndrome. I really like this method of exercising because I’m looking for increased endurance.

While doing my indoor cycling classes, I’ve been using my FitBit watch to monitor my heart rate. During most of the classes I find I easily enter into the cardio mode when the fast music comes on. I have to focus and slow down to stay in the fat burn mode. It’s hard to keep it steady, but I’m getting better.

The MAF (Maximum Aerobic Function) formula is 180 minus age. Because I’m 61, my goal heart rate number is to workout at around 120 beats per minute. (Dr. Maffetone has you add and subtract numbers based on exercise history and health as well.)

I have found that it is very hard to hold a steady heart number when you’re working out! Good music especially makes me want to go faster and harder, plus going harder is habit. It is what I’ve been doing for years!

Staying in The Fat Burning Zone

Here are some of the ways of thinking that have helped me to stay in the Fat Burn Zone:

Focus on my breathing
Try to keep two counts in and five counts out
When I have to open my mouth to breathe out, slow down
If the music speeds up, keep focus on the breathing
When walking up a hill, slow down
If indoor biking, take off some resistance
Last week I put my phone on the bike so I could monitor the phone instead of my watch and I was able to hold it more steady.

It is not about “no pain, no gain.” On the other hand, it’s not too often that I find my heart rate has dipped too low and I have to speed up, but sometimes that happens when I daydream.

Although it’s only been six weeks, I’ve also found that I am enjoying doing more exercise than I used to at a time. In fact, I am liking two hours rather than 45 minutes or an hour. I feel stronger and am noticing that I can go harder with less effort. I’m interested to see when I get back to biking outside if this experiment has made a difference.

Have you experimented with heart rate training? What has been your experience? Which heart rate monitor do you use? Do you feel like this is all just too analytical for getting exercise? Let me know your thoughts.

Fitness on Valentine’s Day: Some Ideas on How to Celebrate

February 14, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

Valentine’s Day is a weird holiday, I think, so I might as well think about fitness on Valentine’s Day.

I associate this holiday with those school parties that required me to help create a decorated shoe box and to buy cards for kids to distribute in class. Now that I think about it, isn’t this a strange holiday to be celebrating in school?

If you have a sweetie, then you can celebrate in the way you want. If you don’t, you can celebrate with friends or decide to just ignore it. So, basically, Valentine’s Day is not my favorite holiday. And I really hope that nobody gives me candy because you know I’ll eat it.

Whether or not you’re celebrating, you can keep the holiday in mind when you work out today.

Fitness on Valentine’s Day

Maybe you can do some cardio today to strengthen your heart.

Pamper Yourself

If you have a sweetie, perhaps you should schedule a couple’s massage. If you are on your own, perhaps you should schedule massage just for you.

Similarly, if a massage is not for you, pamper yourself in a different way. Perhaps today is the day for that mani/pedi you’ve been intending to get or maybe try a facial. Do something that’s just for enjoyment.

This might be a good day for a yoga class. Yoga is so good for focusing the mind and relaxing that holidays always seem like the perfect time for a class.

Find a friend or your significant other and do one of their favorite activities. Maybe that’s a dance class or wall climbing. Whatever it might be, what a great gift to give someone. Your participation in their activity. No grumbling about it either.

Get Outside!

Run a race! I noticed that many places have 5K (or longer!) races to celebrate the holiday. Running or walking a 5K can be a lot of fun so if you have a race near by, consider signing up for it.

Naturally, I like nature so I always think that getting outside for a hike is enjoyable. If you’re dealing with winter weather, you might have to decide if this is worth it, but maybe bundling up and getting fresh air is a good idea.

You could also consider skiing or snowshoeing if you’re in the snowy areas.

Make a Date

Finally, make a date with your sweetie and go to the gym. Lift weights together and spot each other. Get benches next to each other and do the same workout. I know, this sounds really romantic, doesn’t it? However, even if it’s not romantic, it’s a great idea to have some together time working out before you on to dinner or whatever you’re doing to celebrate.

No Conversation Hearts in My House!

Personally, I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with kids, candy, and Valentine’s Day this year. I’m going to make sure I do something special today to celebrate in my own way. This is not the day to sit on the couch binge watching Netflix and feeling sad.

Finally, if someone wants to buy me a gift for the day, I hope he skips the chocolates, flowers, and such because I could use a new gym bag.