Kinesiology - the study of motion of the human body.

Human movement...it is a mysterious and fascinating thing. To think about how the body is laid out and how everything in it works together can get overwhelming, to say the least. However, it's just plain magical when everything is working correctly and can be sheer Hell if it ain't.

I took a two day seminar weekend before last that could have easily been three days. It was about making muscular corrections, loosening fascia, joint stabilization, muscle facilitation and inhibition, reducing swelling and moving stagnated lymph from an area. That was all mentioned in the first 5 minutes. So I made sure at that point I put my seat belt and helmet on because it was going to be a bumpy ride. Especially when we started talking about anatomy. Whoa! It's been like 12 years since I've gone to that place. It was pretty dusty in there, too. I mean, I'm familiar with major muscles because of common injuries and such, but this was all about insertion and origin. I have some work to do when my head stops spinning.

Chances are you've heard of this subject I'm about to mention. Kinesio Tex Tape. Not KT Tape, not Rock Tape. Kinesio Tex Tape - the original! Even though they all have pretty much the same properties and have the same purposes, they made sure to let us know right off the bat that this is the real deal and the rest are similar.

So I've been taping up some people and just asking for feedback. I've taped a couple of shoulders, a pregnant belly and my own leg. I'm pretty convinced that this is helping facilitate my recovery from my injury. I'm not saying it is the be all and end all, but it goes really well with other forms of therapy to regain balance in the body. With another therapy, like with massage for instance, the practitioner works on the tissue and when she/he is done applies the tape with the same intent they were using while working. It's sort of like an extension of the therapy after the session is over. Pretty cool stuff!

In conclusion I'm totally sold on Kinesio Tex Tape. I think it's pretty great stuff. Will it cure every imbalance overnight? No, but it will definitely speed up your recovery. Besides, most of the time injury is chronic, not acute, because we are a nation full of "full tilt boogie, I haven't got time for the pain" diehards and that means it didn't get that way overnight. We don't want to feel like a bunch of wussies, after all. So grin and bear it, dammit!

NOT! In the end we are all built pretty much the same with a few differences. You must honor your body and it's delicate balance. Be kind to yourselves, believe it or not, you deserve it. Take care of your body, it's the only one ya get!

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Wow! Sorry for the extended sabatical, but it was necessary. Last year was a rough one. It was rough for a lot of people I know, as well. However, this year started out pretty tough with the loss of my oldest friend, Tigger. She got me through a lot of heartache and hard times, especially when I was on my own. She never questioned anything and all she ever really wanted was to just fall asleep on my shoulder or the crook of my arm. She just slept all the time for the last week of her life. In fact, the only time she was awake was when I had to force a pill down her poor little throat. That felt particularly awful to me. Her kidneys were shot and she had developed a heart murmur. So goes the cruelness of aging. She would've been 18 this month.

I've also been nursing an injury that got insanely out of hand because I, like so many athletes I know, just ignored signs that I needed rest. I suddenly heard what I tell everyone when they get sick or injured resonating, rather loudly, in my head, "If you do not take time to recover, rest and heal, your body will eventually force you to stop". Well, I finally took my own advice only after hurting myself so badly that I couldn't walk without pain. I've been seeing a sports therapist who has been doing myofascial release on my lower body. We've gotten great results and I have no pain except for this inflammation in my heal. Ah, I just love progress. Again I'm hearing myself say to massage clients, "It didn't get this way overnight, so you need to be patient and gentle with yourself because it's going to take awhile to disappear, too". I'm signed up to do Ironman Louisville and it's very spooky to see a lot of similarities with 2009, which was a good year. It too started with an injury that I was very diligent in the healing process.

Okay, so let's start some good news! Yaaaaay Good Neeeeews! I now have a website. It's a work in progress and I'm learning a lot about the technology side of things. Well, it's a lot to me. Nonetheless, Chris White, 3 Wire Designs, designed it and it's fabulous! I feel so professional and organized now. I feel like a...like...ahhhh...what's that word? ADULT!!!! Yes, I feel like an adult. At least a little more than I did. Seriously, you should check it out: foreverintraining.com
I'm so excited about it. There are all the services we offer listed, some recipes and a link to this blog. Did I mention it's pretty snazzy?

My good friend Erin Taylor (she and her husband are co-owners of a fantastic local running store called Go! Running) has started a group of supportive and inspiring women called the Go! Go! Girls. I've met a lot of great women in the last three weeks and the bonds of friendship between women is so necessary for our longevity. We went out and supported at the Little Rock half and full marathons today. I've never been on the spectator side of this event and it was an incredible sight to see all those people working hard to reach their goals. We cheered and yelled and clapped and stomped our feet for everyone and had so much fun! It was such a different perspective to look into the eyes of those runners, every shape and size, from every walk of life. I wanted to give them what I know I need when I'm a participant. You need to feel like you're being lifted up and carried when you start to think you can't take one more step. No one realizes really how vitally important it is until you've been on the the other side. There is no half-assing the support of someone giving all they've got right in front of you. They need you to be a lifeline or you don't need to be out there at all!

I will end this blog entry here and try to be back this week sometime. I will be taking a seminar next weekend. So hopefully I'll have my brain in gear and learn a lot.

Time forge ahead and soak in the essence of what will be an epic year...2011!!!!!

Thanks for reading.