Recovery Means You Get Something Back

They say during Mercury Retrograde (going on now) your old loves return. Well, mine did and it wasn't the one I was expecting.

Hello, lover.

(Said in Carrie Bradshaw voice to a punching bag, not a shoe).

I spent the weekend at Crunch Arcadia with my fellow fitness instructors. I spent 15 hours training over two days in multiple formats and it was awesome. It was an insane physical feat that reminded me of a Krav Maga test or running the San Diego Rock N' Roll Marathon in 2013.

Sunday, we practiced various HIIT classes and when I got my turn on the punching bag (not the one pictured), that was it. Your girl only has one speed on the bag, even after years away. It was go time.

"I didn't know you were a boxer!? -My boss, Stacy.

Yeah, I kinda buried the lede. I'm not sure why. I still love boxing, kickboxing, Krav Maga, and anything MMA. I had a stalker once, so I took karate, then other things, and finally Krav Maga. I even haunted on MMA gym in Wichita for some time, but it wasn't a fit. I keep a cobra reflex bag in my home now, but nothing is like hitting a bag.

I didn't plan to teach anything other than yoga for Crunch...but you know what? Maybe it was the sound of the electronic bell ringing... (If you're a gym rat, you know what I mean). Maybe it's just that I spent so many years training, it just can't help but come out of me. If you've ever fought, you know how it feels.

I never pitched myself as a boxing teacher. But after today, I can't say no! I'm stoked to teach boxing at Crunch in addition to yoga!

How Do You Recover from 7-8 Hours of Training?

First of all, we aren't insane, so please don't think we went full blast all weekend. Things have certainly improved since my Krav Maga days (20 years ago) and my marathon running days (13 years ago). However, I'm also in my late 40s. It's not just the world that's changed, it's me. I'm older and more aware of where my body's edges are.

I knew when to pull back on workouts and dropped the weights for the last two hours of Saturday's trainings, perfectly content with body weight.

Saturday night's recovery looked like lasagna, Body Armor Lyte with creatine mixed in, some Tylenol, and a long, hot epsom salt bath. It was early to bed, but who am I kidding? I'm always early to bed!

Pretty sure in the early 2000's, all I had was Smart Water and Gatorade.

One of the most hilarious things about the San Diego Rock N' Roll Marathon in 2013 was how awful we all looked at the airport the next day. It was obvious who'd run the race, we were all hobbling through the airport, utterly exhausted and obviously miserable.

I did NOT want to go through that again.

Living Recovery Out LOUD

Finally, let me bring this home to addiction recovery.

I had a wonderful time with my fellow fitness instructors! It was a packed two days, which we started with quick introductions. We were asked to share a fun fact. Of course, mine has to be that I'm 13 years sober.

I lead with my sobriety every chance I get. It's who I am. It's my heart and soul. Everything good in my life came from my sobriety. It's not only what I'd love strangers to know about me first, it's my duty to share about it.

I've been sober a long enough time now that I know sharing about my recovery allows others to open up about their struggles. I expected this to happen and it did. Someone came to me later to tell me they were sober, too. I gave them a big hug and we became instant friends.

This is why I don't hide my sobriety. I lead with it. I recover out loud to show others it's possible.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off for more electrolytes, creatine, and another hot epsom salt bath.