First Post From D!!!

A note from H:

 

  A miracle has occurred!!! D has submitted her first post! But first a quick background:

D is one of those smarty ‘I love to learn just to learn’ type of people who reads biographies and studies for the fun of it. She also loves cleaning her bathroom. WAIT!! Come BACK!!! She also loves fiction (I just got her started on Game of Thrones), HGTV, and is the family ‘workout guru’ who definitely knows her stuff.

D and 'Lick'

D lives with her silly dog ‘Lick’ (names have been changed to protect the innocent); is a recovering Lululemon addict; an experienced runner who is dabbling in the triathlon realm (just won the Sioux Falls Marathon this year!); and a practicing gluten-free, mostly-vegetarian. Needless to say, her posts will be different from my cheese covered kid disasters and half-a$$ed workout attempts.  The blog is diversifying!!!!  And D may actually have some quality, HELPFUL posts--how-to's instead of my usual how-not’s—so we are really upping our game!

She's just a girl who loves to run!

Unfortunately, D has suffered several sports injuries the last couple years and is currently on crutches recovering from her latest ouch. The good news is….she keeps getting to renew that handicap parking pass so she is great to bring along to a crowded parking lot! =)

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Hi there!  I'm so excited to do have my first post officially on the blog!  I'm sure all of you are too considering this blog is titles 4 Iowa Sisters, not 1... Although I may not have any cute baby pictures, I'll do my best to keep up with H! Being her younger sister, I know this role well. ;) 

Recently, things in my world have been interesting...  I'm currently injured, not able to run, and desperately trying not to wallow in my own world of shallow despair.  Sounds appealing, huh?  Stay with me...  Without going into details of what happened and why (the doctors are still working on that one) and instead of over-analyzing how this is going to impact next year’s racing season, I've decided to do what I do best: ignore real problems and choose to see the world as only pleasant and happy.  This skill is usually best applied in circumstances such as reviewing my bank account balance or impossibly full trash can, but I decided it would come in particularly handy now given my current situation.  Today I’m going to highlight the surprising number of benefits of being on crutches.  Yes, they do exist and if anyone can find them, it is the new, ‘everything is awesome and life is a peach’ me.  So, without further ado and in no particular order, I present you…

1.       You can finally convince people you're not a whimp.  You may still have a cushy desk job, but no one can argue with your killer palm calluses. 

2.      You get to be creative with accessories.  Purple armpit pads and handy pocket anyone?  Being tough doesn't mean you can’t be pretty too.

3.       You learn some fun tricks.  My favorite?  Using one crutch as a freakishly long appendage to hit automatic door buttons so you can stay on the most efficient walking path.  #promove

4.       In your extra free to time, you can watch the entire first season of Gilmore Girls on Netflix that was miraculously just released.

5.       You have the opportunity to be this for Halloween:

6.       You get to work on some serious upper body strength.  My triceps have never been stronger… is it tank-top weather yet?

7.       Handicap parking.  Enough said.

8.       You don’t have to wait for a machine at the gym.  The arm bike is inexplicably always free.

9.       People do things for you.  This is by far the best.  It mostly applies to small things like opening doors and picking up the pen you've dropped for the eleventh time that day, but I've even scored 2 pieces of free dark chocolate out of the deal.  It just goes to show that underneath it all, people just like to be nice.  (Please remind me of this the next time I get cut off in traffic.)

10.   Most importantly, it actually helps the injury heal.  This may seem obvious, but despite your best intentions, no amount of limping around and crying will help, but babying the injury just may.  Turns out I’m not a wizard or vampire who heals inhumanely fast, who knew?  (BTW, do yourself a favor and read the Harry Dresden series.  It’s hilariously amazing and there are millions of injury-proof fantasies that can be generated.)

It’s all about radical acceptance people.  I’m just doing what I can each day and trying to make lemonade out of lemons.  Don’t worry I won’t charge. :)