boston strong | Daily Moves and Grooves

It’s too early in the week to be this emotional!

Essential physical therapists. Last night, my latest clinical instructor sent me photos of herself and other PTs decked out in PPE (personal protective equipment) up the wazoo. She and several other PTs have been working at the Boston Hope Medical Center, a field hospital at the Boston Convention and Events Center that is running solely for the treatment of patients suffering from COVID-19. She updated me on how life has been working in a field hospital, which she says has been “amazing and interesting,” but she also hopes that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

MDs, nurses, PTs, OTs, RNs, SLPs, military personnel, and so many other health professionals are all working together day in and day out, which we all already knew, but I feel a renewed and deepened sense of pride in the profession of physical therapy, which yes, is an essential service for people with acute respiratory illness.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Marathon Monday in solidarity. Yesterday was Patriots’ Day in Boston, which is always the day of the Boston Marathon. The marathon has been postponed to September for obvious reasons, but Boston finds a way to grow stronger through this iconic event, even during a pandemic. For one, my BU PT classmates (all scattered across the country now) posted photos and routes of their short or long runs on a shared google drive, so that we could support and inspire one another in light of the circumstances.

I am blessed to live near downtown Boston, so I ran 2.62 miles there (total coincidence that it was exactly 1/10 of a full marathon) to the finish line on Boylston Street and then back home.

Some people were at the finish line waiting for their loved ones to finish the marathon, which several people unofficially ran yesterday anyway. What spirit!

Side note: I did not love running with mask. I would take it off when there was not a person in sight, but would put it back on when I approached people. Just a little extra cardiorespiratory challenge, but I suppose I can suck it up (literally) and offer it up for those with COVID-19.

Moves.

Saturday – Yoga video and walking.

Sunday – 100 burpees throughout the day + this fun workout (that included some of said burpees) with my kettlebell:

Squat clean and press (both hands on the KB) (3×12)
10 burpees
Mini modified pull ups using the footboard of my bed (3×10)*
10 burpees
Single arm KB cleans (3×10 each arm)
10 burpees
Double KB swings (3×10)
10 burpees
Asymmetric squat creeps (the last exercise in this link except with only one KB) (3×14 total, switch arms halfway)
10 burpees

*I made this exercise up in an effort to mimic some sort of pulling motion. I might post it on my instagram story later. It looks silly, but it worked my lats. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Monday – 5.2 mile run

Gosh, I love Boston so much. I’m not leaving until July, but my heart is already breaking a teeny tiny bit.

It’s funny. I remember a very distinct moment in high school when my parents and I were visiting my brother (who went to Northeastern University) in Boston. We were driving behind Boston University’s campus on Storrow Drive. I looked out the window and thought, “Eh, I think I could do without a city like Boston.” Literal FOOL, Alison. I love being proved wrong by God in the best way possible.

I hope you are all having an excellent week so far.

So tell me:

Do you have a city that just steals your heart for one reason or another?

Any inspiring COVID-19 stories you’d like to share?

If you’ve been exercising recently, what have you been doing?

Happy Marathon Monday!

I am stoked to be a part of the Boston community for Marathon Monday this year. Y’all know that I’m no runner, but the energy and camaraderie that is emanating from this city is exhilarating!

Boston Forever by Judith Chasin {via}

Also, it’s awesome knowing that so many of YOU love running, and you might know some people running in the marathon. I know that Tina @ Carrots ‘n’ Cake and Morganne @ Nut Butter Runner are running in it! Maybe I can stalk them and track them down to say hello (in the most non-creepy way possible)!

I’ll be sure to fill you in on the excitement after today. Praying for all the workers, volunteers, spectators, and runners!

And now, I have some lighthearted confessions about my week that you can either relate to or use to feel better about yourself. 🙂

I finished a jar of peanut butter by myself in one week.

Here we see the very last of my (delicious) Teddie peanut butter that I bought just two Fridays ago. On Saturday morning, I made some quick oats with cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, banana, and a pinch of salt, and then I just dumped it in the almost empty jar!

My buddy PJ told me, “I’m not even mad, I’m just impressed.”

I was the “mom” secretly taking pictures of my two friends getting Confirmed.

Congratulations to my dear friends Cherie and Janice, who both received Confirmation this weekend! We celebrated with them at Mass and then later at Cherie’s place for fellowship and food. Speaking of food…

I went back for seconds of Cookie Butter ice cream, because COOKIE BUTTER ICE CREAM.

Swing dancing = weekend “turn up” in our books.

Sweaty ol’ stranger men and all.

I’m about a head-and-a-half shorter than all the girls pictured above.

What’s life like up there above 5’3″?

I missed an online homework assignment for organic chem.

Gahhhhh. It’s one of those grades that doesn’t make a huge difference, but it’s especially disappointing to lose points for it because of my carelessness. Thankfully, after emailing the professor, he kindly allowed me to complete the assignment late at no penalty.

Moral of the story: work hard at all times, make sure the professor knows you, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Life happens!

My meals and eating times have been very weird lately.

I’ve been having double lunches and snacky/weirdly-timed dinners.

On Friday, I ate a late lunch at 2pm after class. Then I snacked on a lot of veggies, crackers, and hummus during work. Then I ate dinner at almost 10 pm at Clay Pot Cafe with my mom, bro, and family friends.

normal lunch

super late dinner

On Saturday, after my friends’ Confirmation and anatomy review, my blood sugar was low to the flo’, so I needed to eat lunch in the dining hall before going to Cherie’s place to eat more Indian food and desserts. Then dinner was chips at swing dancing and frozen banana with peanut butter in my dorm at midnight.

lunch before Cherie’s

Finally, yesterday, I ate fruit and peanut butter for breakfast in my dorm, a normal brunch at 12:30pm, a super early snack-turned-dinner at 4pm, and then a light second dinner at 9:30pm.