Vegan Overnight Oats

Now that summer is here, it might be nice to have some cold breakfast meals that don’t include cereal that comes from a box! As a vegetarian, I used to make overnight oats frequently in the warmer months, and so I decided to veganize my basic recipe, with a few add ins!

The new additions? Chia seeds, which boost both protein and omega-3’s, and hemp hearts, which are also a great source of omega-3’s. Both add texture and help improve the creaminess of this dish.

Now that I’ve had these a few times and with a few different versions, I’m ready to share my recipe!

Ingredients for overnight oats.

Vegan Overnight Oats

Prepare in 2 cup containers or a mason jar with a lid:

⅓ cup rolled or quick oats

1 T chia seeds

1 T hemp hearts (optional)

¼ cup (2-3 T) vegan yogurt (I like Trader Joe’s cashew yogurt or Kite Hill)

⅓ cup plant based milk (I like Silk 10g protein milk to boost the protein content)

Toppings of your choice.

Great topping options?

  • Fruit compote (I often have leftovers if I make pancakes)
    • This is simply a mix of frozen or fresh berries, juice of a lemon, and sugar (brown or white), cooked on the stovetop until thickened. Kind of like a quick, syrupy jam!
  • 1 T peanut butter and a generous drizzle of vegan chocolate syrup (Hershey’s Simply 5 is vegan). Add sliced banana just before serving if desired!
  • 1 T jam with fresh or frozen fruit (frozen actually works well for this!)
  • 1 T brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1 T maple syrup. Add raisins, too, if desired!

Mix, cover, and store overnight or up to 5 days for a ready to eat breakfast that is healthy and filling!

Chocolate peanut butter!

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Have you ever tried overnight oats? If you try my recipe, take a photo, post on Instagram, and tag me @annecreates!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

The Best Vegan Collard Greens

I wasn’t really a fan of cooked greens until I was an adult. It’s a crime of epic proportions to have missed out on a childhood of this delicious Southern dish when, in fact, I did grow up in “the South.” I didn’t really start to like these until I met my husband!

Even back then, not yet a full vegetarian, I did not eat pork, so I had to come up with a way to cook these and still bring great flavor to these nutritious, bitter leaves that are full of vitamins and a traditional part of a New Year’s Day meal. But I did create methods that delivered on taste and tenderness. 

Since we are entering the growing season, this recipe is timely! This recipe works best cooked in a Dutch oven on the stove. Don’t worry. It doesn’t have to be a Le Cruset. I also have one that is a Target brand, and Lidl makes versions as well that are very nice and functional as well as affordable. If you don’t have one, any stock pot will also work just fine!

Some of the ingredients for this dish.

Vegan Collard Greens

2 T olive oil

1 sweet (Vidalia) onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 T Better than Bouillon vegetable flavor paste

1 package pre-cut fresh collard greens OR two packages frozen OR fresh greens, de-stemmed and thinly sliced (for this photo op I used the pre-cut fresh greens)

1 carton vegetable broth or stock

3-5 drops Liquid Smoke (optional for “bacon” flavor)

Salt and pepper to taste

Apple cider vinegar as desired upon serving

Instructions:

  • In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until fragrant.
  • Add onions, salt generously, and cook until beginning to brown.
  • Add vegetable flavor paste and stir to incorporate.
  • Add collard greens.
  • Pour vegetable stock into the pot. 
  • Add Liquid Smoke if desired. 
  • Salt and pepper as desired.
  • Cook over low heat, covered, until the greens have changed color and are tender, 45 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. 
  • Serve with a dash of vinegar if desired.
Cooking the onions.
Adding the greens and broth.

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Do you love eating greens, too? If you try this recipe, take a photo, post on Instagram, and tag me @annecreates!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy!

Imposter Marathoner Syndrome

Here we go again. I’m experiencing the familiar pangs of doubt that plague me at the start of each marathon training season. It doesn’t matter that I help coach a marathon training team, that I have run 9 marathons prior, an ultra marathon at the end of last year, and 3 half marathons this year already, my brain still wonders… Can I do this again?

Regardless of how impressed anyone may be by my running record, I never said I was fast. Some may say I’m simply a masochist who loves swag! With each training season comes monumental highs and some rather interesting bad runs. The bad runs leave me supremely humbled, even if I can at least partially blame it on Mother Nature. 

As we approach double digit training runs, I will soon begin to have those nightmares about showing up late to the run with a heavy backpack, with no shoes, and wearing street clothes. It happens every year, without fail, and then again during taper. 

Part of my marathon medal collection.

On my 6 mile training run with my team Sunday morning, I ran with two other multiple marathon finishers. I mentioned this feeling, and one of my companions knowingly agreed with me. It’s as if my brain hits a reset button at the beginning of the training season, and it suddenly thinks we have to rebuild that base all over again. I guess in a way, we do, but not entirely. Our bodies remember how to do this. We certainly aren’t starting from scratch. But those damn what-ifs always emerge. 

Maybe part of what makes training mentally challenging at this early point in the game is simply that the miles are short. I had kept my weekend long runs at 8 miles most of the winter. We tend to underestimate the challenge of running shorter distances. We tell ourselves that these runs should be easy, but they never are! And if you also tell yourself that you should be able to run faster due to the shorter distances, you may end up doubly disappointed. It’s the same phenomenon we experience during drop back week runs as training ramps up. 

The rituals of training come with the recurrence of the same anxieties, like those pre-double-digit run nightmares. These anxieties are what we can manage and overcome, though. Sometimes creating lofty goals, tackling them step by step, and conquering them is all at once a pleasant distraction from other sources of stress in life and a means of creating opportunities for success. 

We have several runners on our team who are returning to marathon training who have taken a couple of years off for various reasons. They have expressed self-doubt as well. I’m not sure if it helps any of you who are in this situation to know that even some of us who did this last year still have the same feelings, but rest assured, you are not alone. 

Those who are novices to this process may be surprised to know that even experienced marathoners have doubts. I also realize that there’s a big difference between wondering if you can run a marathon and knowing that you have. And just so you know, part of what keeps some of us repeating this journey every year is to make sure that you, the new marathoner, earns that gift of accomplishment, too. 

Is self-doubt the curse of the high-achieving mentality? Are we afraid of underperforming, even though we know we’ve done this before? I don’t know. 

What I do know is we’re here, and fall marathon training season is now. And despite continuing to train all winter for half marathons, I still may not be ready for full marathon training! Half of this battle is mental. I must remember my why: to complete my 10th marathon. But I will keep showing up. And, sooner or later, the readiness will, indeed, matriculate. It always does. I will trust the training!

My ultra marathon medal.

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Are you training for a big fall race? How do you overcome the anxieties of training? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

An Evening with Michelle Obama

An evening over 2 years in the making, I originally purchased tickets for this night with the Richmond Forum as a Christmas gift for my daughters in 2019. She was scheduled to speak in March of 2020, but as the news of the Covid pandemic percolated and cases began to skyrocket, this night was indefinitely postponed. Sure, we could have asked for a refund, but we held on to the tickets in hopes that the night would eventually be rescheduled. 

The Richmond Forum is a program whose goal is to expose people to different views and to engage the community in meaningful conversation. They have brought many prominent names to Richmond to speak, including former President Obama himself. Watch the video in this link about the forum. It’s powerful!

With my daughters in the Dominion Energy Center.

Finally, the event did happen! Armed with pictures of our vaccine cards, signed health forms, and KN-95 masks as was necessary for admission, on Tuesday, my daughters and I got to witness the conversation between a moderator from the Richmond forum and Michelle Obama herself! Our tickets were for the simulcast presentation in the Dominion Energy Center, also known as the Carpenter Theater. Mrs. Obama actually spoke in the Altria Theater, formally The Mosque. This venue sold out on the first day of ticket sales! Both theaters are stunning!

We were seated in the orchestra pit, directly in front of the screen. Think about sitting in the first row of the movie theater. Not ideal for watching the screen, but we made it work. I told my girls they would have plenty of time in cervical extension to counteract the many hours a day we spend in forward flexion on our screens. They were not amused by my comment. 

However, I quickly became lost in the conversation as it began. It was almost as good as being in the Altria theater with her. She’s such a phenomenal speaker, and her ease of conversation with the moderator was exactly what I’d expected. She spoke about her experiences as a wife and mother, as a child growing up in the southside of Chicago, in her education and career, and in her role as First Lady. She was charming, honest, and humble. 

Michelle Obama gave me hope in a world that has grown increasingly dark and hostile. She encouraged us to think small; that is, not to underestimate the powerful impact of improving the world one life at a time. We don’t always have to think that if we don’t do something huge, that our impact on the world is not important. And she encouraged parents to let their kids breathe and experience joys in life; to not force them to live out your dreams or to work so hard to check off boxes that they don’t feel like they are allowed to change their paths. I hope this is what I’m giving my girls.

Often I live my life with one foot in the grave and one hand reaching for the stars. I’m all at once so pessimistic about the state of the world, especially lately, that sometimes I wonder if it’s worth still being here to witness so much pain and hate, while on the other hand, I’m so motivated to do something to change the state of things and to leave the world a better place for my children that I’m contemplating studying for another advanced degree to gain more tools to do so. It’s a strange existence and quite the conundrum. But Mrs. Obama lends light to my pessimism. 

If you haven’t read her book, Becoming, you should. Although it’s an autobiography, it reads more like a story. It’s perhaps my favorite in my collection of autobiographies (and, yes, I have a section in my library just for these.)

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I’m so happy that this night did happen. It was worth the wait!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

And So It Begins…

Wow! What a beautiful weekend Mother Nature provided for all who participated in the opening days of the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team! We had temperatures in the 60’s for our runs with unheard of low humidity for June.

This is my 9th season training with MTT and my 4th as an assistant coach. I hope to run my 10th marathon this year and possibly my 2nd ultramarathon. Just putting that out into the universe! I’m grateful to return to the routine and rituals of marathon training. It brings calm and focus back to my life. I think many of our returning participants can relate.

With fellow coaches Sandra and Chris greeting runners on Saturday! Many thanks to Ros High for the photo!

On Saturday, many of my fellow Pink Nation coaches and I helped greet the runners and guided them to their teams. We were, of course, decked out in PINK and wearing cowboy hats to go with our “cowboy up” motto. There may have been a few flamingos, too! The early alarm was almost worth it. And the teams were bringing it this year with branding! Lots of new names and signs. Is this Pink Nation’s influence? We may never know…

With Chris at the entrance to the stadium, directing drivers!

Sunday was our day, though. There are two 700 teams as well as our 500 team, The Pink Nation, who meet on Sunday. I’m super grateful for the tireless efforts of Lisa, one of our head coaches, who keeps us organized. It’s truly a joy to be a part of something this special. We have over 100 runners signed up to our team already, with hundreds more on the many other teams. We were so happy to reunite with our team and meet new friends! 

On the first training day, one of our traditions is to separate the marathoners from the soon to be marathoners. The more experienced runners clap and cheer for our newer runners, and reassure them that this crazy goal is possible. Our co-head coach, Chris, quotes our head coach emeritus, Blair: 

“It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a nation to raise a marathoner.”

Blair Just

This gives me goosebumps every time. 

We ran a gorgeous 5 mile route that closely followed parts of the Richmond marathon course through some northside neighborhoods, returning to the stadium for a social. 

One thing my fellow coaches and I noticed is that a lot of our runners went out too fast today! I can’t stress enough the benefit of running your long runs at a conversational pace. Slower long runs really will get you to that finish line! Plus, you get the benefits of engaging in conversations with friends, building your aerobic capacity, and very functional strengthening over the course of those miles. Our goal as coaches is to help you finish the season feeling confident and healthy, not to burn out before the season really gets spicy! We want to witness you successfully crossing that finish line in Richmond!

As Coach Chris told our team today, “It’s time to take the first step.” Let the season begin…

ALL GO. NO QUIT. COWBOY UP!

After the run with all the Pink Nation coaches, except for one, who was running a marathon out of town! We had a cutout, as you can see, and he was so busy posing with all the runners Sunday!

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If you are training for a fall race, keep this in mind as you log those weekend long run miles. You should be keeping it slow! Save speed work for shorter, weekday runs. Happy running!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

It’s Getting Hot in Here (Tips for Summer Running: Part 2)

It’s getting so hot… I’m gonna take my clothes off! 

Ahh… no one wants to see that. But truly, summers in Virginia are obnoxiously hot and humid. If you’re in your late 40’s and a woman like me, you’re likely also dealing with some perimenopausal personal summers to layer on top of the already brutal summer heat. Even if you’re not burdened by an aging hormonal system, it’s still easy to become overwhelmed by the heat while running. And since climate change is real, these hot temperatures aren’t going anywhere. 

We can’t control Mother Nature, but we can prepare for whatever oppressive conditions she may offer us as we train for fall races over the summer months. 

I shared part one of this post with you a few weeks ago which focused on choosing the best hydration vessels and electrolyte replacements. Included in this post are a few maintenance tips, too, to make sure your vessels are clean and in good shape for training!

So now, let’s talk about the other things you can control about summer running: clothing, sun protection, and chafe prevention!

Let’s begin with your running clothes!

  • Wear technical fabrics meant to wick moisture. This will keep you cooler than cotton.
  • Singlets are ideal for beating the heat.
  • Keep seams in your running shorts to a minimum.
  • Speaking of seams, especially for ladies, make sure that your underwear are also technical and seamless! (Yes, lady parts chafe.) My current favorites are made by Reebok, and are available at Walmart and Amazon
  • Make sure that the seams in your clothing are flat, not raised. Raised seams will flip and cause chafing. 
  • If you are prone to chafing between your thighs, try running in bike shorts. They provide a physical barrier to the rubbing! My favorites come from Old Navy.
  • Don’t forget about your socks. Make sure you choose a pair specific for running. I find that certain brands work better with certain shoes. 
Flat seams vs. not in workout wear. Choosing flat seams reduces chafing!

If you’re running in the summer sun, you need to protect yourself!

  • Wear sunscreen, especially if you will be running in peak sun exposure hours from 10am-2pm. I admittedly have a difficult time with this, since I have an aversion to the smell of chemical sunscreens. I use a mineral based one instead.
  • Wear sunglasses with UV protection. This saves your eyes from exposure as well as saves energy you expend by squinting. We need all of our energy for running! My favorites? Goodr. They are both polarized and provide UV protection. Designed for running, they don’t bounce, and are inexpensive enough that you won’t be devastated if you lose a pair on a run. 
  • Wear a hat. You all know by now that I’m a huge fan of Boco Gear hats! In the summer, I love a visor. I get the coolness of an uncovered head with the benefits of protection from the glare of the sun. If it’s raining, I trade my visor for a full hat. Boco Gear makes technical run hats and truckers to suit anyone’s personal style!
Wearing one of my favorite Boco Gear visors and Goodr sunglasses!

And lastly, the rub is no good! Protect yourself from chafing with these tips:

  • See the above for clothing choices! Chafe protection starts here!
  • You will soon figure out all the places that chafe the first time you take a shower after a hot run. For “hot” spots, healing is fastest with either Desitin or Rip Fix
  • Now that you know where these chafing spots are, use an anti-chafing balm in these areas to prevent the damage! My current favorite is Sport Shield, which is an easy to use roll-on. I like Body Glide lotion for my feet. There are so many brands on the market, it’s worth trying more than one to find what works best for you. 
  • My top chafing spots on long runs? 
    • Front bra band line
    • Inner upper arms
    • Inner thighs
  • Alternatively, especially if you are racing in the heat or rain, you can cover the places where you know you will chafe with KT tape. Don’t stretch the tape; just lay it down. I like to tape along the front bra band line and on the insides of the balls of my feet, as these are always hot spots for me that are easily taped.
  • Men, you may want to invest in a pack of band-aids to cover your nipples. This is one time the ladies are lucky; our bras typically save us from the plague of bloody nipples on our runs!

The summer season is almost here! Make sure you are prepared, especially as we enter marathon training season. But if you wear the right gear, shield yourself from the sun, and take steps to prevent chafing, you will be a lot more comfortable during your summer runs. You will also need to adjust your speed and performance expectations when running in the heat and humidity. And don’t forget to stay hydrated and replace electrolytes! Happy running!

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Another “hot tip” if you are on a supported run: put ice in your sports bra, ladies! Such a relief for a few minutes. 

Just a reminder that I have a discount code for SaltStick products: Anne2022 earns you 20% off! They just added an electrolyte drink to their line of amazing products to complement their salt tabs and Fast Chews! And they are vegan and super tasty!

The new electrolyte drink mixes from SaltStick!

Are you training for a fall race? The work begins in the summer! Hopefully these tips are helpful!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy. 

The Silver Diner: Vegan Restaurant Review: Update

You may recall that I wrote a review of my regional favorite, The Silver Diner, sometime last year. With multiple vegan menu items, a plant-based diner may be faced with the unfathomable conundrum of having to make a choice about what to order, a rare dilemma, indeed. 

Since writing that review, the Silver Diner has actually expanded its plant-based choices, and for that, I’m grateful! 

My family returned the other night, and I was excited to see a few additions to the menu, including a new roasted tomato dish, and, as I pleaded for in my previous review, plant-based milkshakes!

The Newmarket Roasted Tomatoes with pesto.

Although I had originally intended to order the vegan Just Eggs Benedict, the roasted tomato dish spoke to me. It was very tasty, although I thought it would be extra delicious served on a bed of pasta. 

New plant-based milkshakes!

There are now 3 plant-based milkshake options. I chose the Minty Grasshopper. Y’all. These things are huge! Not only do you get the joy of the fancy glass, but they give you the blender cup with enough extra shake to fill up the glass again! The shake was just minty enough, with bits of Oreo cookie. I would definitely order this again!

The Minty Grasshopper.

They still have all of their original vegan menu items, including tacos made with Beyond Meat, the oat protein pancakes, and Just Egg dishes, but I love the new additions as well. It’s really great to have vegan dessert options! This is definitely a missed opportunity for so many restaurants. They may only have one vegan meal option with absolutely no desserts. 

Thank you, Silver Diner, for answering my plea for vegan milkshakes! I’ll definitely be back!

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Have you tried the Silver Diner? They have locations in Virginia, Maryland, DC, and New Jersey. I highly recommend dining here!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

One Nation

One Nation

Ruled by the Minority

Without liberty, without justice, without care for our most marginalized citizens.

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One Nation

Whose lawmakers

Are bought and sold by corporate greed. 

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One Nation

With citizens crippled

By insurmountable debt.

*

One Nation

Dumbed down

By conspiracy theories and misinformation.

*

One Nation

Exhausted

Because of a pandemic we are still fighting.

*

One Nation

Corrupted by Christian Nationalism

Forcing all to live under their church.

*

One Nation

In denial 

Of the ugly parts of its history.

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One Nation

With more guns than citizens

Who offer mere thoughts and prayers for those killed by them. 

*

One Nation

Where women are worthless

Except for the power of their womb. 

*

One Nation

With voices silenced

By gerrymandering and voting restrictions.

*

One Nation

Giving up

On the huddled masses, yearning to breathe free. 

*

One Nation

In distress

With democracy crumbling like sand.

*

One Nation

Unrecognizable

From the noble republic it once was.

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21 innocent people were killed by a lone gunman in Texas on Tuesday in an elementary school. 19 children and 2 teachers. I had hoped that I could slow down on political posts for a while. But, alas, something new and terrible always seems to happen. And yesterday, my county appointed a man to our school board who promised to rule with a “biblical” and “godly” lens, with no regard to the separation of church and state. So I offer you this poem as a reflection of my ongoing frustration with the state of this nation. One Nation. In need of reform. Thoughts and prayers are not effective deterrents for gun violence. We need policy and change. I urge you to contact your senators, congressmen, state, and local legislators. Let them know what matters to you. 

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

Summer Camp for Grownups is Almost Here!

I don’t feel like I really had an off season this year. With running the Freight Train 50k in December and 3 spring half marathons, I’ve been running quite a bit. It will be fun to get back to the rituals of marathon training, though. We start in 2 weeks! I can’t believe it’s here already!

During our pre-run “benediction” during a pre-pandemic year with Pink Nation!

My, how the years fly! But I guess when you spend half the year training for a marathon, that’s kind of how things roll. This will be my 4th year as an assistant coach with the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team, and my 9th training cycle with them. I’ll once again be coaching with the Pink Nation! I’m super excited that another vegan coach is joining us, too! I love my fellow coaches so very much. 

If you’re in the Richmond area and are looking for the best way to train for a fall marathon, this program is the best. If you’re not convinced you can run a full marathon, but you want to meet with a team earlier than August, we typically have several participants who start with MTT and change over to the Half Marathon Training Team when they start in August. This year, there’s no fee to switch!

Obviously, the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team is designed to help you train for the Richmond Marathon, and your entry fee includes your race fee. However, if you are running a different fall race, rest assured that you will find other folks who will also need to adapt the training schedule for these events. The Chicago and NYC marathons are especially popular! If you need financial assistance, Sports Backers has funding to help.

You can register for the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team here!

If you aren’t lucky enough to live in the RVA and want to train for a fall marathon, I strongly encourage you to find a training group in your area, because when you get to those longer, double digit runs, they suck so much less when you have company! Starting with your local run club is a great resource. If you don’t have one, try asking at your local running store. They will also likely know of area training groups. 

I’ve found some of my best friends through participating in training teams. I know that some people consider themselves extreme introverts and would rather run solo, but running with a team has immense benefits. You can glean the knowledge from more experienced runners, including, hopefully, great coaches. Routes are planned and supported. And you have a training plan. It takes so much stress out of the process!

As we slowly resume pre-Covid normals, running with teams and participating in real races is definitely coming back. I hope to see some friends return to MTT this year! And if you’re not from Richmond, but will be here to run America’s Friendliest Marathon, let me know so I can support you on the course!

Your 2022 Pink Nation coaches! (Minus one!)

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I still don’t have a fall marathon lined up. I do know that I want to run a race in person! This marathon will be #10. Does anyone have any suggestions? Must be within driving distance of Richmond!

Are you running any fall races? I’d love to hear about it!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

My Midlife Crisis

One of my former bosses posted this meme:

I can honestly say that this is how I approach each and every work day. I may enter the building in a less than optimal mood, but my patients deserve my best. They deserve to feel better when I leave them, and to feel valued as a human. 

I’m the therapist who will bribe a patient to get out of bed with the promise of fixing their hair or going outside. I’m the therapist who does a little jig and applauds when their patient walks for the first time after a major injury. I’m the therapist who talks to their patients about the emotional aspects of healing. 

My calling in life is to make the world a better place; to help people live their best, most active, healthiest versions of themselves. I’ve always felt this, even as a young child. 

I found my calling as a physical therapist when I was 13, shortly after I broke my arm, essentially ending my meager gymnastics career. But through my own experiences with physical therapy in my recovery, I realized this was something in the medical field that really appealed to me.

I went into college fully understanding the challenging work ahead of me, realizing that I couldn’t dare party my undergrad days away, because my admission into graduate school was entirely dependent on earning the best GPA possible. I graduated magna cum laude, a semester early, with a BS in Biology. 

I went on to my first choice of PT schools: Virginia Commonwealth University, where I was supremely humbled by my coursework and realizing I was no longer the smartest person in all of my classes. I still managed to earn my MS in physical therapy, the entry level degree at the time. My colleagues are mostly DPT’s now. 

In my 23 years of practice, mostly specializing in geriatrics and inpatient rehab, I have helped so many people by reducing their pain, improving their strength and balance, addressing their fears, and restoring their independence with functional mobility. Some days, this feels like enough. But others, I realize there is so much more to be done.  

The biggest eye opener for me was during my days as a home health practitioner. My territory included the inner city of Richmond and in some of the poorest neighborhoods. I finally understood the obstacles facing my patients who were callously labeled “non-compliant.” I was merely a tourist in this world, but I knew that anything I could do as a PT was never going to be enough to fix the matters that were really wrong. Working through the pandemic has only highlighted the inequalities that exist in our healthcare system and in the systemic issues that plague our most marginalized members of society. These are the seemingly unsolvable, overwhelming problems that keep me up at night.

In the days of double masking, re-using N-95’s, and goggles during the height of the pandemic before vaccines were available.

Thus, here I am, at a crossroads in my life. What’s next? I still love being a physical therapist, but I feel called to carry this further. Entering the public health realm may provide some answers. I already have a master’s degree. Maybe the next step is the PhD? 

It seems everything I’ve done in the past 10 years has led me to this point. Not only do I work as a PT, but I also practice what I preach to my patients through my own fitness journey. Now as a coach with Sports Backers, as an advocate for safe spaces for running and cycling with Bike Walk Hanover, as an officer in the Richmond Road Runners Club, advocating for a plant based diet, and even in writing this blog, I’m doing even more to help make fitness and wellness more accessible to everyone. I even have experience teaching at the associate’s degree level. 

But it’s more than fitness. It’s looking at the whole person and the external issues that affect one’s wellness. It’s eliminating social stigmas in healthcare. It’s ensuring access to safe housing, eliminating food deserts, and providing basic education about caring for our bodies. It’s teaching others how to find joy through movement. It’s creating safe spaces to do so. It’s not just education, but developing public policies and fighting inequalities, starting at the local level. This requires more. More education. More money. More student loans. And I’m willing. I just need to figure out how to pay for it without going broke! By putting this out into the universe, I hope that my lofty goal will matriculate somehow. 

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Do you have thoughts about going back to school? Do you yearn to do more to help the world? Inside my nearly 50 year old body is still a young, twenty-something with the idealistic notion that she can change the world. With what’s about to happen in the US, maybe this is a lost cause for a woman to pursue, but it’s a woman’s unique perspective that can create the right kind of change, in my opinion. 

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.