Braiden End Table Furniture

Braiden End Table Furniture

Lavish Contemporary End Tables

Lavish contemporary end tables

Getting Back on That Horse of "Competition"...

In a few hours I will be leaving for Switzerland to compete in my first competition since winning gold at the Commonwealth Games last year in India. For several months I have been rehabbing a foot injury… one which has challenged me as an athlete, a person and yet, is positively shaping my life, daily.

I’ve chosen to use my blog to be open and honest about what I am currently going through.  It would be easy to hide behind a bravado of confidence but, that’s not me.  More importantly, I’ve often discussed how world class performance and injury are a fine line… well, here I am in the aftermath, sharing the realness of what it is I’m experiencing as I throw myself back into competition. 

In all honesty, my emotions have run the gamete from frustration to excitement.  Without going into the details of the injury and how it occurred, it is suffice to say that it was severe; and each time I now jump, I am facing my fear… literally.  (Perhaps at a later time I'll be willing to provide more detail, but at this point I do not wish to think about it.  It's a little too recent and scary.)

But, also each time I jump I am rebuilding my confidence.  This is an incredible experience.  My margin for error is now smaller and I must simultaneously trust my foot to be stable and explosive in my take-off… in an event where there is no room for doubt. 

How ironic that as PhD Candidate in Sports Psychology, I am now faced with this psychological challenge.  It’s a grinder and one that I will inevitably grow from as an athlete.  So, as I board my flight to Europe to do a series of competition, there is no question I am forcing myself to “get back on the horse.”  Any further delay in competing, I might have completely developed a fear of jumping.

I owe an incredible amount of gratitude to Mark Lindsay and my strength trainer Dave Harris who were prompt in their initial suggestions for treatment.  Additionally, I hold a lot of thanks to my medical team, including the many doctors who weighed in, Kate Fletcher (my physiotherapist) and of course God.

I hope my competitions in Europe result in some great performances.  Certainly, competing is a full emersion, and I am hopeful my natural instincts to compete will kick in.  But, I will also be pleased with certifying my confidence in my take-off foot once again.  I am just incredibly grateful and happy to be back on the track competing when it was only a short while ago I wondered if I would be able to ever jump again. 

Standing on the shoulders of giants,

Nicole

The End Table Arrived

The end table arrived

Before and After: Time to Harvest

"After" three years of waiting for the peach tree to grow. It is now a very happy tree and producing like crazy.

Many of you who have followed katiedid for awhile know we have been working on our house for some time. We have most recently been trying to get the back yard in shape. This summer is the first year our yard has felt like a relaxing beautiful place to be vs. a place under construction. 

We had begun planting a couple of years ago after amending the hard packed clay soil. The idea for the garden is to make it as edible as possible. We started citrus trees in pots and planted fruit trees along the back of the house: peach, plum, apricot, nectarine and apple. There are herbs everywhere: rosemary, thyme, various sages, and lots of lavender. We have potted a couple of pomegranate bushes and blueberry bushes fill in between the trees. There are also pots of beans and tomatoes. Tim just finished another raised bed so we can put in a few more vegetables.

You may remember this post right after we had planted the peach tree. Ahem....we had not painted the house yet after the house remodel, and it is still in the same state. Somehow pecking away at planting the garden does not seem so expensive as compared to getting the house painted. And yes, we rationalize the garden is paying us back.

"Before". The year we planted the peach tree. It seems like yesterday our tree was just a little twig.

Well....we have been very busy picking peaches for the last week. Tim had covered the tree with netting so the birds and squirrels would not get the fruit. We harvested enough peaches to stuff ourselves into a fructose coma, and enough to pass out to all of the neighbors. We have made two delicious peach cobblers and plan to try our hand at peach preserves. It has been a bountiful harvest.

But those squirrels are pesky little critters and have found a way in through the netting. We are harvesting as much as we can before they get the rest. I guess I can't blame them. There is nothing quite like a peach direct from your own tree. And nothing quite so satisfying as the realization that we had a hand in making it happen.

Harvest Time

My morning ritual of the paper  and breakfast has a whole new flavor. It is decidedly juicier.

 Have a wonderful Monday and a beautiful week!

As Tables Was Discontinued

as tables was discontinued

THE BASICS OF DATING AN ELITE ATHLETE

 

Due to travel this week, my relationship Wednesday has been moved to Monday.   Not to worry there will be an Achtung Blog posted later this week.  I just hope you are ready for it!

WEDNESDAY'S RELATIONSHIP CORNER (on Monday instead, this week)

When it comes to dating, I’m often asked if I date only athletes.

I’ve often pondered the logistics of this question… Is the basis of this question grounded in the physical appearance – like is that code for “would you date someone who does not have an athletic body?” – or based on the assumption that athletes prefer athletes who share a common interest of high performance in sports. 

Dating an athlete, especially an elite/professional athlete, isn’t necessarily the easiest thing.  Our lives and emotions are dictated by our competition and training schedule.  When we are performing well we can be the most likeable creature in the world.  But, if we are in a slump…. Whoa!!!!  You might not want to be around us.  And leading up to a major championship we can be obsessive and have a tunnel vision, whereby the most important thing in the world is our ability to meet the challenge before us…athletically.  That means you might be riding in the back seat.

Elite athletes are complex creatures, and suitors should proceed with caution.  To help you out here are 6 things you need to know:

1.      We don’t ONLY/ALWAYS date other athletes… That could be intense.  Moreover, the world of sports is pretty small, where athletes are separated by 3 degrees instead of 6.  It can end up feeling like you are drinking from the same water you swim in.  So, usually athletes like to spread out and date outside this familiar territory.  Usually, it is the convenience of shared lifestyle which lends itself to athletes dating other athletes. 

2.      You don’t have to be an athlete… But, we like it if you are ambitious and athletic/active.  Elite athletes are highly driven individuals with usually a fixation on high goal achievements.  Observing those qualities in another person, no matter, their area of interest is a definitely appreciated.  Seeing someone driven and passionate about something is an attractor for anyone. 

3.      Be able to travel.  We’re on the road quite a bit.  In my sport, we literally live out of our suitcase for 8 months of the year.  So, unless you can master the Long Distance Relationship plan have your passport ready to join your special someone occasionally on the road. 

4.      Be Patient and Flexible.  Ironically, some athletes can be the most impatient creatures but will demand patience in their partner.  Clearly, an uneven scale.  The schedule and lifestyle for most athletes are governed by their sport and coach.  Fairly or not, we might expect others to be adaptable to our lifestyle and understanding.

 

5.      Missing practice is not an option.  Just like anyone who has a 9 to 5 job, for a professional/elite athlete our sport is our full-time job.  There aren’t any coffee breaks, holidays or playing hookie.  If it is Christmas, the holidays, Sunday or the arrival of the Easter Bunny we train.  And for most of us, our work week is 6 days.

6.      If we are in a rut and you don’t know what to say, say nothing… You can’t go wrong with this advice.  In fact, you may be the necessary reprieve needed for your special someone to reset themselves and get back on track.  

At the end of the day, often dating a non-athlete provides the necessary balance that an elite athlete requires… so long as the relationship is supportive and healthy.

Your relationship non-expert,

Nicole