Week 19: Cram Week

I’m linking up this post on the Weekly Wrap again this week from HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin – check out their blogs as well AND the links that others have dropped in the link up!  I’m loving the support from the link up in any case, so THANKS to all of you for stopping by!  *smooch*

 

So, here we are at Week 19, and what a week it’s been. Basically I’m cramming studying into every spare moment I have since Saturday is EXAM DAY!

I know I’ve said it before, but studying / doing a course in another language is HARD you guys.  I have to read through the information, write down my own synopsis, then look it up in English (not all the time but often, especially when it comes to human anatomy and “physio” speak) to make sure I am really “getting it”. Oftentimes I am even struggling to get it in English.  But hey, I’m becoming a better person for all of this right?  Or something like that.  I’ve been informed by Ron that I’m never allowed to do another course again.  Which of course he is not serious (and if he was I’d be signing up for the next one just out of rebelliousness.  Because ain’t nobody telling ME what to do! ha!).

 

Monday

Late night Sunday at the concert meant I took a day off work.  I know I’m getting older and can’t handle late nights as much as I used to.  Usually what I do in the morning at work is really critical and needs a lot of attention to detail and has specific time deadlines.  Working like that after getting home at 1:30am is not ideal. I have the days, so I’m going to use them.

My knee was really sore (again) after the 18KM run on Sunday.  I iced and elevated throughout the day and I kept my knee brace on so I wouldn’t do anything weird.  I studied a bit in the morning but was so tired so I actually took a nap around lunch time.  Then in the afternoon I put on my sporty kit and went out for a gentle walk. 4,22 KM done but it took forever because the knee felt like it would give out every once in a while.  Grateful I spent about an hour in the sunshine though.  Who cares that it took an hour, right?

More studying in the evening.  Cram, Cram, Cram.

Steps:  10,563

Tuesday

Back to work and knee feeling better already!  Nothing really exciting to report.  I did go for a walk and it was at almost at “normal”  pace again.  3.5KM.

Then I had swimming in the evening.  I was kind of at the point where I thought, “if I have another panic attack I’m going to just stop after this lesson”.  Luckily I did NOT have to make any decisions like that!  I figured I don’t have to prove anything to anyone but myself, I don’t have to be the fastest, or even look like I know what I’m doing, so I’m just going to be chilled-out and take it easy.

And… no swallowing of pool water / throat blocking up / feeling like I was suffocating / panic attack!!  SUCCESS!!  And I even feel like i actually made a little progress!  YAY!  My swimming teacher double high-fived me (Is that a High 10 by the way?) at the end of the lesson!

 

 

Steps:  13,912

Wednesday

This week we’ve had a lot of international colleagues visiting our office which means quite a few meetings.  I knew I’d not only have to get my morning work done on time, but I also wanted time to go for my walk before a meeting at 1PM. I managed 2KM almost at last weeks’ speed, so the knee is definitely improving.    I cancelled my dry needling appointment and my sport physio appointment so that I would have more time to study.  Truth be told, I’m feeling very good lately, except for my knee.  No pain in my back or bum and I’m fairly certain that’s down to two things:  1)  I am now standing at my desk after an hour of sitting (for at least a half an hour) and 2)  the dry needling worked miracles.    I haven’t been doing my exercises though that either one gave me to do (for shame) so I felt it would be a waste of the physio’s time if I kept my appointment.  Will go back in two weeks’ time.

I did however bike to Starbucks to pick up coffee, so I added a few more KM’s to my activity (7.4 in total)

More studying in the evening.  I’m telling you, it’s serious CRAM time!!

Steps:  10,688

Thursday

 

No walk at lunch today – I decided to work through lunch so I would be finished with my main tasks by 2pm.  I already asked earlier in the week if I could go home to have more time for studying.  Since I (finally) told my team I’m doing this course I felt ok about asking, and they really understood and wished me well.  My bike was also ready to be picked up Thursday, so after a few hours at home in the books, Ron and I went to the bike shop by car and I made my maiden voyage (7.4KM) home with this beauty!!

 

Super excited – what a difference it makes to have a new bike after 21 years with the old one!

Since there was no lunch walk and I spent my free time (besides bike related activities) studying, I did not get all my steps in.  Bummer, but school is the priority right now.

Steps: 7,349

 

Friday

Pretty much spent the whole morning with my face in my notes or in the online learning environment.  Around 12:30 I took the bike out for a spin.  I needed a break and some fresh air.  So I did a 19KM round and it was fabulous.  At one point it threatened to rain (in fact there were a few drops) and then it went back to sunshine again.  Oh I love my new bike!  Have I mentioned that yet?  HAHA!

 

I came home, hit the books again and pretty much only took another break to eat dinner while Ron went to go and pick up HIS bike.  So again, not even close to step count.

Steps: 4,870

Saturday

EXAM DAY!

Up fairly early today.  Didn’t really feel like rushing around so I made sure I had enough time to eat, have coffee, gather my stuff, shower, relax a bit, go over my notes, etc.   And then it was 10am and time to leave.  Babette was going to be my “model”  for today’s practical exam (which is great because if you have to perform a stretch or a joint mobilisation on someone for a test, you want an  “easy”  model that is not too tall or muscular – which means Ron was not an ideal candidate this time around!)  and she would be at the school just after my theory exam.

First I had theory, along with everyone else, and I feel like I did OK, though I reckon I got about 10 out of the 50 questions wrong (and I’m very ok with that).  We all (afterwards) agreed that it was a little bit harder than expected but I feel like I passed.  Unfortunately results are only in next week, probably Wednesday *sad trombone*.

Practical exams were running early, though Babette was well on time for my timeslot, it came up a little bit quicker than expected!    There were 5 cases we could randomly select, so it could have been for shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip knee or ankle, or a combination, with muscle disbalances thrown in for fun.  I was really hoping to get something I felt very confident in and I did!  I got the ankle!  Babette was a perfect model and even better I felt VERY at ease with the examiner;  she was a former teacher of mine for my Exam Training course I did for my sports massage certification exam!  As soon as I saw here I felt immediately at ease.  No need to be stressed now.

And… ladies and gents of the internet… I PASSED!  I passed my practical exam!!!  WHOO HOO!!

In fact, ALL of us passed our practical.  Super happy for my whole class!

Now it’s a matter of waiting – next week I hope to make the final announcement that I’m certified also in Sports Injury Treatment and Prevention!!

To celebrate success, the mister and I went to a Mexican restaurant and had some nibbles and drinks (the concept on Saturday night is “tapas” which is NOT Mexican, but I’ll just let Dutch people have their thing…  it’s tasty food and that’s really what it’s all about).   We were home around 9pm, watched a bit of Eurovision and then went to bed.  No sleeping in for this girl on Sunday because…

 

Steps: 6,070

Sunday

My dad and Stepmom are here in the Netherlands!  They are big fans of cruises and just happen to be docking in the Netherlands this time around (the last time they were near here was 2011), so I get to see them for a whole day!

And what a great day it was!  Though we had to be up and out by 7:30 this morning, we reached Rotterdam and the cruise terminal just before 10am.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day today but we realised it was also the day that Feyenoord (the Rotterdam football team) was playing for the Premier League Cup…  the game was over at 4:30pm so we had to be back at the train station by 4 to avoid mayhem (whether the won or lost… but luckily they WON).  Dad and Anick had to be back on the ship by 4:30 so it worked out well.

 

We didn’t do a whole lot, some walking and lots of talking and lots of coffee and some beer and food.  I took them into the Cube House “museum”  (really just a cube house that’s open to the public) and we wanted to go in the Markthal but it was closed due to the match.  To be honest the main point was just to SEE each other in person and enjoy each other’s company and that we did.  I’m so happy I got to see them.  The last time was FOUR years ago.  It’s not easy to be so far away from family.  I know it’s the choice I made, but sometimes it makes me feel sad.

 

 

Anyway.  lots of walking today and we biked to and from the station for a total of 10KM.

Steps: 15,255

 

Summary:
Running:  Zero
Steps:  68,718 (so, I fell short this week)
Bike:  52.3 KM
Swimming:  approx 500 meters

Next week will be less hectic, and I already promised myself to use Friday (my normal day off work) as a real day off. I’ll also get some kilometers in my legs since Liverpool is TWO WEEKS AWAY!

 

And that’s a wrap!!!

How was your week?  Did you get all your trainings in that you planned?  Do you live close to your family? Do you prefer Mojitos or Margaritas?