Healthy Cold Remedies - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
I periodically write for my company's blog about health, wellness, fitness, and motivation. Here's a little something I wrote for them, which I thought might be useful for you as well. It was helpful for me the last 3 weeks when I was battling the flu/cold/bug that has been running rampant this winter. Are there any natural remedies you swear by? Let me know...I'll try them out! Healthy Cold Remedies - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
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One thing I truly enjoy about judo, is it gives me 2 hours where I don't have to think about anything having to do with normal, everyday life. I can focus on a specific technique, different gripping sequences, moving a certain way, challenging myself. Though it is sometimes difficult to force myself to get up and go to practice, I truly enjoy the time when I'm there. It's my outlet from the stress, grind, anxiety, and sometimes helplessness of everyday life. I love the feeling of not thinking--just sweating, working technique, and focusing purely on winning a match or perfecting a throw or move. If you don't know me, know this...I normally NEVER stop thinking. My brain is ALWAYS churning a million miles a minute. So to have that 2 hours of nothingness is an amazing, peaceful thing. It also doesn't hurt when you've worked your ass off, sweat dripping off if you, completely exhausted by the effort you've put in. It's a very satisfying feeling. So, I've come to believe that sometimes, no matter what you do, it's just NOT your time. Sort of along those lines, "if it's meant to be, it'll be"...
I know I'm just on a different path than most, but when I look at Facebook or Twitter or whatever social media network...all I see are my classmates or even people YOUNGER than me, getting engaged, married, having multiple babies....looking like this live they live this perfect, happy life. I know--it's just social media--not reality. Just sometimes I wonder, "what's wrong with me?" "why don't I have that?...or at least anything close to that?" I'm single, alone...doing this random, CRAZY thing...all on my own. I know it's stupid...don't get me wrong...I'm very proud of the choices I've made; to choose the path not taken. I am, I truly am. But sometimes (especially when injured and can't necessarily give it my all in my sport or chosen path) I wonder, did I choose the right thing? Did I choose the right path? Everyone looks so happy. I know some of them truly are happy, and I'm so happy for them! Some of them, it's just a facade. But, in all honesty, sometimes what I'm doing is a facade. You see the traveling, tournaments, different countries, medals, the success, etc. What you don't see are the constant struggles, the aches, pains, concussions, the struggles with work, financial struggles, the constant debates about what's right for my life...relationships, family, career, judo?, etc. I go through constant struggles (as do all people). But I am here, publicly sharing my struggles and concerns. I do want that "perfect life". Some day, hopefully I'll have a loving husband, a few little babies running around, maybe a cat and a dog, living somewhere warm, enjoying my career, and loving my family. I may be asking or hoping for the world...but that's what I want and hopefully one day will have. But for now, I have a dream...that dream is to be or do something incredible--that not many others have or could do. I want to excel in a sport; my dream is the Olympics, but honestly if I could make a Pan Am Team or a World Team, that would be incredible--especially for someone like me, with only 4 years of experience in the sport. I am going to try my hardest to excel in judo--it's what I'm here for...but one day, I do hope to have that "happily ever after" that every girl wishes for. If not, hey....at least I did something incredible in my life and met some extraordinary people. :) I'm not going to lie...I'm nervous for this tournament. I have 2 weeks until I leave for El Salvador. The South Americans are known for a style of judo that's called "dropping". They basically drop to their knees, get in between and under your legs, then pull you over their back. It is my kryptonite. (There's a picture of it below)
I guess what else makes me nervous is the fact that, like I mentioned, I haven't been training nearly as much as I should be. There have been a lot of changes and distractions in my personal life that have thrown me off my judo game a bit. Work, life, finances....the norm. It's hard to separate everything else that's going on in my life with judo. Most days, I'm so exhausted after work and from the other stressors in my life, that I have zero energy left for judo. It probably doesn't help that I haven't been able to sleep much at night. My brain won't shut off; it won't let me relax! A bit frustrating. That's why coffee has been my savior at work! "Venti Starbucks coffee? Large Dunkin Donuts coffee?" Why, yes please!! So, as you can probably see...I'm just like everyone else in this world. I get tired, scared, sore, exhausted, frustrated, nervous, side-tracked...the list goes on and on. In case you thought athletes are immune to feelings of insecurity or lack of confidence. The only difference between me and most people; I just happen to be flying around the world, trying to fight girls. ;) Anyways, thanks for letting me vent. I needed to get that off my chest. :) At times my life is stressful. Ok, that's a lie...MOST of the time my life is stressful. Physical, mental, emotional, financial stress....I've got them all. Now, I don't believe, in any way, that I'm the only one with stress in life (that's absurd!). I do believe I may be one of the few athletes that utilizes creativity as an outlet for stress (instead of running, lifting, yoga, hitting something, lifting something, etc.). My stress reliever (I've recently come to find out) is painting. I honestly had never picked up a paintbrush (besides in middle school) until 2013 at a team meeting activity for my work. I told a friend of mine that I somewhat enjoyed it, and he persuaded me to give it a try. So, we went to Hobby Lobby and Michael's, bought a few supplies, and I tried it. I was horrible at it (I still have no idea what I'm doing) but found a sense of peace while developing my creation. I didn't know what the end product would look like, I couldn't screw it up (I've come to find out), it brought out my creative juices, and I was able to just focus on the brush strokes, the colors, and my project. I could finally be at peace. If you don't know me well, here's something you should know: I over-think and over-analyze everything, plus I have some perfectionist tendencies. My brain never shuts off, ever. Only when I paint am I allowed just to be...it's quite an amazing feeling. If you're an overly stressed, overly anxious individual that hasn't found your "peaceful" place yet, I do recommend painting. You don't have to be creative, you don't have to have experience, you can't screw it up. Just let the brush stroke and the colors flow! :) (Am I sounding hippy-ish?!?!) :) In all honesty, if you haven't found that place or activity that gives you peace, keep searching; try new things. You may find it where you least expect it. You deserve to unwind, de-stress, and find peace throughout this crazy, wonderful, chaotic life! This is part 2 of the interview from a blog post done by Milady, one of my sponsors. See the original post here. MILADY IS PROUD TO SPONSOR TEAM MEMBER IN THE AFRICAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR JUDO The sport is mentally and physically exhausting, plus you have a full time job! What keeps you motivated? Seeing my own progress definitely keeps me motivated. Every time I get to that next level I am encouraged to do better. Also, knowing that my competition is working just as hard. Sometime, to be honest, it is hard to stay motivated. It is absolutely exhausting--working full-time, doing judo, training on the side, plus marketing myself to find sponsors in my "free time". But having a good support system (my family, boyfriend and my teammates) plus an understanding, flexible boss, definitely helps. How does Judo translate into everyday life? The lessons I learn on the mat can be directly translated into everyday. Things like, ‘when you fall down you have to get back up,’ ‘there’s always going to be roadblocks in your path’ are applied both in my everyday life and in my Judo life. In all honesty, sometimes I want to quit--it's hard, demanding, physically taxing!--but it's at those points in this journey that I have to push through and keep going. The same concept applies for everyday life--sometimes it gets hard, things don't go your way--but you have to continue to try. Never give up. Who are your mentors? My coaches Jason Morris and Teri Takemori--they have taught me everything that I know. They saw potential in me when I didn’t see it in myself. I also look up to my father and my sister, Carrie. They are the people that I strive to be like and one day I hopefully will be. As an athlete what is your beauty routine like? Skin: The healthier you eat the better your skin is. Before I started judo, I would eat a TON of sugar--chocolate, cupcakes, ice cream, you name it! When I started to clean up my diet for Judo, my skin pretty much cleared itself. Of course I wash and moisturize everyday. Hair: I was lucky enough to find a great stylist, Claire Harris. I see her every 4-6 weeks, and she takes great care of my hair. She recommends products that help. I always use professional products like Biosilk, Deva Curl, Bumble & Bumble and Nexxus. Once a week I will use a deep moisturizer or hair mask because my hair gets destroyed at judo and I have naturally wavy, frizzy hair. How does Milady’s philosophy fit into Judo? Knowledge is power to me. I have a never ending thirst for knowledge. It's essential to continue your education in almost every aspect of your life. Milady has that same philosophy with professionals in the beauty and wellness industry. We all have battles to fight. Whether it's on the judo mat, for your career, for your relationship, for your kids, for your family, for your friends, for your life...we all have to fight. If you truly believe in what you're doing or what you have...never hesitate, even for an instance, whether you should put up a fight. Get out of your comfort zone, work yourself to the bone, feel uncertain, ask the difficult questions, take the first step, be the first one to show love...do whatever it takes for what you believe in and what you really want. No matter the outcome, you will come out a winner--even if it doesn't feel like it right away. Even if you lose, or the outcome isn't exactly what you wanted, you will walk away knowing you gave it everything you had and have no regrets. The worst pain you will ever feel isn't physical and it's not when you push yourself to the max--the worst pain is the pain of regret. So, whatever your fighting for today....fight your ass off. It's worth it! Don't wake up one morning with the pain of regret. This is from a blog post done by Milady, one of my sponsors. See the original post here. Milady Is Proud To Sponsor Team Member In The African Open Championships For JudoAny progress, even it’s slow, is still progress towards your dream. How did you get into Judo? I actually had never heard of Judo until 2010. I was out of college, in Olathe, Kansas working for the Hershey Company. Since I was no longer active in competitive sports, I was out of shape. I decided to start working out a local gym. One of the personal trainers (who also happened to be a judo coach) noticed my athletic build and suggested that I try judo. I tried it and didn’t like it–it was mostly men, a lot of close, physical contact. The coach pestered me to try it again for a few months. I finally gave in. I walked into the dojo and he threw a gi (uniform) at me and told me I had a competition in a month...get ready. I was hooked. I’m very competitive. It’s the perfect combination of athletic ability, strength, agility, and intellect and strategy. It’s like a physical chess game. Judo must be the majority of your life outside of Milady, do you ever feel like you miss out on things? Yes and no, I definitely don’t lead a normal life, but I wouldn’t say I miss out. I’ve been given amazing opportunities. Judo has helped me grow as a person both mentally and physically. AND I get to travel the world. What I get in return far outweighs the sacrifices I have to make. What advice would you have to someone who has a dream of doing something that may seem out of reach? First you have to find something you’re passionate about and actually dream it. Anything is possible. A lot people don’t think big enough. They don’t put themselves out there. Set your mind to the main goal and then set mini-goals to get there. Any progress, even it’s slow, is still progress towards your dream. After all is said and done, what is going to determine success for you in your Judo career? Just by doing it is a success. I took a completely different turn in my life. Just having the guts to move and train at one of the best facilities in the world; that's admirable. When I actually take the time to think about it, I am proud I had the guts to take a chance and go after a dream. I wouldn't be mad if I won a National Championship or made a Pan American Team either... :) I have about 3 weeks until the 2014 USA Senior National Championships, this year being held in Reno, Nevada. This tournament will be the first time I'll be able to really gauge how I rank and compete among the 48kg girls in the U.S. I'm going into this tournament with a lot of confidence. I am only seeing gold. If I leave Reno without a gold medal in the 48kg senior elite category, I'll be very disappointed with myself. With that being said, I have a lot of work to do in order to prepare. I'm still trying to recover from all of the traveling, training, and competing (plus work at my marketing job) but I may need to get started full-bore training without an ideal amount of recovery. My training looks a bit like this...
As you can see, I have a lot of work to do in the short 3 weeks that I have left. :) I'm hoping to bring back another gold like I did in 2013. When I get more time, I'll put together the information about Nationals for you--if you're interested in the details. When, where, what time...all that good stuff. Stay tuned! **Edit: Here's the link to the tournament information! After about 3 months of non-stop training, tournaments, sicknesses, and work, I am ready for a break. Some time to unwind, let loose, let go of all of my responsibilities and just enjoy living. I know it's needed because I'm currently in (what I like to call) my "zombie stage". I'm not really alive, yet I'm still walking around (trying) to function. My brain is zapped, my body destroyed, and my energy is non-existent. I'm sure we all can relate to this feeling... So, to try to "de-zombify" myself, Justin and I are heading to Chicago this weekend for a mini family reunion! I couldn't be more excited to see everyone--especially the newest addition to the Hejlik (Naber) family, Isaac Joseph! After our trip, it's right back to training full-force as I have the JMJC Open on March 22nd and a points tournament at the beginning of April in Philly. I need to be in top shape, as I need to win this tournament to (finally) get on the national ranking roster for my new weight category, 48kg. I plan to take full advantage of my time away, as I know I need a full tank of gas to get me (successfully) through the next few months of training and tournaments! April through June will test my progress from the last few months and my ability to compete (and win) at the next level. Wish me luck!! :) |
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