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May 2024 FIRST FLX PT NEWSLETTER! Handle Hard, Run Strong: Lessons from Life and Running As a healthcare professional, I find immense satisfaction in treating athletes. Their dedication and resilience are truly inspiring. However, I wouldn't call myself a sports fanatic. Unless I'm watching my kids participate in sports or watching the captivating world of Track and Field unfold, sports generally don't hold my attention for long. My husband, Nick, and 6 year-year-old son, Chase, however, can sit and watch sports 24/7. Fueled by their sports enthusiasm, the other day... ...something unexpected happened, Nick and Chase were glued to ESPN in the morning. As I was doing the dishes in the background, I couldn't help but be drawn to an interview with Kara Lawson. Kara Lawson is the Duke Women's Basketball coach, and recently went viral with a motivational speech to her players regarding how to handle the stresses of being a collegiate athlete. The speech struck a chord with me and I have not been able to stop thinking about that speech since! For those of you who haven't heard it, google it, it is totally worth the listen. It hit home with me in so many ways, especially this powerful quote: “We all wait in life for things to get easier. It will never get easier. What happens is you handle hard better…so make yourself a person that handles hard well.” -Kara Lawson Finding Strength in the Hard Times The past three years have been a whirlwind of adversity. My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer just six weeks after my second son was born. She was only 57. While navigating a global pandemic, I was also working demanding hours in a traditional outpatient PT clinic, the kind where you see a constant stream of patients and feel invisible. Those three years were undeniably challenging, yet they were also transformative. Yes, they were filled with hardship, but they also brought immense joy – the gift of more time with my children and precious moments with my mom in her final years. Just like Kara Lawson says, those experiences made me a person who can handle hard much better. Looking back, I remember my husband and I clinging to the hope that "things would get easier" with time. We naively believed that as my mom's treatment progressed, life would become less stressful and allow for more normalcy. Fueled by this hope, I left my long-held PT job to focus on my family. However, with significant student loan debt, this wasn't a permanent solution. Thankfully, after years of dedicated payments, I finally qualified for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, wiping out all of my federal student loans! With a mix of relief and excitement, I handed in my notice. Surely, now things would be easier, I thought. But life rarely follows a straight line. My husband's work demands intensified, my mom's health declined further, and the full-time responsibility of childcare proved overwhelming at times. It wasn't easier, but I did develop a remarkable ability to handle it (most of the time!). Those years at home were a gift, allowing my children to spend precious time with their grandmother (Gigi). As time passed, and with the heartbreaking loss of my mom, I knew I needed to return to work. The idea of returning to the "hamster wheel" of traditional PT was unappealing. My mom, who had always been my biggest supporter, would have wanted me to pursue my dreams. So, I embarked on the challenging journey of opening my own PT practice. While I may not have taken any business classes, the skills I honed during those difficult years – resilience, determination, and the ability to handle "hard" – were invaluable assets. This journey hasn't been easy, but it's been incredibly rewarding. Kara Lawson's message is a constant reminder: we can't control what life throws our way, but we can control how we handle it. And sometimes, the hardest times make us the strongest. Applying Grit to Running: This had me thinking on a recent hard tempo run, running never seams to get easier. Whether you're chasing a new distance record or shaving seconds off your personal best, we as runners are constantly pushing our bodies. Even elite athletes experience the "hard" of running – they train at the limit to achieve peak performance. . But how can we, as runners, "handle hard, well"? One answer lies in recovery. By prioritizing recovery practices, we equip our bodies to adapt to training and prevent injuries. What's Next: Next month's newsletter dives deep into recovery practices for runners, exploring its importance and key components. By prioritizing recovery, we can not only strengthen our bodies for the "hard" of running, but also enhance our mental resilience to handle life's challenges. Conclusion: Thank you, Kara Lawson, for inspiring me (and countless others) to handle hard, better. Join me on this journey to becoming stronger runners and even stronger people. Warm regards, Amanda Robertson PS. Please feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts and questions! Also follow me on instagram at @flxphysicaltherapy for more information on FLX PT and running related topics! OR visit my website at www.flxphysicaltherapy.com for services!
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