Spring Sprint

I’m not a huge fan of the phrase “ramp up” because it’s one of the many buzz terms I hear in the corporate world, and it usually means I’m going to have to do a lot of work in a short amount of time.

But, it can also mean exciting things are on the way. We are ramping up our efforts in my publicity campaign to promote my new book. I’ve already had the great opportunity to publish a few articles, and am establishing my credibility as a writer. It’s exciting! This is a brand new phase in my life.

My physical therapist and I are ramping up my efforts to rehab my knee. Rehab sessions are starting to feel more like personal training sessions due to my increased strength and mobility. Yesterday I did forty-five minutes of yoga at home with fewer modifications than I thought I would have to do. I’m reopening my gym membership after a six month freeze for medical purposes, and I’m dying to get into the pool and swim laps, which I haven’t done in a YEAR. I’m still out of the dojang for a while, but I’m getting more comfortable doing forms (poomsae) at home.

At this point, I’m ready to start moving faster. After the devastating winter storm that traumatized everyone in Texas, I’m ready to put the dark, gray winter months (and the frequent nosebleeds I get due to dry air, which I have right now as I write this) behind me and literally and metaphorically turn up the heat.

More people are getting the COVID-19 vaccine, which isn’t a magical force field, but it does give hope for a future that looks more like what life used to be. I had a dream last night in which people were walking around without masks. My last few dreams have had me freaking out when I find myself in public without one. (Just to note: I’m perfectly fine wearing a mask and continue to wear one even though I’ve already gotten the vaccine because I’m not a baby.)

I am also being cautious about this spring awakening.

This time last year I wrote about being agile and ready when it’s “crunch time.”  Two weeks later, the world shut down due to the pandemic. My work didn’t stop, nor did the process of publishing and publicizing my book, but it looked very different. I’m not glad the pandemic happened, but I needed to slow down. My knee injury slowed me down further.

I’ve been pretty grouchy about having to balance all these things lately–work, book stuff, knee stuff. Now I can see a finish line. The book will be published in April, the publicity campaign will slow down in May, a few events will have happened with work, and by Memorial Day, I’ll be able to start thinking about my summer plans.

So I’m looking forward to the spring sprint, both for the excitement and change it will bring, and for the quieter, more laid-back summer that will follow.    

Stay tuned for my upcoming book– “Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts” published by She Writes Press. Coming to a bookseller near you April 20, 2021! Create your own awesome blog with WordPress. Click this link for more information!