Promotion

Good things come to those who wait. Do what you love and the rest will follow. Follow your heart. Believe. I believe in these statements.

After 12 years of wanting the Clinical Therapist job title, I have it. What's in a title? Status? More money? Yes and yes, but that was never my purpose for wanting it. Initially, I wanted the title for more mobility within the County system. I was hired as a Senior Mental Health Counselor. Only 6 positions with this title exist in the county - 4 of them in my unit. This limiting factor bothered me. Over time, I became bothered by the fact that I did the same work as a Clinical Therapist but did not receive the same recognition, while also having no leverage to leave my unit. I should clarify that I was always satisfied with my unit, but I anticipated future desires to expand my horizons in other Health & Human Services units. The Clinical Therapist position is above that of a Senior Mental Health Counselor. When positions open in any job title, the people who have dibs on the job first are those with the same title. There are close to 30 Clinical Therapist positions scattered amongst different units offering more opportunity to move about. It's hard for other job titles to break through the title barrier. 

Over the years, I've applied for or considered applying for Clinical Therapist positions when openings were announced. Obviously, I did not get any of those jobs, but more significantly, I did not see myself being happy in those other roles. Earlier this year I nearly applied for a Clinical Therapist position, but after careful thought, I knew I'd be miserable in that job for a plethora of reasons, so I didn't apply. I decided it was better to continue doing what I love, in a unit where there is room for professional learning and growth with a supervisor who is an awesome leader and peer. I truly had a feeling deep down inside that eventually, someday, I'd be able to keep doing the work I do, but with the new title of Clinical Therapist. Today was that day. 

With new, exciting changes coming down the pike, my supervisor and other powers that be were able to make a reasonable argument to the County Board as to why myself and 1 other co-worker needed to be Clinical Therapists. The Board approved our salary and title changes for the 2015 budget. As of 1/1/15, I can kiss my Senior Mental Health Counselor (and my red circled salary, meaning I don't get a raise because I'm maxed out) title goodbye. My actual job duties will not change, but that said, I will be able to play a lead role in developing a brand new youth treatment program in the ensuing years. My unit currently works with ADULTS with chronic mental illness. We will now be expanding to include teens with mental illness. I've made it known across the division in recent years that working with transitional age youth (teens aging out into adult services) is my passion. I've been included in many new "work groups" to address the issues and needs the County has to address to better serve this population, so it will be a thrill to be on the cutting edge of these future changes. 

Signing off, 
Joy Malloy, LCSW
Clinical Therapist 

The Perfect Race

If Joe's shirt looks remarkably dry in this post-race picture it's because he had plenty of time to wait for Rosanna & me, AND/OR he never broke a sweat to begin with. More about how well he did in a moment.

Following last weekend's half marathon, I dutifully listened to my body. Giving my body time to recover from the race and more importantly, to beat back a nasty little upper respiratory infection, resulted in me logging a paltry 15 miles this week (my weekly mileage hasn't been that low in years). The down time from running, weight lifting, and 45-minute walking lunch breaks led to mental distress, a slide from being the top ranked FitBit-er, and .... refreshed legs that carried me to a course PR!

Ideal running conditions found me revising the race outfit image I'd held all week long (orange long sleeve tech shirt, cute orange/yellow/black/white headband, black shorts, possibly a white running vest). With sunny skies, 55-65° temps and virtually no wind, I was dressed for a summer run at the end of October - replete with wrist sweat bands to drag across my sweaty, salty brow.

The Lakefront Discovery Run 15k (9.3 miles), has become a tradition for Rosanna and me. Joe, always injured, or recovering from a flare or surgery, was finally free to join this year's 35th annual run. The scenic course begins in the Third Ward at the Italian Community Center (ICC), runs north along Lake Michigan, up Kenwood hill, into and through Lake Park, down the Oak Leaf trail, across the Brady Street bridge, beside the lagoon into Veterans Park, on the backside of the Art Museum, past Discovery World, onto the Summerfest Island, then Harbor Dr. and back to the ICC.

Rosanna and I ran the first 5 miles together, banking off of each other to pass many competitors, even up the long slog of Kenwood hill☺ The first three miles held the nice distractions of vying for prime positions on a cramped sidewalk while searching for my mom, who planned to watch us from the Bradford Beach area. Just when I thought my mom hadn't made it, there she stood, bundled in a coat and hat, as we charged past, sweat soaked in shorts and t-shirts. Thanks for coming out Lady Juanita! 

Unlike last week's troubled race, I felt strong the entire time today. I was never tempted to walk, and I would even go as far to say I was enjoying myself. This is a shocking admission, because "enjoy" is not a word I usually ascribe to the act of long distance running. I "enjoy" the first mile of most runs, and I really "enjoy" being done with a run, but rare is the day that I "enjoy" an entire long run. The sparkling lake, the leaf  covered ravines of Lake Park, pooches being walked and the array of race costumes held my interest and added to the overall perfection of this race experience. I crossed the finish line 3 minutes faster than last year, and last year I'd crossed the finish line 5 minutes faster than the previous year. Official result: 1:30:27, a 9:44 pace.

Per usual, Joe was there at the finish line snapping sequenced pictures of my approach. As we waited for Rosanna to finish, Joe casually mentions he sustained a 6:53 pace for a 1:04:44 finish. This is such a huge leap from his 7:17-7:20 race pace, that my jaw dropped and I asked, "WTF???" --- Joe: "Well, you know how you get running in a certain pack and don't want to slow down...?" Me: "No. No, I have no idea what you're talking about." And the truth is, I do not know what he is talking about! ☺

The PURDUE Weekend

Our race weekend to West Lafayette, IN began with our arrival to the 1970's era Four Points Sheraton. Prior to arriving, we knew there'd be no kitchenette, so we made plans to bring a cooler of food, our toaster for race day peanut butter toast and a list of nearby restaurants serving vegan fare. The block of rooms reserved for racers (at a discounted price) faced an atrium (pictured to the left - the view from our door) that contained a swimming pool, air hockey table (noisy!) and dining facilities. This meant we had no view of the outdoors, nor could we keep our curtains open for natural light if we wanted to have privacy - think fishbowl.

Fortunately, we'd be out of Room 117 for the better part of each day. While our room was dark and unscenic, across the street from the hotel was the picturesque Celery Bog. This haven for birds and aquatic life provided a peaceful place to run, walk and gaze upon. 

Celery Bog

A pedestrian path led us from the hotel to Thai Essence, a spectacular restaurant where we had something new - Basil Rolls (to die for) with a chili-peanut dipping sauce - and a main course that was seasoned as spicy as we requested (this rarely happens). With lips and mouths burning, we took a crepuscular after dinner walk to help the fire in our bellies settle. It's a good thing we didn't order this meal before the race!

Friday morning dawned clear and crisp, the fall colors surrounding Celery Bog were peaking, and ... I had a raw, postnasal drip throat. No!!!!!! No getting sick the day before a race! Not acceptable. We laced up for a quick 2-mile run (pre-race tradition - it loosens the legs and works off pre-race jitters), everything felt good (except my throat) and we were ready to start the next phase of the day.

The original plan was to spend Friday with Joe’s family (parents, sister and her kids) and Saturday with his best friend, Andy, but a change in Andy’s schedule meant he’d be joining the Liello’s for an afternoon at Wolf Park. After a family-only lunch at a so-so Indian restaurant on campus, we forged on to Wolf Park, a “not-for-profit organization dedicated to behavioral research, education and conservation, with the objective of improving the public's understanding of wolves and the value they provide to our environment.” An hour-long tour of the park – seeing the wolves, as well as bison and black foxes (not black in color) - led by a cheeky Irish gal (recently landed in the U.S. last month) was informative, but contributed to a general sense of chaos.

The chaos emanated from having too many people, too many demands for attention and too many conversations going on at once. We hadn’t seen Leonna (11) or John (9), Joe’s sister Janie or his parents in approximately 2 years. It’d been about that long since we’d seen Andy as well, and we knew Andy drove 2.5 hours one way just to see us. How can you effectively listen to everyone and catch up on the latest news, while trying to listen to the wolf tour? Answer? You can’t. As the tour went on, dark clouds rolled in, winds picked up, temperatures dropped, my throat grew more raw and all I wanted to do was crawl into a warm bed in a quiet space. I was spent by the time we returned to our hotel, vowing to never ever spend the day before a race with people again. It’s discombobulating and stressful. I didn’t feel I had enough down time to rest and visualize the race (yes, visualize, it's a powerful sports psychology tactic for success).

Race day. After a pathetic night’s sleep, we find ourselves sitting inside the car, heater blasting, in Purdue’s Ross Ade stadium parking lot, in the dark, waiting for the 8a.m. start of the race.  The sky was newly lightened as the race began it's uphill climb out of the stadium to the infectious pounding of Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What". While I resisted running hard and fast to the constant refrain of "Turn Down For What", I chuckled as the guy behind me asked, "Does this count as our first hill?" I found this funny, because I knew this was a mainly flat course with only one significant hill to climb.

With this knowledge in mind, my throat feeling better (forgot to mention that) and a resolve to PR, I felt comfortable with the 9:25-ish pace I set. The course was instantly beautiful with golf courses, country roads, fall foliage, bridges over marshes, stately residential areas, the sun emerging over the horizon. So beautiful in fact, that I pretended to not notice the frequent long and gradual inclines in the road. I told myself it was essentially flat and kept my pace up - I had a PR to snag. Being a strong downhill runner, I welcomed the mile plus long section that led us down to the mighty Wabash River. Adrenaline and endorphins were flying high along that stretch. I laughed out loud over a homemade sign reading, "It's no time for Walken" with a picture of Christopher Walken, and I let out an audible, "AWWWWWW!!!!" over the Golden Retriever lying in a driveway on it's belly, limbs splayed out, calmly watching us go by. I reached Mile 6.5 (the halfway point) in 1 hour, 1 minute - a 9:23 pace ... more than enough wiggle room for setting a PR. 

Readers, are any of you waiting for the bottom to fall out? If you've been reading carefully, you may have an idea where this story is going. The joy I felt in the first 5-6 miles began to wane. Dark clouds stole the sun and 15-20mph winds kicked in. Annoyingly, the wind was coming from every direction, which I found necessary to comment on to no one in particular (note: people in races randomly say things to strangers). My comment was heard by an angel named Tom, who chatted with me for a couple minutes (another normal race experience is brief conversations with runners paralleling you), and asked what my goal was. I was on pace with his goal; he suggested we run together. At about this time, my legs began to feel like cement. The insidious hills that I refused to acknowledge (because the course elevation chart looked pretty level), coupled with a too fast pace (for the hills that did not exist!), were catching up with me.

Tom was using this race as a training run for his upcoming marathon 2 weeks later. He seemed to be running easy and comfortable, and I felt that hitching my train to his wagon would help me achieve my PR. I had a sense that he was sent to me, and since my race motto was "Why not today?" (to mean, why not push through the pain, why not push to a higher level, etc.), I decided, "Why not?!". The second half of the race becomes a blur of biting winds, frozen skin, forever hills, the stately red brick elaborate fountained Purdue campus, my mind and body wanting to walk and Tom beside me talking, asking me questions and encouraging me onward. Aware of my slowing pace, my vanishing PR, I urged Tom to go on without me, but he'd have none of it. In the last .1mile, we torpedoed down the ramp into the stadium to the finish line, just .03 seconds separating our time. 

I finished in 2:11, which was a 10:00 pace. Not only did I not PR, but I didn't even come close to my 2:08 PR, and yet, that was okay because I never gave up (thanks to Tom). I put everything I had into this race, so there were no regrets to be had. I also took solace in placing 23rd out of 61 in my age group... still in the top 1/3 despite my disastrous second half. My greatest error lied in underestimating the route and not familiarizing myself with the topography. The race course didn't have a lot of steep ups and downs, but it was full of long gradual slogs uphill that zap your energy. 

Joe was right there at the finish line with news of his own PR. He finished in 1:35, which was a 7:17 pace! One friend joked that he had home field advantage☺ Despite running like the speed of light, Joe placed 8th out of 72 in his age group. While 8th is nothing to sneeze at, this just shows the level of talent in this event. Overall, Joe was 67th out of 1,299 - top 5%. After getting our medals, a quick bottle of water and a race picture snapped, we made a beeline for the car and the warmth of the hotel.  

Warmed, rolled out and needing to stay on our feet to avoid stiff legs, we ended our day, in the rain, with some easy short hiking (really, more like walking) at Prophetstown State Park (named after a Native American named Prophet), followed by a Mongolian dinner at HuHot and hours of bad TV and lazing around the hotel.

Sunday, we headed home with no soreness or evidence of having just raced. The cold that began with a sore throat on Friday, then disappeared for the race on Saturday, returned, bringing with it sneezing, runny noses and coughs. Monday, another rest day from exercise and work, led us to the movies (Gone Girl). 

With two more races in the next three weeks, including this weekend's Lakefront Discovery Run 15k, we will be diligent to listen to our body's needs for rest and not push ourselves into bad health or injury.  

Nutrition

For the past 6 months, I've been making significant gains in my running - 1) With my running economy (this is related to how efficient your movement is based on ideal body mechanics - for example, someone who bounces up and down a lot while running is wasting valuable energy through more movement than necessary. The more perfect your form, the more efficient your use of energy will be. This is accomplished through strengthening weak areas, such as the small side hip muscles, and making cognizant changes to old movement patterns - typically through specific, personalized physical therapy exercises), and 2) My pace. I've had PR's and improved placements in races (remember that 2nd place finish I had in a trail 5k?) as a result of this growth. In the past month or so, it seems I've plateaued. While this is natural, you can't constantly go up, up, up, it is not a place I want to be at a week away from the Purdue Boilermaker's Half Marathon. What to do?

After 6+ years of running, reading about running and talking with other runners, I feel I have the nuances of physical training down pat. I know how and when to do what in my training cycles, so this leaves nutrition as the other aspect to consider. Though I have a healthy, plant based diet low in sugars and processed foods, I'm beginning to learn there is more I can do. Researching performance and recovery in athletics, I've found a few nuggets that have helped many lay and professional athletes up their game. I'm talking specifically about 3 "superfoods" that I intend to incorporate into my daily diet, starting today. I'm not sure they will give me an added boost in time for Purdue, but I do have 2 more races following that. Below you'll find a snippet on each superfood I'm welcoming to my life☺

MACA

Maca is a root vegetable with medicinal qualities. It's native to the high Andes of Bolivia and Peru. It is generally used in a powder form. Packed with amino acids, vitamins and minerals, Maca has proved highly effective in combating anemia and chronic fatigue while promoting adrenal functionality. It curtails the effects of stress by lowering cortisol levels, which helps improve sleep quality, which in turn helps you attain the deep delta phase of sleep. This stage of sleep is when Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is released, the key bodily process to repairing the damage caused through physical activity. With respect to athletes’ needs Maca has been shown to improve stamina and reduce the onset of exercise-induced soreness. Maca is used to increase energy and endurance in athletes. It has been noticed that when using this root athletes perform better and they are at lesser risk to experience body failure. Their improvement is better both, physically and mentally (Maca is also a mood enhancer). Maca is a rich source of sterols, which is why weight lifters, body builders, athletes and runners are increasingly using Maca.

Unlike caffeine, Maca is a healthy choice for increasing energy because it is not a stimulant and it is totally natural and non-addictive food. Maca is nutritionally potent food and has an excellent source of amino acids, vitamin B and C as well as minerals such as, zinc, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iodine. Maca is an ideal supplement for athletes and others who want to improve overall energy. Even some physicians will recommend Maca to athletes (one major league baseball team has their players using Maca daily) as a safe natural nutritional supplement and as an alternative to artificial stimulants. Another effect that has been noted by many people is that when using Maca their mental clarity and focus increased significantly. Furthermore, it is also believed that Maca can stabilize blood pressure, boost immunity, aide infertility and harmonize the body’s overall vitality.

CHIA SEEDS

Not only are they gluten/grain free naturally, but one tablespoon of Chia seeds has more calcium than a glass of milk, more Omega-3s than salmon, and more antioxidants than blueberries. They provide you tons of energy but also won’t keep you awake at night and are supposed to be great for weight loss. Because they can absorb many times their size/weight in liquid, they are great for preventing dehydration during exercise or exposure to heat. The Aztecs, Mayans, and Incans used Chia as a staple of their diet and as an energy food. Chia means “strength” in the Mayan language, and they were known as the “Indian Running Food” because runners and warriors would use them for sustenance while running long distances or during battle. Chia seeds contain essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid, mucin, strontium, 30% protein, Vitamins A, B, E, and D, and minerals including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, iron, iodine, copper, zinc, sodium, magnesium, manganese, niacin, thiamine, silicon, and anti-oxidants. Additionally, they are used for their nutritional and medicinal properties, endurance for athletes, for suppressing the appetite, weight loss, leveling blood sugar, and for aiding intestinal regularity. Chia seeds readily dissolve into the water, creating a substance that looks like gelatin. This gel-forming action is due to the soluble fiber in the Chia seed. Researchers believe that this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when Chia seed is consumed, thus creating a physical barrier between carbohydrates and digestive enzymes and slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. Slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar helps with endurance and metabolic rates, which is beneficial for athletes and others. Chia is used to strengthen bones (anyone out there with osteoporosis?!) and temper Diabetes. Chia can be used as a seed or in a ground form - add them to drinks, soups, breads or salad.

SACHA INCHI

The ancient Incas of Peru were well acquainted with the nutritional force behind Sacha Inchi. Cultivated over 3,000 years ago, this revered plant was inscribed on Inca tombs. These warriors extracted the oil from the seeds for cooking, but also recognized the advantage of consuming the prepared leaves and roasted seeds. Exceptionally plentiful in beneficial fats (14 grams per ounce), unsaturated fatty acids (linoleum, linolenic), protein (nine grams per ounce) and vitamins A and E, Sacha Inchi was an important staple of the Incan diet.

This seed, or nut, comes from a green star-shaped fruit native to the Peruvian Amazon, also known as the "Incan Peanut". As a unique vegetarian source of Omega-3 fatty acids, Sacha Inchi tames inflammation quickly. These fats are also easy to digest, unlike many fish oils. This means more of the inflammation crushing compounds, like resolvins and protectins, are absorbed and utilized by the body. Since inflammation is the root of most disease, and a barrier to speedy recovery for athletes, it is important to keep it in check. Health benefits of  Sacha Inchi include:

A better brain - Research has shown that a deficiency of omega-3s can trigger mental illness, depression and lack of clarity. But when omega-3s are added to the diet, these issues are reversed. When inflammation is reduced in the brain, mood and mental health improves. Sacha Inchi is also an abundant source of tryptophan, an important feel-good neurotransmitter.

Healthier bones - Omega-3s help the body to efficiently absorb calcium. High amounts of Omega-3s help increase bone density and bone mineral levels.

Protection against cancer - When adequate levels of Omega-3s are found in the diet, cancer risk is reduced. In human clinical trials, omega-3s were shown to protect breast and prostate cells from mutation. For those who added Omega-3s to their diet, biochemical protectors increased an impressive 40 percent compared to those who did not supplement.

Brain and bone health along with cancer protection aren't the only benefits of Sacha Inchi nuts. This superfood also:

- Eases joint pain
- Prevents premature aging
- Supports balanced glucose levels
- Improves vision and eye health
- Encourages healthy skin and hair
- Promotes cardiovascular well-being
- Curbs free radical damage

Zoomin'

How will I keep a blog audience if I don't do a blog?! It dawned on me that it's been a couple weeks since I last wrote. This is due to:
1) A zoomin' life wherein days and weeks pass in the blink of an eye
2) Nothing noteworthy to expound upon

I could bore you with a summary of my 2-day Crisis Intervention Conference in the Dells, recent dental and dermatological appointments declaring all is perfect, or break down the minutest details of each training run, but where is the fun in that for the reader?

Sometimes pictures are more fun than the written word. Here's a snapshot of the changing colors taken at Minooka Park on a 5 mile hike with clients.

This weekend we went to BatFest at the Urban Ecology Center where we got to meet this awesome three-pound Fox Bat. 

Coming up next is the Purdue Half Marathon on 10/18. The race weaves throughout the campus of Joe's Alma mater. We're making an extended weekend out of it to have time to see Joe's parents, sister/brother-in-law and kids, as well as Indiana friends (also Purdue Alumni).