Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Forms of Torture

Yesterday I was proud of myself for doing something I hardly ever do. I quit. A workout, that is. I just stopped midway through, walked back to my bag and took off my spikes, then marched myself right into the training room. You would think this would be an easy decision to make, but i assure you it's not. Not for me, at least. For most athletes there is a fine line between being smart and being dumb. I have strained my hamstring plenty of times and if I really was being honest, I always knew before it happened that it was going to happen. You feel something and you ignore it. (Oh that's nothing, just a little tightness…) Then you feel it again and you convince yourself that you can manage it. (I just won't push it too hard…) Then your body goes ahead and forces you to do what it tried asking you nicely to do in the first place. Stop. (Oops. There goes my hamstring….)

This time I chose to listen to my body willingly and I stopped before it made me. So instead of running 150's, I got poked and prodded, I got cupped, and then I got electrocuted. I am not making this up. If the training room is starting to sound like some sort of torture chamber, you aren't far from the truth. A lot of times we spend time putting ourselves through pain purposefully so we don't have to suffer pain that is going to set us back. Ice baths….deep tissue massage…foam rolling…needles…graston…electric stim…and my new favorite: cupping.


Does that look at all pleasant to you? Seriously, who came up with this crazy idea anyway?! But the point is, I choose to have this done and many other unpleasant things, so that I don't have to sit around for a week or two not doing anything. I do all of the above mentioned things so that I can use as many days as possible for putting my body through type of torture I enjoy. Training.

13 comments:

Kara Winger said...

Ugh!! If you bruise as easily as I do from cupping, it looks like you're in for some COLORFUL hamstrings! Pretty :)

Anonymous2 said...

Well this is completely new, at least to me. I hope it works but it does look like it will leave bruises. Might get some weird looks from competitors and fans.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I have seen this method used before, it worked very well on my mother's back problems. A Korean physician used the method as a series of treatments over a few weeks. Although I must admit I think of breast pumps with those cups.

Do you have nipples on the back of your thighs?

Anyway Brianna, pressing the pause button to avoid further injury is a very good sign. Olympic Trials set yourself up for a winning performance, zero health issues. Stay healthy and most of all happily positive about your trip to London.

Peace be with you

Daniel said...

Ms. Glenn,
What kind a hiccy that thing leave?
Don't strain your neck...

Brianna said...

i have a pretty bruised looking hamstring right now. :/

Christine said...

Interesting!! Looks kind of scary :) Hope you feel better today!

Bubba Gump said...

I have a friend who uses this cup with suction technique to suck the toxins out.

Never heard of it for muscles. I think whoever at the OTC is "prescribing" this is a nutcase! And creating crap to keep his job!

I've been a long and firm believer that the OTC is just a bunch of Lackeys getting a salary and they haven't the foggiest clue of how to train or take care of the bodies of Olympic Athletes.

#justsaying

As far as your feeling the need to stop practice? Agreed, take a week off, not just a day!! Heck take all the time off between now and Trials! Nothing short-term means anything.

Focus on the A standard and then go to the next.

Note: Do not form any diversions this year please. Boyfriends. Family. Friends. Whatever. Keep it pure.

Jim F. said...

My wife is Chinese, so I get to apply the cups to her every now and then for things like a stiff neck. It always freaks me out seeing these huge red half tennis balls on her back. I'm definitely going to be looking for the telltale circles on you through my binoculars at the Olympic Trials now!

Anonymous said...

Brianna is no different than many athletes who just can't bear the thought of leaving their sport and entering the real world. They may look like adults but really their development has stopped at the age of a young 20 something. Especially living in a place like the OTC. Unlike real life when Brianna has a bad day at the office she gest massages, she can see a psyhchologist and she has no children or other obligations.Hell they make your meals at the OTC-it is like living at a spa 24 hours every day-I loved it there but always knew it was not real life and I actually found it got pretty boring only thinking about me and my sport all day. It is all about Brianna all of the time. Now athletes can be amongst the nicest people you will ever meet and I am sure Brianna is too. BUT they have no clue what hardship, what struggle and what sacrifcie is-and their coaches and the others in their lives encourage this arrested state of development and self centeredness. As a former top athlete myself I know how life revolves around YOUR body, YOUR mental outlook-step into the real world where your boss, your children you spouse are just as imnportant and it is a huge adjustemnt. Perhpas Brianna will never leave the OTC-do they take Masters athletes there? And the most boring people in the world can be athletes-they simply can't relate to others...and they think they "have worked so hard". Sorry but working hard is getting up every two hours to feed a baby, putting in 10 hours at work, coming home, cooking a meal, spending time the baby...and then checking on your aging parents. Repeat day in day out.Suck it up all you athletes at the OTC. You are amongst the most pampered people on earth.

Anonymous said...

Every athlete anonymous or not should be forward looking and have in place a long term financial plan.
Check out stocks on the NYSE, AMEX, Nasdaq or Commodities Exchange and have a scalable business plan operating before taking on the responsibility of a family.

Lani Waugh said...

It's not that pleasant to look at. Yup, it may not, but the toxins will definitely be release after the therapy is over. It's a good therapy after all! The therapies that you said above certainly would make us feel rejuvenated, and help us face the grueling days ahead of us with confidence and the right mind set. So, I suggest that you go for this therapy once a month.

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