Park City Wellness Summer 2020 Newsletter
PARK CITY WELLNESS SUMMER 2020 NEWSLETTER
I find myself writing this newsletter from my home in Salt Lake City and reminiscing on the fact that this time last year I was racing in France. Our world certainly has changed and it seems it will continue to do so as we all navigate such a dynamic season in our lives. I very much wanted this newsletter to have been written as a celebration of how far we’ve come since the COVID19 pandemic emerged (and we have!) but reality keeps me grounded and acknowledging that we still have a ways to go before life returns to a greater state of ‘normalcy’ than what we have experienced in the past months. My intent is that you find something in this newsletter that is helpful for you to successfully and healthfully continue forward on this remarkable journey we are all navigating. As always, if you need anything please feel free to reach out. If I can’t help you I will certainly help you find someone who can.
Blessings,
Jen
Summer Strength Zoom Sessions with Jen
Jennifer will be leading a series of strength sessions over the digital platform, Zoom, this summer for anyone interested. With most of our social connections being virtual these days, these strength sessions will be a great way to stay accountable, healthy, strong and have a bit of fun! Sessions will be offered weekly for July and August (8 sessions total) and can be done with minimal to no equipment in the comfort of your own home. There will be three day/time slots available per week to accommodate your schedule and time zone.
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Salt Lake City Wellness Athlete Spotlight
Beth Miller Erman
Beth has been a longtime client focused on a journey towards optimal health and fitness. Read on for Beth’s experience as an athlete racing virtually during the COVID19 duathlon season:
“I'm Beth Miller Erman, longtime runner, retired triathlete-turned master's duathlete in St. Louis, MO. This year my goal race was the USA Triathlon Duathlon Nationals scheduled for the end of May in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I'd planned the trip for almost a year, including a tour of places of significance in the Civil Rights movement as well as several Civil Rights museums in Alabama after the race. However, as we all know, the race was postponed, as were several other local races I'd planned to do this spring. In the meantime, I wanted to stay in close-to-race shape for when races did start again, so I have done quite a few virtual races, including several 5k and 10k runs and a duathlon on a very warm and humid morning. I also participated in the Gateway Resilience Run and Ride, running a 5k, 10k, and 15k for the run challenge, then riding 10 miles and 25 miles for the riding challenge. The money raised went to help small businesses significantly impacted by the closures. I love challenging myself in races, and it's really hard to "race" alone, so it's been a challenge to push myself to make it as close to a real race as I can. Now I'm doing two summer-long "endurance" virtual races. For one, I am running and walking 371 miles across Missouri, and for the other, I am running, riding, and walking 1000 kilometers around Missouri. These are more about adding up the miles than time, but it's still been fun to track the progress. I hope to be able to race for real sometime this year, but if not, I feel like I'm building some mental fortitude racing against myself that will help me next year if races resume.”
How to Maintain Mental Health During COVID 19
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the National Ability Center in Park City Utah to discuss mental health practices that you can use during the COVID19 pandemic. Below you’ll find a summary of my advice and suggestions:
Monitor what you are taking in: “Input” can come in the form of news, conversations, social media and more. We have a lot of information coming our way right now. Set boundaries around how much you take in each day. Stay informed but learn to draw the line at a point you feel you are getting too much “input.”
Take care of the basics: It seems so simple. Eat well, exercise, hydrate, get enough sleep. But these are all areas that can get overlooked during stressful times. Make sure you are taking care of the basics to keep your body and mind feeling well.
During a time of increased unpredictability, establish a routine: Map out a daily routine that you can follow if you find yourself with a change in normal schedule. If suddenly you are working from home, maintain a normal wake-sleep schedule, eat and exercise at the same times of day and decide when you will start and end your work day. Routine can be incredibly helpful for mental health.
Self care: We all need it. Time to “refill our cup.” Time alone. Or time to connect with others. Whatever makes you feel good, make sure you take the time to do so as long as it is helping your mental health. Some great ideas include: nature walks, reading, getting a massage, hopping on a zoom call with friends or watching your favorite movie.
If you feel like you need help, reach out: This may seem obvious to some but it is often the hardest thing for most of us to do when we are struggling. If you are needing additional support reach out to a friend, family member or mental health provider who can help or point you in the right direction.
We are all in this together. Stay healthy, stay strong.
If you are interested in watching the full video, this link will take you to the Park City Wellness Facebook page where you can watch it.
I have some new resources, reading and listening material up at jenniferlentzke.com! Click the link below to access my journal page and see what I’ve been up to at Salt Lake City Wellness.
Summer Ancient Grain Salad
I’ve never been a fan of overly complicated recipes. Below you’ll find some ideas for a variety of ‘ancient grain’ summer salads. Add, subtract or substitute ingredients to make it your own!
1/2 cup cooked quinoa, tabbouleh, or amaranth
1 cup dark leafy greens such as kale or spinach
1/2 cup fresh blueberries or 1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp. chopped walnuts, slivered almonds or pine nuts
1/2 cup cooked red beans, black beans or white beans
2 tbsp. Annie’s Green Goddess dressing or other vinaigrette dressing of choice
Optional: 3 oz. grilled chicken, salmon or tofu
Assembly: Add greens and dressing to a bowl and toss until fully coated. Add in fruit, nuts, and beans and mix. Plate the salad and place the grain over the greens mixture and the protein over the grain. Salad to be served cold. Protein and/or grain can be warm or cold. Enjoy!
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