Skip to main content

Do You Even Lift?

This will be a quick one. I've always heard the whole "if you don't blog/facebook/instagram about it, did it even happen?" thing so in my case, I've done essentially nothing for months. This is not true. You know how I go really long spans without blogging? Because sometimes life is better spent being lived than written about? Yeah, kind of the same with the whole exercise thing right now.

I started this post a loooooong time ago and am just getting around to finishing it so it's interesting that it's still so relevant. I'm currently training for the Eugene Half Marathon (which was originally going to be marathon #4) and doing Orangetheory once a week which is not exactly nothing. I've posted a few somewhat obligatory #gymselfie pics on instagram but in general I've just been doing my thing and not talking about it much.

I follow the instagrams of numerous athletes, almost all amateurs and really enjoy them so don't think I'm against sharing exercise. I think when it comes to me, I felt like I got stuck in a very one dimensional place. When you thought of me, you thought of running. And I thought that's what I wanted which it was until it wasn't. I have a lot of sides to me and being so known for just one side made me really uncomfortable for whatever reason. When I moved to Oregon (10 months ago, holy crap) the few people from Louisville who kept up with me or asked about me spoke almost exclusively in terms of fitness. "How are you liking the trails out there?" "Have you found a place for lap swimming?" "Which races do you have your eye on?" I mean, at least they were asking something, right? But you know me, I can never be fully satisfied and those questions just seemed really shallow to me. Nobody was asking about me, they were asking about things.

So even though I've continued working out since it is important and enjoyable to me, I haven't made it the big thing it used to be. I've gained weight that I'm working on losing again, I run faster some days than others and I've joined maybe 3 group runs in the entire time I've been here. Obviously a lot of that has to do with school being all consuming but now that it's almost over and my time has freed up I've been doing a lot of other things and trying to remember what's made me happy. Coloring has become a new fad and for the first time it's one I was already ahead of so that's been fun. I'm also reading again; albeit slowly I'm getting into books and in true form reading more than one at a time. And I'm cooking. Not huge things or anything terribly time consuming but I've made it a point to eat more veggies and have been cooking some up and throwing them into many meals which has me feeling pretty good.

In a nutshell, I hate being in a nutshell. I want all of my sides to show and to embrace my complexity. What about you? Do you feel like you're stuck in a shell? Or maybe you like being known as "the one who *insert whatever*?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Lovin the Hills Race Report

Guess what I did this weekend??? I was a very good girl and asked my coach very nicely if I could please please please do the Lovin' the Hills 6 mile trail race and because he's the best he gave me the green light to participate . So, I did my very first trail race on Saturday! I'm not necessarily a stranger to trails but I definitely wouldn't say we're friends. Trail running goes on the same list as all of those really great athletes I "know" and am Facebook friends with and want to be able to be real friends with but I'm too intimidated to try. You know what I mean right? Anyway, I've run trails before and volunteered at many a trail race but I've never actually "raced" myself so this was going to be a fun new experience. The site wasn't far from my house and since I'd waited to sign up for various reasons, I didn't have to get up too too early to get there in time for race day registration. I drove to Jeffer...

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 10K Race Recap

Wow, what a title right? Although I also could have titled it the greatest race of my life. Wanna know why? Yeah I thought you might. The week leading up to the race wasn't a great one. Stress at work, general grumpiness etc. etc. etc. So I really wasn't expecting much as far as performance but I wanted to get a 10K in really badly before the marathon relay this Saturday so I thought What the hell and signed up. The atmosphere at Komen events is like none other. Pink everywhere and people....so...many...people. For someone who hates crowds (i.e. ME) there are few things that will lure me to a crowded place. Races just tend to be one of those things. Anyway, there was a great survivors parade and all kinds of booths and music and general funness. What there wasn't plenty of was parking. Which I guess is the norm for an event of this caliber. Survivors' Parade Great Ladies I never got the chance to meet... Seriously packed at the start! Autumn Alexis, The Colonel and I g...

My Life is Awesome

Do you ever just wake up, take a big breath of fresh air and feel totally grateful to be alive? Ok, so I don't. But I also don't wake up wishing I hadn't anymore and that is certainly something to be grateful for. You see, I went through a very long, very dark phase in my life where every day was not a blessing, I couldn't enjoy a pretty day and I begged the earth to swallow me whole. I had things on the horizon and did a pretty damn good job of faking every normal human emotion so no one knew what was going on. The only one I didn't have fooled was myself and unfortunately at that time, mine was the only voice I heard and the only opinion that mattered. Without going into detail I'll just say that there was a point when I hit rock bottom. And as I sat there and finally felt solid ground under me I realized that I was no longer falling. What was more important was I realized the true benefit of rock bottom, the ability to put your feet on the ground. When I ...