Summer Synopsis

Wowl I can't believe that my last post was about my first half marathon! So much has happened since then that it feels like a lifetime ago. I've done tons of writing, talking, thinking, and growing these past few months, and it has not been easy. I'm a different person than I was when I began running last August, and I like this person, because she's the most "me" that I've ever been.

I got a tattoo in March, and the reaction from many people who have known me for a long time was, "You're not the kind of person who gets a tattoo." I'm not sure what that "kind" of person is, but I knew what they meant, and I knew that they were wrong. What I've spent the summer trying to do is to begin to live more authentically. To be who I am, and do what feels right to me, without worrying about what is expected of me, or what I "should" do. At 41 years old, I am learning to live for me. I'm also trying to stop compartmentalizing my life, so that I can only focus on one or two areas, while neglecting others. I want to be a complete person, true to my values and priorities...no one else's.

While I did a lot of work on my inside this summer, I began to neglect my outside. I did train for, and run, my second half marathon on October 26th, but my heart wasn't in the training. I did it because I had committed to it, but I felt that I had already proven to myself that I could do it, so the motivation wasn't there. I had a lot on my plate, and was tired. The weekend of the race I was in NH with my best friend, and getting away at that time, and being with someone who really knows me, was just what I needed. I came home and had a week off to rest and regroup, and I feel more energized and clear headed than I have in a long time. I'm feeling grateful for my job, my health, my family and friends, and ready too get back to things I've been neglecting.

Over the summer I gained about 15 lbs. I'm pretty much back to where I was last year at this time. I'm done with the trainer, and quit the gym. I will run/walk outside, and I've been doing lots of yoga. Yoga has saved me many times over the past few months. It is something I need, mentally just as much as, if not more so than, physically. My enthusiasm for running has waned, but it gives me cardio in a short amount of time, so I will continue. I'm sticking to 5ks for the foreseeable future, and have one on Thanksgiving, and one on New Year's Day.

Anyway, I know this post is vague and short, but I just wanted to check in. I'm looking forward to the holidays, and excited to see what 2015 has to offer. A year ago I never could have anticipated the roller coaster that this past year turned out to be. I'm committed to living my life from now on with a clear mind and an open heart. I wish you all the same!