I don't really believe in resolutions.
And I wish I had a plan for 2012....but I really don't.
I have some things I would like to do...such as the Austin marathon in February, and half marathon sometime soon. But nothing is set in stone, no races are paid for.
My back is feeling better, and after a high mileage week last week (47 miles, which is a lot of miles for me) I feel ok. My shins hurt a little, my back is sore...but all in all I feel ok. I want to take the next few Saturday long runs and see where I am at. I need to be able to increase my miles on my long runs each week if I want to run 26.2 in Feb. And honestly I don't know if my back will hold up. So, no concrete plans until I see how I feel after the next few long runs.
I am making an appointment with a local sports athlete doctor/chiropractor...he holds a free clinic here in my area on a weekly basis and I think I am going to check it out. I believe my insurance covers it if I want to continue to see him and if I am being honest with myself I really think I need to learn more about what part of my body is actually causing my back pain, and what stretches or exercises I can do to aid in a faster recovery. I really would like to be more in tune with my body.
I also need to make some decisions about my ponies, and whether I want to make the time this year to finish them off and get them completely rideable. Unfortunately I don't think I can run and finish the ponies. It's going to take time and at least 90 days to get them where they need to be...which means, I will have to cut down on my running significantly during this time. And herein lies the predicament....because....well running has become very meaningful for me in recent months. And my sanity has become dependent on it.
One thing I have been thinking about a lot is just how life has so many seasons. Happy times, sad times, hurt times, elated times, confusing times....and we all go through these seasons throughout our whole life. The way we choose to do deal with these seasons, whether good or bad, dictate which paths we take, what choices we make, and ultimately what the future holds for us.
I was watching 60 minutes the other night and they had this segment about this AMAZING rock climber who free climbs. (I am no climbing expert, but as they explained it, it means he climbs without safety ropes) It was simply amazing to watch this guy! Doing something that was so beyond anything I could ever imagine doing myself. He lived in a van travelling around and just seemed so centered on what he was doing.
I have a deep respect for people who follow their dreams, and who pursue things they are good at or their passions. In fact I feel that every person has something (maybe more than one thing) that they are good at....something that arouses a passion inside them. I think we should all, including myself, aspire to find what we are good at...and try to do it more often, or try to hone that skill.
I posted about this earlier this year, but I wanted to mention it again. Because I really want to think more about the things that I like...the things that make me happy....the things I am good at. What's my skill? What am I good at? What do I want to accomplish in my life?
These are my thoughts entering 2012....
I want to know, what are you good at?
I think about this stuff all the time. I don't want to be a stay at home mom forever, but I also don't want to to take just any job. I'm lucky enough that I have the time to think about what it is that I really want to do.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Rain! There are a lot of times where I wish I had a time machine where I could go back knowing the things I know now about school, career, and life in general. I, too, wish I could be more pro-active with following my passions sometimes. I used to be that way when I was younger. It seems as I've gotten older, I become more and more cautious as it seems there are more factors involved in making decisions.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the sports doctor. I think it will be a help!
I am reading your posts backwards as I am cathing up ... oh gosh, how many times have I said that to myself! "what am I good at and what is my passion?" I used to work in a field I loved more than anything but was laid off and unfortunatley that market is not stable and now jobs are hard to come by in it. Instead I work in a job that I detest with a boss who apparently now hates employees who have kids that get sick ... and am miserable yet like you said, running is that outlet we NEED to get over these humps. Running is what makes us happy and it also gives us the time to reflect.
ReplyDeleteI've said this before ... I used to live to work but now I work to live ... I wish I could change that and I wish I could find my passion or talent.
I hope you do and can make it work for you. I also highly recommend a sports doc. I see one on occassion and it DOES help! Follow his advice though because if you don't, you don't heal!