Work

Two A Days (get your mind out of the gutter!)

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

Two a days are probably my favorite. Right? I mean, how can you go wrong when you give yourself two killer workouts in one day? I’m realizing that though it’s really nice to have someone else kick your butt on a workout, it’s just (if not more) awesome to kick your own ass.

When all you have is yourself then all you have to depend on is yourself, right? (DUH)  I worked all morning yesterday (by all morning I mean I rode my bike to open the gym at 4:30am and worked until noon…) then some how I continued to keep myself motivated until after the noon hour and do a killer leg work out and intervals on the elliptical.

Holy shit this girl is ripped and this is nowhere near what I do for my leg work out, but whoa. Don’t mess with her!

Then I bike home and laid around until 5:30 and had my friend pick me up for my FIRST SPIN CLASS EVER. I know, how have I been missing out on spin? The class/instructor was just okay, but what I liked/hated about it was that I was in control of my workout. Sure the instructor was there to try and motivate me, but in reality once the music got pumping and I was warmed up it was all on me to get it done and feel the burn. I kind of like knowing that I can push myself hard enough to be wobbly on my legs today. (and I sure am.)

When it comes down to it, we have to realize that fitness isn’t comfortable. We have to push ourselves to hurt and work hard on our own, because, you know what? No one else is going to do it for us.

 

“The only lack or limitation is in your own mind”

NH. Moos

 

The entire spin class I was yelling at myself (other people yell in their head, right?) to work harder, it’s only going to last a bit longer, keep going, you CAN do this, you’ll be mad at yourself if you don’t work as hard as you can NOW!!

In other words, don’t get in your own way. I’m learning to re-motivate myself, and I think that that is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves, not only with running or fitness, but in life itself.

 

How do you motivate yourself?

Ever done spin?

Which Are You??

/ Sloan / 4 Comments

“This is why I moved here,” as my fellow east coaster friend and I rounded a bend and saw the view of Mount Shasta I know we were both thinking it, I said it out loud. The trails here in Southern Oregon are incredible. In-cred-ible! We both moved here from the mid-Atlantic to be happier and then we figured we figure it out as we go.

As our conversation progressed on our 3 hour trail run topics progressed from all over the board: men, work, running, roommates, religion, moving…etc. My friend started talking about a woman she works with and couldn’t help but notice that this woman seems to be young, beautiful, married but works a whole lot! Like, a lot a lot. So much that I think the only time she’s outside is when she’s between her house and her car and her car and work…unless she has a garage, and then maybe parks in an underground parking structure…anyway, this woman seems to do nothing but work and then grocery shop on her days off. BORING.

 

Why am I talking about some woman I don’t even know? I’ve never met her, why do I care what she does? I don’t, really. But I know lots of people like her and it makes me kind of sad and curious. Did she never have the chance to figure out what she loves? Is she happy?  Makes me think about something I’ve heard people say as a concept of life: I live to work. OR I work to live. Which one are you?

Do you spend your days at work dreaming to get out, planning your next trip, gearing up to experience something alone or with a friend in a new place? Or do you get up in the morning and go to bed each night with work on your mind, making money your first thought, paying off those bills so you can enjoy the good life LATER?

My friend and I ran and ran and ran for three hours yesterday. Winding through the trail systems that put my old ‘trails’ to shame. Talking, laughing, detoxing from our week of working—this is one of my favorite ways to feel good about life. Knowing that I have the opportunity and love of the outdoors to detach myself from the everyday struggles and stresses of life. My jobs are to allow me to do what I want know, they let me live where I want and let me do what I want right now.

 

I chose to work so I can live. Don’t get me wrong, I want to enjoy my job and be full filled, but I’m also beginning to understand that there is so much more than work. I want to work, I want to learn, I want to play, I want to figure out the best balance of being able to do it all and be full filled and enriched!

 

Now how do I do that? Quarter life crisis countdown is on… T-minus 6 days! Eeeeeeek!!

The Gifts We Give and Get Back

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

Holy time machine! Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and now it’s past New Years I feel like I’ve been in a time warp for the past month and a half! I started two new jobs, doubled my concept of what a “long run” is, got back in the pool and am gearing up for the next big celebration following New Years.

WHAT?! You ask?! Martin Luther King Jr Day isn’t really a big celebration day, rather a day of remembrance… RIGHT, I know! A few days after we remember Dr. King we celebrate the day of my birth. January 18th, mark your calendars folks, with a big star, heart or whatever symbol reminds you of me the best… just don’t forget it!

But before we talk about my birthday, we have to talk about Christmas. I know, I know, that was sooooooo 2011, but I want to share what I gave my family. Being the poor, no-longer-a-college-student-but-still-cheap-like-one kind of lifestyle I am currently living I sent my mother and my father and gave my brother a homemade card, it was made with a lot of love and a lot of Modge Podge.

The card wasn’t really the present, the present was what was written on the back and on each card I wrote: I’m giving the gift of inspiration and support. And promised to find a race and train (from afar) with each family member. A half-marathon with my Dad, raising money and going on an epic adventure with Team Athena and my Mother, my brother and I still haven’t figured out what race, but something awesome to come I’m sure.

Right now, for me, life is about the connections, the commitments we make to ourselves and to the people we love. I want to embrace what I love to do and spread the knowledge I have, I want to inspire and continue to be inspired by the awesome people I surround myself with. Since moving west I’ve been in awe at the athletes I see everyday, inspired by their love of sport, the outdoors and healthy lives. The fresh air, the sunshine and the sacred conversations we have on the trail are enough to keep me running every day.

If you do nothing else today, tomorrow, the rest of the week take a step outside (even if there’s a foot of snow) and breathe in the air, remember your lungs, fill them, feel your body and what it is capable of. Our bodies are incredible machines and I think we sometimes forget that, so take a moment every day to collect your thoughts, slow down and breathe deeply.