Month: September 2020

Fall is Back!

My favorite season is now back…fall. The weather has been what feels like unseasonably warm so I am welcoming the promise of cooler, brisker weather.  I am sprinkling some pumpkin spice in my coffee in the morning to celebrate the time  of year.  And the return of my favorite fall ale, Block House Pumpkin Ale, at the beverage store is a highlight for the season.  I stocked up this year on a case, so I am happily well set on this fall staple.

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I also appreciate how this time of year is a time for children to resume a new school year, so it feels like things are starting over.  I know that January 1 is the beginning of the calendar year, but the fall for me feels like it is kicking off new beginnings.

 

I think also the fall is my favorite time of year as it kicks off a series of fun holidays for my little ones …Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  I love watching them get excited for these festivities, and it brings me back to a time when I too when get very excited for them.  I do still enjoy the holidays, but they carry a more special kind of magic when you are a child.

 

As I go through September and into October, I tend to revisit my goals as well for the year, as this is the time of year of my work anniversary.  Along with setting professional/work goals this time of year, I strive to come up with a personal goal or two to focus on, and I try to look back on how far I have come in the last year.  I find it amazing how fast and slow time can go, seemingly at the same time.  A week can drag on forever, but it feels like I am still in my 20s, but here I am approaching age 40.  I look forward to the next couple of months of brisk (but not too cold yet!) weather, pumpkin ale, and reflecting on where I have been and where I hope to go in the next year.

Staying Motivated

I am finding it challenging to stay motivated during this COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of in person races is particularly a roadblock for me with my exercise goals. I would use the act of signing up for races as a motivation to start and stick with a new training plan. The training plan would be added to my calendar, providing a framework each week for my exercise. This exercise would help develop me physically but also help improve my mental health, as a form of moving meditation, time away from others and being alone, and improving my self-esteem by achieving little goals (achieving “X” amount of miles per week, doing 2 strength workouts per week, etc).

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I miss the fun of in person races and adding completed races to my lifelong list if accomplishments. I have tried virtual races before and now, but I feel these just are not the same for me.  When the time comes to safely return to in person races, I will truly cherish this.  Toeing the line and running with others is a fun challenge that I miss right now.

 

One thing that is keeping me going is envisioning the fun that will be had returning to an in person race.  I will value the first race back.  Lining up at the start line.  Reveling in the prerace festivities.  Running the race and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow runners.  And best of all, crossing the finish line and feeling a large sense of accomplishment after finishing not just the race, but the several week training plan prior to ensure a successful race.  I hope this gratitude and appreciation will carry forward in the future as well, as it truly is a gift to have events together with others.

 

Though I cannot race in person right now, something that I have found helpful is setting a small but doable goal each week.  My current goal is to do 3-4 workouts per week.  This is a far cry from my prior intense marathon training plans that sometimes entailed 5-6 workouts per week, each often averaging 1-2 hours in length.  But setting a doable goal has helped me set my mental and physical health a priority each week. And achieving “checkboxes” each week has helped me stay motivated.

 

I look forward to a return to “normal” times in the future.  But in the mean time, adjusting to a change of pace via smaller doable goals is my way of staying on track.  And this COVID-19 pandemic, though challenging, scary, and different, has afforded me more time to slow down, which is a much needed reprieve for this busy mom.