Testing the Waters (Flashback Post from 2011)

I used to have a photo blog and I am going to start incoporating those posts here. I would like to close that blog down and have everything in one location. Here is one such post from 2011. Enjoy!

---

[London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, AZ, 2011] I am sure you would fully expect a picture of the bridge based on the above location but I did choose this photo for a very important reason. I was recently reminded of the importance of "testing the waters". The little guy to the left tipped his toe in several times to see if he was absolutely certain he wanted to go in. He looked around a bit, saw what the other guys were doing, but still stuck that toe in one more time to be sure. Recently I did the same thing.

I used to be friends, good friends, with someone who ultimately let me down in what to me was a very deep and hurtful manner. I didn't speak to this person for several years and it wasn't until a gesture of kindness when my mom passed did I let this person back in. Yet, I did so very carefully. I have since learned that things hadn't changed much at all with this person and I decided that I didn't need that "darkness" in my life. So without much fanfare I just ended communication. I am still grateful that I gave it a shot though. I would have always felt some guilt if I hadn't tried. But now I can move forward as I have been since all those years ago without a heavy heart, guilt or trepidation that I did or didn't do the right thing. I guess my point is that sometimes you need to give things all your gusto right from the beginning, but with other situations you may need to just stick a toe in and see what it may be like before you totally commit to it. Either way, my feathered friend made me feel at ease that I did the right thing for me, at this moment, and that is all I can really ask for in life.

What A Week

I know that all of you have busy lives. All of you have had days or weeks like mine and have come to the end of it feeling utterly drained. I know I am not alone in this. I would say that it was one thing or the other that caused me to fail so miserably on my training this past week but the fault is my own. I let the myriad of things on my mind affect how my body reacted. I gave in to that feeling a rode that slow wave to no where.

Ben actually said to me "You probably would have felt better if you had gone to the gym even for a little bit". He was right of course. I just couldn't see it at the time. All I could do was feel the way I felt. I am disappointed that I let it get to that point but like anything, it is what it is. No sense wallowing in it further.

Tomorrow morning I will run the Running From an Angel 5K. Next year I can assure you that I will be doing the half marathon for this event. However, tomorrow's race is purely for the fun of it. I have been working on getting my pacing and breathing up to par but after this week I know that I just need to run, and enjoy it, without thinking so much. Sure, I will need to tell myself what to do no matter what. I have to. I know that I will push myself to do as well as I can anyway. I just mean that I am going to take in the scenery (which is beyond lovely there) and see what happens next.

I look forward to adding the first of what hopes to be many shiny new medals to my wall of...wall of....hmm I need to think of what to call it. Fame does not quite cut it.

I still need to pick a new fitness activity to try for January. It looks like Bikram Yoga will happen in February. Any ideas from my Vegas readers?

Good luck to all the racers out there this weekend. Be safe, have fun, and may your feet be swift and your soul lifted.

Cheers!