Couch to ATHLETE!

If we are always striving for a finish line do we take the time to enjoy today for what it is worth? Think about it! Life is better with Dukie! This week I did not exercise at all, and to be honest I really don't care and here is why... On Tuesday I saw my favorite musician play here in Columbus. My friends and I headed to Michael Franti on Tuesday and of course he did not disappoint. He engaged the audience in his typical fashion by performing out in the crowd so as to involve us in the joy he has for the music and the fans. He told stories of love and friendship, kindness and caring. He sang about sunshine and roses, love and loss, war and peace. One of my friends put it best when she said "Michael Franti blew my head off with love." You see, I can often be heard saying that life is not about money or cars, belongings or hate but instead about love and relationships. Regardless of whether you are single or attached, with child or not, every person who you all...

I love having a riding buddy who can spend long Sundays exploring the state with me. Since we started riding together Sue and I have covered over 290 miles on the following trails: Kokosing Gap Trail Tri-County Triangle Trail Alum Creek Trail  a couple of times Part of the Little Miami Scenic Trail Richland B&O Trail Not only have we logged all of these miles, we have seen deer and trains, cool bridges and art, we have fallen and gotten lost, ridden further than we planned and shorter distances just to try a new trail, there have been dead animals and side trips for lunches and most importantly hearty laughter and even some tears. Cycling has basically allowed me to get exercise, see new parts of the state and spend some quality/peaceful time with my friend. And there are a hundreds of more miles in our future... All of that is a great reminder that I have an awesome friend who I get to share awesome experiences with, but that isn't what I really wanted to proce...

Everyone has secrets, some more than others. Last week I was writing and I found myself referring to various human ailments as pimples. So... now I like to refer to my big life secret(s) as a pimple. Not just any pimple, but the pimple that is under the surface of the skin that no one would even notice if I didn't point it out. Well, last week I had the whole introvert/extrovert conversation and knowing that I am an extrovert, people know I have few secrets and with a select couple no secrets. I fail when I try to keep secrets from my closest friends. Here's the thing... As an athlete people don't know what your journey entails unless you tell them. Some people have had weight loss struggles or work out to escape. Other people (me) workout as a social event, or as a hobby. Other people run to fight cancer or because the disease they have might make it impossible several years down the road. Basically, we all have pimples that are under the surface just waiting to appear ...

Ever have a moment when your over-sharing gets you into an extremely uncomfortable situation? I bet you introverts out there can't say you have had too many of those moments. Well, then there is me, the eternal extrovert. I get myself into pickles frequently. Often times I find myself apologizing for things that come out of my mouth because I strike this fine balance of appropriate/inappropriate. When I don't share though, I find myself over thinking everything!!! So the most recent time I got myself into a bind with my over sharing (oh did I mention this moment was extremely uncomfortable), I got in my car to hear some lyrics from my new favorite Macklemore. "Underneath this fragile frame, Lives a battle between pride and shame." I couldn't help but reflect back upon that uncomfortable, extroverted fed conversation, or over share when I heard those lyrics. Let me put this all into context (it will get back to the couch or athlete at the end, I promise)......

I am the most forgetful person on the planet. I had this amazing blog post crafted in my head on Friday but I have no recollection of the intended content. And then today as I lazed around for most of the day I totally forgot it was Sunday and I needed to write said blog post. The one thing that I recall from working out this week, of which there are very few workouts to choose from, is that the heat is not my friend, nor is the solo workout... but we all knew that! So forget blogging about working out, instead I'm going to blog about life in general. As you all know, I do love my friends, kind of like my family. There is an unconditional nature to some of my friendships that I do not deny. This summer I have tested the limits on some of those friendships simply because of circumstances outside of my control. I refuse to test people purposefully because that isn't right. I remember dating someone who asked me a question. When I responded I remember the response was somethi...