Taking Small Steps Toward Change: Step by Step, Word by Word

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books, bullet journal, free-writing, journaling, learning, racing, running, write28dayschallenge, writing

Whether it’s a natural part of my personality or a talent, I pick-up habits fairly easily. Currently, I’m tracking my fruit and vegetable intake, journaling, and “suiting up” for exercise daily. As a reformed perfectionist, I’m working to see this as simply information for future growth, rather than a report card of my worth as a human.

This habit tracking served me well when I first took up running. The discipline of running 3-4 times a week and building up mileage weekly carried me through my first half, all the way through my last marathon. Highlighting the box of the completed workout kept me motivated to lace up my trainers and complete those runs.

Embracing the Warmth of an Early Spring as the Weekend Approaches

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free-writing, insomnia, podcasts, running, spring, training, training plan

The signs of spring surrounded me today at lunch. When I saw the Five Minute Friday prompt “Green” I knew exactly what I wanted to write about. Leaves, trees, I don’t have to look very far to see new life emerging from a hard winter.

Yet, when I sat down to write, my brain started chasing squirrels. Metaphorical ones of course – I have no love for furry rodents. Thankfully we left those behind us in last year’s big move.

Scripture, the Enneagram, and Habit Tracking: How to Turn Weakness into Strength

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bullet journal, enneagram, free-writing, habit tracker, hiking, perfectionism, running, write28dayschallenge

Always tracking behaviors and learning new ideas, I sometimes grow tired of being able to perceive what needs to change in my life. However, unless we are aware of our habits, we have no hope of steering them in the direction we hope to go.

When I first read about the Enneagram, I had no clue that some people struggle to determine their type for months or even years. When I read about Type 1: The Perfectionist/Reformer, I immediately discovered my type. I’ve fought perfectionism my whole life, knowing this weakness prevents me from being the person I ought to be.

The Enneagram has taught me, however, that my greatest weakness is also my biggest strength. This lens of viewing the world helps me consistently grow through life.

How to Shift Perspective on Giving Up

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audio books, books, Grand Tetons, national park, stairs, training, working out

My attitude towards working out resembled that of other days. “But I don’t wanna.” I’ve previously written about how I overcame that attitude. The last time I felt this way, I suited up and knocked the workout out of the park.

An object in motion stays in motion. 30 minutes and 50 flights of stairs later, I let myself stop. Legs shaking and sweat dripping down my back, I felt that same sense of accomplishment from my early days of running. Who doesn’t need the extra endorphins in these “unprecedented times?

Me, 2 weeks ago

“Don’t you just hate those perky people who enjoy their workouts?

Suit Up: The Inner Argument of the Barely Motivated

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free-writing, goals, motivation, racing, running, self-compassion, suit up, training, write28dayschallenge

In another life, I was a runner. I strictly followed my training plans as I pursued my first 5K, a half marathon (13.1 miles) PR, and “just one more round” with the marathon distance. I’m a rule follower by nature and an Enneagram type 1. Tell me I’m supposed to do something and I’m compelled to follow through.

I used this mentality with each race I tackled. Each day’s workouts set the expectation for me. Printing off the training plan and highlighting each workout as I completed it made my heart happy. My exercise regime gave me a sense of accomplishment, not to mention a wall full of finisher medals.

Finding Progress in Uncertainty

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2020, bullet journal, covid-19, free-writing, habit tracker, hiking, progress, racing, running, writing

The training looks a bit different for me these days. In the past, I researched and implemented training plans for whatever upcoming race looked interesting for me. Hal Higdon tended to be my go-to for effective (and free!) plans. As I progressed through the plan, I marked off each exercise, each week, building my weekly mileage until race week.

Somethings Special About July

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binge worthy, books, covid-19, four somethings, international travel, july, library, link-up, plans, preparedness, reading, travel, tv, west highland way

Sometimes finding the beauty in the ordinary can be difficult. This year is certainly no exception. Sharing what I’ve loved, read, treasure, and what is ahead helps me reframe the month, to see the beauty I may have missed.  Heather hosts her Share Four Somethings link-up and I love the motivation to look back. Sometimes I have to dig deep to find the good, and those months I appreciate this discipline.  

Musical Vacation Memories

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hiking, music, scotland, songs, travel, west highland way

Anyone who ever sat with a tape deck trying to record a song off the radio understands the power of the perfect song. Jay and I have several “vacation” songs that never fail to make us smile. We crank up the volume and remember the events surrounding us hearing the song, but more importantly the context of the particular vacation where we heard the song.

Preparing for Our Scotland Adventure

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books, cozy mysteries, non-fiction, reading, scotland, travel

Fresh off of Camp McFradd’s hop across the pond – Scotland in general and the West Highland Way specifically – I thought I’d share a bit of the homework that went into our journey.

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

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training, virtual run

I’ve been stalled out in my fitness ventures as of late. A social media post I saw a few weeks ago (origins and attribution having long since left my brain) suggested that part of the problem might be the struggle, or lack thereof, of my goals.