I can’t tell you how much your words resonate with me, Christine, with where I find myself these days with my running and with life (we have much in common, running- and writing/career-wise). Thank you for sharing. It helps me feel less alone during this interesting, shifting, midlife-y time.
❤️ This midlife-y time feels really disorienting sometimes and isolating and I almost didn't publish this because I wasn't even sure what I was writing. It's reassuring to hear that this resonates. Thank you and see you in this shift.
I relate to so much in this post, starting with the decade-to-15-year-old FB posts that make me reflect and feel wistful, and compare myself unfavorably now to how I was then, to especially not feeling great anymore as a runner. My body doesn't feel like my own now due to no running from a tendon injury that will take two to three months to heal, plus a wicked case of the flu with fever. I've never felt so gross and "off" and also, pessimistic. I've lost faith that I'll get back to running and be able to set and meet goals. It sucks to feel weak and broken. I'm not sharing this for sympathy but to let you know I appreciate reading others' struggles in this area. Hang in there and try to make the best of what you got.
Oh Sarah.That's quite a double whammy and I hope that you're feeling better soon, both with the flu and your injury. And I hear you about losing faith. I think it's the first time that I've really felt that too and it's a weird feeling. Sending you a big hug.
I do love a straightforward plan. I'm really good with a plan. And more and more I realize how much I need to just try things and see what works and go from there. Sigh ...
I almost broke up with running a few years ago. 2020 was going to be my marathon year. I had a plan. I was on track. Covid happened and I mostly stopped running and ate a lot of cookies and coffee cake. When I tried to get back, it felt like a slog every time, and even when I was done I didn't have that "that sucked, but I'm glad I did it feeling." I ended up working with a personal trainer, started doing more work with weights mixed with HIIT ... which was what I should be doing anyway. And eventually I got back to running. I'm now on a semi-hiatus because my lungs don't love the cold, but I'm lifting more and doing other cardio inside.
And I can relate to shift in work/identity. I was on a friend's podcast and she asked how I wanted her to introduce me, and I paused and told her it was complicated because things are shifting but not settled. It's exciting and annoying, and I'm slowly figuring it out without a plan.
"And more and more I realize how much I need to just try things and see what works and go from there. Sigh ..." << I feel this in my bones and I really appreciate hearing your perspective. I think I'm mostly just tired of trying to figure it out? It's both the feeling that I feel like I should have these things figured out by now and knowing that I will never have it all figured out.
I think the truth is that there isn't something to figure out as much as we want there to be ... which does free us of having to have it all figured out now (or ever).
“Frankly, it feels embarrassing to spend so much mental and emotional energy thinking about my body and the types of movement I can or cannot do.” — so relatable, the whole thing. Thank you for sharing ❤️. I’ve also had three knee surgeries and a labral tear in my hip. Feels like I’m always listening for whispers of pain, modifying my workout schedule, playing with movements, dealing with setbacks - but it takes a lot of energy to think about. Worth it in my book, but nice to read someone else’s experience.
It IS nice to know that I'm not alone in trying to figure out all those constant whispers of pain and what they mean. I so appreciate knowing that I'm not alone in this.
Thank you for sharing the Sweat Lookbook! This piece hit home for me as I am in the midst of redefining my career and holding my 5 month old. Feels like it’s a never ending negotiation of understanding who we are and could be. But kind of what makes it fun?
Love your newsletter and you bring such a fun and interesting perspective to all of it! It all definitely feels like an never ending negotiation, which has been really interesting in ways that I couldn't have imagined and frustrating in others (like why am I still hung up on some of the same things!)
I feel this, on so many levels.
❤️
I appreciated reading this!
Thank you, Sabrina!
100% Christine. Especially love these Boston Marathon insights. Thanks for sharing all of it <3
That study was really interesting. It's been really cool to see more studies like that come out.
I can’t tell you how much your words resonate with me, Christine, with where I find myself these days with my running and with life (we have much in common, running- and writing/career-wise). Thank you for sharing. It helps me feel less alone during this interesting, shifting, midlife-y time.
❤️ This midlife-y time feels really disorienting sometimes and isolating and I almost didn't publish this because I wasn't even sure what I was writing. It's reassuring to hear that this resonates. Thank you and see you in this shift.
I relate to so much in this post, starting with the decade-to-15-year-old FB posts that make me reflect and feel wistful, and compare myself unfavorably now to how I was then, to especially not feeling great anymore as a runner. My body doesn't feel like my own now due to no running from a tendon injury that will take two to three months to heal, plus a wicked case of the flu with fever. I've never felt so gross and "off" and also, pessimistic. I've lost faith that I'll get back to running and be able to set and meet goals. It sucks to feel weak and broken. I'm not sharing this for sympathy but to let you know I appreciate reading others' struggles in this area. Hang in there and try to make the best of what you got.
Oh Sarah.That's quite a double whammy and I hope that you're feeling better soon, both with the flu and your injury. And I hear you about losing faith. I think it's the first time that I've really felt that too and it's a weird feeling. Sending you a big hug.
I do love a straightforward plan. I'm really good with a plan. And more and more I realize how much I need to just try things and see what works and go from there. Sigh ...
I almost broke up with running a few years ago. 2020 was going to be my marathon year. I had a plan. I was on track. Covid happened and I mostly stopped running and ate a lot of cookies and coffee cake. When I tried to get back, it felt like a slog every time, and even when I was done I didn't have that "that sucked, but I'm glad I did it feeling." I ended up working with a personal trainer, started doing more work with weights mixed with HIIT ... which was what I should be doing anyway. And eventually I got back to running. I'm now on a semi-hiatus because my lungs don't love the cold, but I'm lifting more and doing other cardio inside.
And I can relate to shift in work/identity. I was on a friend's podcast and she asked how I wanted her to introduce me, and I paused and told her it was complicated because things are shifting but not settled. It's exciting and annoying, and I'm slowly figuring it out without a plan.
"And more and more I realize how much I need to just try things and see what works and go from there. Sigh ..." << I feel this in my bones and I really appreciate hearing your perspective. I think I'm mostly just tired of trying to figure it out? It's both the feeling that I feel like I should have these things figured out by now and knowing that I will never have it all figured out.
I think the truth is that there isn't something to figure out as much as we want there to be ... which does free us of having to have it all figured out now (or ever).
“Frankly, it feels embarrassing to spend so much mental and emotional energy thinking about my body and the types of movement I can or cannot do.” — so relatable, the whole thing. Thank you for sharing ❤️. I’ve also had three knee surgeries and a labral tear in my hip. Feels like I’m always listening for whispers of pain, modifying my workout schedule, playing with movements, dealing with setbacks - but it takes a lot of energy to think about. Worth it in my book, but nice to read someone else’s experience.
It IS nice to know that I'm not alone in trying to figure out all those constant whispers of pain and what they mean. I so appreciate knowing that I'm not alone in this.
Thank you for sharing the Sweat Lookbook! This piece hit home for me as I am in the midst of redefining my career and holding my 5 month old. Feels like it’s a never ending negotiation of understanding who we are and could be. But kind of what makes it fun?
Love your newsletter and you bring such a fun and interesting perspective to all of it! It all definitely feels like an never ending negotiation, which has been really interesting in ways that I couldn't have imagined and frustrating in others (like why am I still hung up on some of the same things!)