October: How did that happen?
This is a really weird time of year for me.
There are a few things involved; It starts with my birthday at the beginning of September. I always like to go away as my “present”, plus then I don’t have to deal with the Dutch Birthday Effect (everyone congratulating you in the office, lots of handshaking and “three kisses” with people you wouldn’t normally consider kissing, buying birthday cake for all of your colleagues, even though it’s your birthday…). So every year I take a day or two off on or around my birthday so I can really enjoy it with the one or ones I love.
Then back to reality and so starts the celebrations with local friends. This year was no exception. I was back from my long weekend in Rome and the next week celebrating (again with food and drink) with friends. Not complaining. I finally love my birthday and love celebrating it – how can you complain when your friends want to take you out and celebrate with you?
September is also that time of year at work where it’s busiest. When I was growing up I never said “I want to be an accountant” yet here I am, working in the accounting department experiencing the Year-End Close Stress. All those things that you were going to do throughout the year but never really got around to doing? Now’s the time. And the accounting department is not the only one that feels it. Suddenly every department is being pushed to get their costs in for the year and my whole team is walking around with their head about to explode. So, yeah. No wonder I’ve had a few wrestling matches with the candy jar.
I try to keep my head on straight. I try to use exercise as a way to release the stress. The training that led up to the Dam to Dam and the actual race itself kind of killed me afterwards. I’ve done nothing since the 19th of September. I miss it but I don’t feel physically bad or something (besides this stupid head cold I have now). I miss it mostly because I feel like lately all of my free time has gone to work and traveling to and from work. I’ve had quite some overtime lately and that’s to be expected this time of year but now I’m ready to move on.
Another factor now thrown in: a friend of mine from Seattle is on his first-ever trip to Europe. He was in Amsterdam last weekend (where I was with him, playing tourist/ Tour Manager), he’s in Paris this week until Thursday and then he’s in London where I will be joining him (with hubs) for the weekend. That means another weekend I am outside of my normal schedule.
I feel a real longing to just have my normal boring life back that includes running 20KM per week and going to the gym. I didn’t make it once to the gym in September and that irritates me. But it’s not every day that I have a friend visiting me/ near me and life is too short not to go and experience and travel.
After I get back from London, I will hopefully the weekend after that have the honor of meeting Rebecca from Durch Dick und Duenn in Germany as she will be traveling and staying near enough to where I live that it would be a downright shame if we didn’t get to meet.
September as a busy part of the year is slowly becoming September – October… and I have two races coming up in November that I am totally not prepared for (in my mind, maybe my body is prepared… I don’t know) and this creates a small panic attack if I allow myself to think about it too long.. It’s going to be fine though. The point is to do it, do my best at that moment and finish, right?
We will return to our regularly scheduled life sometime in the near future. We just don’t know when yet. That will also include eating right and perhaps even seeing a loss on the scale before I’m 87 years old.
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Boobear if you want to back to your regular schedule then get back to it. I know its hard with work and friends coming. Work of course is less flexible but make the time with friends to do what you want to do as well. I know when I go out of town or have friends visit I’m really up front with them about my needing to break a sweat. If that means I get up while everyone is sleeping to run then its what I do.
Its during the times when we feel really bogged down that we need to stand up for ourselves. When my husband and I are working a lot we both know we need at least an hour of alone time to get our work outs in. Its the time to go inside our minds and body and make sure we are still present in our hectic lives.
Xoxo
Tara
Yes, I am longing for that and I know I need to stand up for that. I also need to once again figure out a plan to propose at work so that I can officially work at home one day a week (minimum) which will buy me a bit more time. During my “normal” life I have in the recent past made sure I stuck to my commitments to myself and have said “no” to many a social engagement. It’s scarily easy to fall back into the couch potato pattern and now I have a new excuse that I’m a bit ill (it’s a head cold moving into my chest).
It ends tomorrow. My company has hired a personal trainer for the running club (and anyone who wants to join!) and tomorrow a group of us at lunch are going for our first session. Now to just figure out when to go to the gym…
Normally I would take my running gear with me on any vacation or weekend away, but honestly, with my friend from Seattle never being anywhere, I really don’t know if the possibility will be created to go this weekend for a run.
thanks Tara. watch this space darling!!
Sometimes life is just busy. Don’t worry too much about it since everything you are doing now is fun (well except for working overtime :) ) You will do fine on your races in November. By the way I cancelled the Bergrace on the 5th, my friend can’t come with me and this was supposed to be a fun race for us and I won’t go alone. We’ll try again next year.
Take it easy and enjoy the fun things in life.
thanks Fran and thanks for the vote of confidence :) and I’m not sure I would do the bergrace alone, but of course, I will kind of be alone because Hubs will be ahead of me most likely…
Love the new blog look, btw.
I have had a really hard time getting back into my running groove as well. It’s been hard to have focus for me as I don’t have any races coming up, but I really don’t want to “lose it” if you know what I mean. I still don’t know how you’ve done what you’ve done with the hours of work and commute that you do…
That said, as Tara mentioned, you just gotta stand up and do what you gotta do, for you. And I think everyone knows that you can and often do, do that…you just need to get back in the habit.
Thanks Fallon :)
have you been running again then?
I find it hard to get back into things, even more so if I have two ‘rest’ days in a row, one I know I can work with, but two turns into three and so on. At the moment I work full time, but I also am working part time on top of that for three months. It’s been an eye opener – what on earth was I doing with all that spare time before, zip, and not in the looking after myself in any way.
I need balance, just the right sort!
I’m on rest day number Idon’tknowwhat now! still haven’t done a thing… yest it’s hard to get back into things! Balance! Amen!!
Ahhh sounds like a busy few weeks! Lucky that you’ll get to meet up with Rebecca! Too bad I now live all the way in the south of Germany.
I know! I wish you were still in H’berg, that would have been an easy trip! Now I need to get in touch with Rebecca again so we can make a plan :)