I was obviously out enjoying this gorgeous weather!
And I’m back! So sorry for the brief lack of posts. The weather was absolutely gorgeous here in NYC this weekend, so as you can imagine, I just had to take advantage…
Well, that’s what I’d like you to think, anyway. And in fact, if the whole premise of this blog wasn’t about “keepin’ it real,” I might even let you assume that.
But, The Sometimes Healthy Living Blog is about sharing the good AND the bad, so here goes:
I spent the better part of the weekend indoors hiding from the beautiful weather, friends and most importantly, a mounting stack of work and blog work. To avoid being “knee deep” in emails and projects, I found myself elbow deep in a box of Cinnamon Cheerios, a bag of pretzels and the first season of Felicity (I’ve seen this season at least 10 times – what can I say? I just love that damn show).
Oh hello my little friend...I've missed ya!
This is a common theme in this little life of mine.
When things start to go well, I tend to get a bit overwhelmed, and perhaps unintentionally sort of sabotage all the good that is coming my way. I think this is in part due to a lack of confidence in my ability to handle a lot at once. Since moving to New York, there have been a few times where it seemed like everything was going perfectly, and somehow, it all slipped away, due largely in part to the fact that I just couldn’t balance it all.
The good news is that this time around, I’m able to recognize the turning point and steer myself back on course.
Keepin’ It Real
I’m not going to lie to y’all, Saturday wasn’t pretty for this Sometimes Healthy Girl. It was gorgeous outside, but I went outdoors only one time: to purchase some cereal.
As I stood in line at 8AM the grocery store at with my Almond Milk, Cheerios, raisins, blueberries, bananas, pretzels and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup yes, REDDI WHIP, I found myself wondering about what the cashier was thinking. “Does she know that I’m about to go upstairs and make this stuff disappear?” (You can use your imagination to envision the Wacky Food combos I threw together with the above spread) I actually felt self-conscious buying the food, and perhaps it’s because I knew my breakfast was going to consist of more than just a bowl of cereal.
A giant bowl of cereal...and then some...
For the rest of the day, I watched Felicity, turned off my brain and engaged in a whole lot of mindless eating. Truthfully, there was nothing “healthy” about it. Thus, the “Sometimes Healthy” part of my blog. Using food as an escape from my problems will never solve them, and it will in fact probably make them worse. Yet, even though I know this, every now and then I have days like this where I become overwhelmed with what’s ahead, and I just chow down.
Felicity, Ben, Noel...please tell this Sometimes Healthy Girl you have the answer to my "issues"
It’s a Brand New Day
Sunday morning, as I woke up and combed the Cheerios out of my hair (kidding…sort of), I reminded myself that today was a new day. Yesterday’s decisions did not need to dictate today’s decisions. But even with the positive resolve and the sunshine streaming through my windows, I was still a bit slow-moving. I couldn’t escape the thought that now, not only was I still behind in my work and blog, but also, I had messed up all of my hard work at the gym and my healthy eating for the previous week.
It was then, I adopted the “one foot in front of the other mentality.” First, I put on my running clothes and walked to Dunkin Donuts for my traditional “giant coffee bigger than my hand.”
This always makes me feel a little better...
What do ya know? Between the sunshine and the caffeine boost, I was starting to feel back to my Sometimes Healthy self.
Next, a little bit of blog reading and some cleaning. Little by little, I was starting to feel very motivated.
Finally, I decided the best way to officially pull myself out of Saturday’s slump would be to complete the 12-mile-run I had been unable to complete a couple of weeks ago.
So, with that resolve in mind, I headed out the door to complete 2 loops of Central Park for roughly 12 miles. While I was running, I thought a lot about how my runs through Central Park actually parallel with my life in general. I don’t always do a lot of deep thinking when I run, but today I was just in the “deep thinking” mode.
Life Lessons Learned Running in Central Park:
Pace Yourself: Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in all of the excitement of Central Park(races, other runners, bikers, softball games, random crazy New Yorkers). The adrenaline rush of being amongst so many people doing what I’m doing and sometimes even better can push me to go faster/harder than I’m built to run. When that happens, I run out of gas and usually can’t finish my required mileage.
Recycled pic of me...PACING myself (on the East River, but you get the idea)
Similarly, in life, if I get too caught up in all of the craziness of NYC, my job and even the blogging world, I run out of gas and end up watching a Felicity marathon indoors on a beautiful Saturday.
So, today, from the beginning, I forced myself to go at a very slow pace to account for my foot problems and the heat.
Take it One Hill at a Time: My fellow NYC runners are most likely all-too-familiar with the rolling hills that make up Central Park. But for those of you who aren’t, let’s just say, there are quite a lot of hills in Central Park, and some are pretty steep! Since I know the route pretty well at this point, I know where and when to expect every little dip. Believe it or not, sometimes this is a DISADVANTAGE. For example, if I start to think about the rolling hills that follow the steep hill in Harlem while I’m in the middle of climbing that hill, I almost immediately want to STOP. That’s exactly the point I stopped my run two weeks ago (10 minutes into my second loop at Harlem Hill).
If I worry about the next rolling hill, I'll never make it to the finish
Similarly, I tend to anticipate “hills” in my life, rather than just attack one problem at a time. If I review my posts over the last few weeks, I’ve constantly been lamenting about my “upcoming busy work month in July” instead of just approaching it one project at a time.
Today, I made a conscious effort to take it one hill at a time, and even though Harlem Hill was just as steep and treacherous as usual, I made it through by stopping my mind from thinking ahead.
Enjoy the Downhills, But Don’t Sprint Unless You’re at the Finish Line: Since the hills in Central Park are so “plentiful,” it’s very tempting to go all-out on the downhills. But whenever I do that, I find myself running smack into another hill, completely out of breath and without the energy to handle the next hill.
I want it all...and sometimes I move way too fast to get it!
Similarly, whenever something really exciting happens in my life, I tend to immerse myself in it full force, thus forcing myself off balance. This week, after my blog received so many readers from my guest post on I’m an Okie, I was suddenly extremely motivated and inspired to write hundreds of posts! But then, I also have this thing called a job…AND I also like to do this little thing called exercise. I was determined to do it all and do it all PERFECTLY. And as per usual, this meant sacrificing sleep. Because I “sprinted” the downhill, by the end of the week, I had nothing left.
Today, during my run, I allowed myself to enjoy the downhill portions but didn’t increase the pace too much. By reigning it in during the downhills, I had more than enough energy for all of the hills that remained.
Remember, You’ve Done it Before and You Can Do it Again:Whether I’m doing 2 or 3 loops (during marathon training) of Central Park, the self-doubt sometimes creeps in around the second half of the last loop. Around that time, I’m convinced someone is playing an evil trick on me and moving the street signs back 1/4 a mile. Even if it’s been a great run, I still wonder if I’ll be able to finish strong or even finish period. It’s around this time when I think about all of the times I’ve completed this exact run successfully.
I've done it before, and I'll do it again!
Similarly, when I get overwhelmed in my life, I need to remind myself that I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again. Admittedly, I’ve been stressing out since before I even knew the meaning of “stress.” I’m sure that way back in kindergarten, this Sometimes Healthy Girl was telling her teacher that the idea of placing the yellow peg in the square hole was entirely too much to handle. In short, I clearly get easily overwhelmed, but as long as I remember what I’m capable of accomplishing, I can hold it together, even in crazy times.
So today, during my run, around mile 10, when the 90 degree heat and the rolling hills started to tempt me into giving up, I put on my running theme song, kicked myself in the a** and reminded myself that I’d finished 12 before, and I’d do it again…right now.
The parallels may be a bit cheesy, but I think they’re completely true. And I know that if I live my life, the way I run, I’ll figure it all out. All-in-all, today’s run was JUST what the doctor ordered :-).
Straight from the sidewalk chalk in Central Park - BECOME YOUR DREAM
And because it is unnatural for me to get too serious, I’ll leave you with something quite interesting that I saw on my run over to Central Park…
That would be a mattress...with the the phrase "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" spray painted on it...
I’m guessing this was the result of a lover’s quarrel gone incredibly wrong. Nevertheless, it had me laughing and thinking, “Ok, so my life IS in pretty good shape.” 🙂
Question(s):
How do you snap yourself out of a funk?
What lessons have you learned from running?
Did you see anything as funny as the mattress today?
I loved that you holed up and watched Felicity. I’m a ben girl all the way.
loved all the obstacles you saw and how you changed them into ways to make them manageable.
PS: the guest post was amazing. everyone loved it.
Aw thanks so much Lisa! I had such a great time writing it :-). I’m a Ben girl too – he’s always been my “dreamboat.” I feel like he’s my equivalent of Twilight fans’ Robert Pattinson. hahaha. I really wish he still acted! What happened to him?
Sorry about your funk. But we all have them! Sometimes I think i need a really crappy day or week to help me get out of a funk. What helps is changing the way I think (which is totally negative when I’m in a funk) to more positive. Easier said than done, but it’s possible!
I’ve learned so much from running. But most importantly, I am capable of anything I put my mind to. Which is pretty awesome. Nice running, lady! And happy Monday 🙂
Thank you! And nice job on that 15 miler. I totally have runner’s envy! I need to find the right pair of shoes for the new foot thing and then I hope I’m back to being able to run those 15 milers 🙂 Totally agree on changing the attitude and I think you’re right – I need that day to get out of the funk!
Hey! I just found your blog the other day! Great post. #1 – I also love Felicity but thought no one else ever watched it! You’ve made me feel better 🙂 #2 – beautiful days are beautiful but they don’t mean you HAVE to go outside. Sometimes when you need to rest and recuperate, beautiful days are enjoyed from the inside. #3 – when I’m in a funk I do what you do, I wake up the next day and start is as normal (ie. coffee the size of my head) because I’ve learned the hard way trying to “make up” for what you did the day before by not eating normally or over exercising just makes everything crumble again – quicker and bigger. Good to know I’m not the only “healthy” person who frequently (well I have them frequently) has days of cereal binge/whole season DVD watching R&R. I think it’s a necessary part of the cycle. Well, okay maybe calling cereal binge “necessary” is uncalled for, but it’s not “BAD”. It doesn’t undo anything, it’s just another choice, another day.
YAY can’t wait to keep reading 🙂
I love EVERYTHING you said here and you are SO right about all of it, especially that one bad decision doesn’t undo anything. Also, nice to know I’m not alone in my love of cereal and Felicity binges. Thanks for reading!
sometimes a marathon and crappy food is all ya need! 12 miles in CP is something to celebrate yourself for!! I love the sidewalk chalk of “become your dream.” I swear it’s these little things like the chalk and mattress that seem silly but truly do remind you that living in NYC is a dream come true and kick you out of your funk!
-courtney
You’re totally right – I never knew the true meaning of the phrase “Only in New York” until I moved here. And I couldn’t feel luckier!
Laying in bed all day was kind of nice…I don’t remember the last time I did it and I probably won’t do it again for a while, but yeah, it was slightly refreshing 🙂
I think this is a great post. So honest. You’re right – running is like life. Even just the basics – there are fast and slow, ups and downs, but the most important thing is that if you’ve done it before you can do it again. Even if it means hiding in the house for a day. A day is NOT that long. 🙂 Good luck to you – everything will settle down soon.
That is exactly what I told my mother, who read this post and of course was concerned. I told her, “Mom, it was just 24 hours – it’s all good.” Glad you agree!
wow i LOVE THIS POST! it is so real and true and i totally get into funks and get down on myself! i love thinking that yesterday’s actions do not dictate my decisions today! love itt!!!!
Thank you and thanks for reading! Love your blog and loved your guest post 🙂
I can definitely relate to being overwhelmed and just wallowing in it and not getting anything done. Sometimes I just need one of those days on the couch or in my bed to snap myself out of it. With a huge professional paper the only thing I need to finish before I’m done with grad school, a full time internship, and searching for a real world job (and bumps in my relationship) I really have to focus on one thing at a time. I don’t allow myself to get stressed out about things that are due in a month, I focus on the things I need to be doing right now. This has helped me so much (and shopping had really helped too)! I think shopping is my running.
Your post today was so inspirational, and I think you’re doing a great job of accomplishing your goals. Keep it up, girl! Thanks for the advice – focusing on things I need to be doing right now will majorly help me out 🙂
Ok I love the whole “keepin’ it real” thing…I have also wrote a post with the same title….I think it’s so important for “healthy” bloggers to show it all – the good, bad and the ugly! I snap out of a funk by exercising, eating something uber-healthy (usually lots of veggies), and sometimes reading other blogs for inspiration….way to go! Like you said, one day at a time!
I have days like that too!! I just forget about it the next day and try to be somewhat healthy again!
I just moved to Hoboken and was thinking of taking a run in Central Park but now you have me nervous haha
Oh no! Don’t be nervous! Believe it or not, I was too the first time I did it. The hills really aren’t that bad AND it’s good for the butt. You can do it, I promise!
I love your parallels! They are not cheesy at all- and I think they are good reminders for everyone. Everytime I read one of your posts I love it 🙂
Thank you! That comment made my day 🙂
I bake to snap myself out of a funk. I am constantly health-ifying baked goods because of how much I love to bake. Today in particular it really helped – I was feeling grumpy, missing a really great friend who I won’t see until September, and just kinda blah in general (also a symptom of staying out too late and drinking a tad too much – whoops).
I also try to get fresh air when I feel funky. If I’m having a rough day at work – I make absolute sure to take my lunch break outside. If I can roll down the windows and crank some wicked awesome music – I do it. It always helps.
Pace yourself is a lesson I too have learned from running. But I’ve also learned to adapt and overcome if things don’t go as planned – that one is huge. I used to allow myself to just quit and give up if things didn’t get exactly how I had planned, but marathon training taught me that you just can’t do that.
Today I did see something as funny as the mattress – my neighbors (who are shall we say, unique) were outside in their yard. The woman was standing on a chair washing windows while the man read bible verses to her. Interesting, right?
That’s such a good point about adapting. And sooo true. When I’m running, I can tackle anything, but often in life, I seem to give up too quickly. I wish I could live my life the way I run :-). Marathon training taught me the SAME thing! Your neighbors sound…eclectic. hahaha
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