September brought with it the start of a new (Jewish) year. I’d like to say it started off well, but that wouldn’t be the truth, and I believe in sharing — the good, the bad, the ugly. So no one ever thinks that someone else’s life is all unicorns and rainbows.
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
There were still many happy moments in September:
- Becoming a Yoga teacher
- Teaching my first Yoga student
- Getting my first medal for placing in my Age Group
Pull up a chair and mug with Coco and Deborah and me for the ultimate coffee tea date, where I share what’s been good and bad in my life lately.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that apparently chips and Greek yogurt are my go-to for the days I’ve spent hours in the car and don’t have the energy to reheat something.
I almost always have a plan for leftovers and all I have to do is reheat them. Yet 3 times (so far) I’ve come home from driving my mom around and had Greek yogurt and some type of healthy-ish chips.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
Part of why I agreed to do the 5k with my friend on Sunday was simply because she’s been so supportive of me. She was my “student” for my practicum. That involved meeting several times to practice.
Then on the day we filmed it, it actually ran short. Like most of the students in the course, I obsessed about coming in at the right time, even though they assured us going over a couple of minutes wasn’t a big deal, and then It was actually a few minutes short!
So I asked her if she wouldn’t mind doing it again. It still came out short, but at least the second one was the one I submitted.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that I’ve been messaging back and forth with one of the women about my age who also took the course (she happens to live in New Zealand). When I taught my first “class”, she asked me how it was, and I said it went really well.
She said she was extremely nervous to teach her first class. I was teaching just one person, and that was a person I’ve known a long time. I really didn’t feel that nervous. Plus I was teaching mostly Yin, which is holding poses a long time, so far less poses to remember.
My student really enjoyed it, and now will be a weekly student.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I *think* I’ve given up the thought of another half for 2019. I don’t think I will have the time to train — not for a PR, but simply to put in the miles that *I* personally feel is necessary to be prepared to run 13.1 miles.
At this moment in my life I don’t want to put that kind of pressure on my running, which would take it from stress-busting to stress inducing, trying to find time to run without completely exhausting myself.
It does make me sad, I won’t lie. There is a time for everything in our lives, though, and clearly right now it’s time to take care of my parents — and myself.
If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you September was a really rough month and I’m exhausted — with no end in sight, really. I’ve split my time about evenly between home and my parents. The poor dogs never know if I’m staying or going (and neither do I, frankly). I often end up having to stay for longer than I plan for.
We had a setback this week, when I went down to stay with my mom for Rosh Hashanah, planning to take her to the rehab facility my Dad is in, and instead we ended up going back and forth to a hospital in CT (literally across the street from the rehab), as my Dad ended up there with non-life threatening, but painful, problems.
Do you believe no good deed goes unpunished, or what we put out comes back to us many times over?
Have you ever set aside your own goals to care for your loved ones?
Can you make today your best day?
I am also linking up with the Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness from Fairytales & Fitness.
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Those are three great things.
As you said your parents won’t be around forever. You don’t work and live close enough to help out. I’m sure they and your sister appreciate your efforts.
Running will be there next year.
I repeat that. Working all the time. Driving over 5 hours in traffic is no picnic. But it’s what’s best for me and my family.
My mileage is not what it should be but hopefully I can drag myself to the finish uninjured.
So tomorrow I’m going to NYC. Cuz I always do with my friends. I pick the show get the tix. Pick the restaurant. Last night the restaurant called to cancel. Had to find a new one to seat 10 at noon.
Yes. I’d rather run long with friends at home.
Sorry to be ranting.
Good luck with your parents and congrats on the yoga gig.
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Mileage for me isn’t about finish times, it’s about protecting my body. I know that you can do it. I hope that it’s a great experience for you.
I’m sure the restaurant cancellation was very stressful, but hopefully it will all work out & quite frankly, I’d trade a broadway play for a long run any day!
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Not when you are training for your first marathon and couldn’t run most of the week.
Poor timing – work and fun but it is what it is.
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I use that quote at work quite often. It just seems that when I extend a kindness or a favor to some people, there is a price I pay for it. LOL! I hope that good karma comes back in some form.
Congrats on the yoga certification–I always wonder how those instructors remember the vinyasas! Of course, some of them usually leave out a pose or 2 on the 2d side, lol
I’m ‘retired’ from long distances–I just don’t have the desire right now to run them. Especially because I can’t run a half the way I WANT to. I could finish, but I think you know me well enough to know that just finishing isn’t good enough for me! I am setting new goals for 2020. Stay tuned.
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Well, I’m more of a half full kind of gal, and usually believe that we get what we put out there.
I think remembering the poses is all about experience (and/or being younger sometimes!). But yes, teachers are humans and I often leave out a pose — but Yin is a lot easier to teach, but actually pretty amazing for the student.
I am not really hung up on my finish times. If I was, I’d hung up my half shoes a long time ago. But I still have 30 states! And that does motivate me.
There’s still a slim possibility I could do one last half this year, but right now, I’m not planning on anything.
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Listening to the Rabbi’s sermon this week, I do think about being my best self. This means not only caring for others but also for myself. (not always easy) I also get that some races can be stress inducing especially when you don’t have time to train appropriately. Those are 3 good things!
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Thanks, Deborah. Self care can definitely be an issue sometimes. It is so important, though. You can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself.
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Congrats on getting yoga certified. I teach a yoga/pilates class and I love it. There isn’t much of holding poses so there is a lot of memory involved. Sorry to hear about your folks. I’m sure they appreciate all your help!
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Thanks, Lacey. Yin is very different, and it’s really great for runners! I don’t love it just because it’s easier to teach. 🙂
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Congrats on the yoga certification! I know you’ve been working on this for a while and it’s so cool to see everything come together!
Although I’m sure stressful, I know that you parents appreciate everything that you have been, and continue to do for them.
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Oh yes, my parents are very appreciative. It’s hard on them; they’re very proud. Harder on my mom than my dad, though, as he has some dementia.
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Oh no…so sorry to hear about your dad, Judy. I can’t imagine how tough that has to be for all of you. Oh yes, I believe in karma LOL I believe everything we do, good or bad, will come back to us. I have seen too many examples to believe otherwise. Hang in there…Your strength is a valuable gift to share with your parents through this difficult time.
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Thanks, Kim, yes, it’s been a really trying time. It seems like there’s no end in sight, but some day I know there will be.
I’ve said to Mr. Judy many times that I think we ended up moving here so that I could help out my parents — it wasn’t really our ideal choice of a place to live.
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Yep, family comes first, and work sometimes trumps personal plans. I’m glad whatever it was wasn’t life threatening. Hopefully October will be good.
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Thanks, Coco! I suspect October will be a lot like September, most of these issues are not going away anytime soon.
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I’m sorry to hear about your dad. It definitely sounds like keeping running in the stress-relieving, not the stress-inducing category is the right choice. Races will always be there when you’re ready.
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One problem with races is that as you age, who knows? I’ve had an up close seat to that. But I do try to stay positive, and I still hope to cross off the last 30 states . . . some day/year.
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Those are three great things to be very proud of! Somehow I miss the AG place, so congratulations!!! It’s stressful and difficult when you have to help a loved one who lives so far away. My mom is six hours away and we try to coordinate her doctors’ appointments around my brother’s and my visits. Luckily, she’s still in pretty good health.
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Thanks, Debbie! The good news for me is that I’m not THAT far from my parents. Of course the bad news for me is I’m not that far from my parents. It’s just far enough to make it difficult. Sometimes I go back & forth in one day, but it makes for a really, really long day.
I hope that your mom continues to enjoy good health!
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Sorry things are tough with your parents. I know how stressful and time consuming that is. I do believe you get back what you put in and maybe I’m Pollyanna here but I also believe things work out in the way they were meant to. Congrats on the yoga certification. I think that came at the perfect time for you. Running will be there when you’re ready…or not…since hitting my 6 star goal it plays a much smaller role in my life and I’m totally good with that.
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I agree, I do believe that things happen for a reason, although occasionally it’s difficult to fathom what reason that is.
Well, I almost timed my YTT right — all this family bruhaha started the week I was taking my final & creating my video, and it basically hasn’t stopped since then, although the last couple of weeks I’ve had a little more time at home.
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