Running
Happy Thanksgiving day run in my hometown while I watched the sunrise..
Encouragement
Sometimes things happen (Crash!) and it is something that you don’t or aren’t really sure if someone is going to tell you to try again. Or give you that extra encouragement/voice you need to get back up and try it again. After that post, I wasn’t up to what I had hoped for motivation as I struggled to motivate myself in the least.
My instincts were telling me to continue to plug away at this injury slowly and that it was for some reason important to overcome this so I could get out and run like normal. In July I tried again to just get out and run but honestly, I had even less motivation to do that as I blamed my upcoming family vacation and the extra work I needed to do prior to vacation as my crutch.
Then we were finally during the middle of our family trip to the East Coast, and something deep inside me had me throw in my running shoes. Thankfully I did as after nine days into the trip, our final day in Boston before we headed up to Maine, I laced up my shoes to hit the streets. For some reason, I was up really early and figured now is the time to get out and just run around the neighborhood and see the sights of this city I don’t live in.
I am really glad I did! I was able to see the places I had seen the day before but with no one else in sight. In fact, it was just so peaceful out there if it wasn’t that I wanted to get back to the hotel at a specific time I am not sure where I might have ended up.
That one run though helped start me on the path of getting out of my funk. In fact, it kind of reminded me that that is what helps me stay grounded. As I reflect back I was remembering the video I saw that I was going to post around the time of my Crash and was hoping to at a later point in time but completely forgot as I never really got out of that funk.
My example was getting me back to running and I will even say today I am finally feeling 100% back to normal running which is what I have been waiting to say for a long time. Everyone always has something to be down on, depressed about, or are just mopey about something. The challenge is trying to find something that works for you to get out of your current funk or mood.
I have never gone on a run or a bike ride or anything outside and thought back to myself I shouldn’t have done that, that was really dumb to go on a run. Never! It’s always a good thing. - Ryan Van Duzer
The video I have included below by Ryan Van Duzer (@duzer) is what I had watched right before my Crash! and there is some really good nuggets of insight and motivation that he offers while running in the hills of Colorado to get out of his own funk.
I can relate to his methods of remembering there is a whole lot of good things in life. Also, for me, one of the best ways for me to do that when things are stressful at work, home, or just something hard that I need to overcome, is that I just love getting out there to run. It clears my head and gives me a good start or end to the day.
*via Running Out of a Funk - YouTube*Now it is your turn, what do you do in order to get out of a funk or slump? Leave it in the comments below.
Guess shorts and a t-shirt might not have been the best choice for my morning run #running
*Morning sunrise after days of rain (October 2017)*
Boo running around the empty soccer field at soccer last night.. 👻
Money on my Mind
Money has been on my mind for a post lately, in fact, you could say I think about it all the time. (With my mind on my money and my money on my mind. - Snoop Dogg). So when the Blogging Meetup prompt of the day was “Money”, I knew this was the sign I had been waiting for.
You can’t blame me and I wouldn’t blame you either if it was on your mind. In fact, it is probably one of the reasons why you wake up in the morning when you do and go-to-bed when you do as well. For me it is why I wake up when I do, ok not entirely as I wake up earlier to run, but if it wasn’t my next thing to do at a similar time each day would I need the alarm?
My profession keeps my mind on money too as it is what we are known to help protect with safeguarded controls. Also, like most companies mine is no different where a part of year-end bonus are tied to financial performance and metrics (money).
Personally, I am sure I am like a lot of people that in their own way have certain struggles with money. It might be big challenges to overcome or could be something small but in the end, each person would probably say if only we had more! Then everything would work out and all would be right in the world.
I don’t think so :) … I don’t buy that response as I know I have said it before, so don’t worry you are not alone.
Now I would love to say I have all of the answers and that here are the 5 things you can do to turn this around and never think about money again… but that isn’t possible as I think no matter what situation you are in you still think about it to a degree but each person is looking at it from a different perspective.
The bigger question is probably what are people’s relationship with money?
Now I know that sounds like a really big question and well it is. It is really what drives you to do what you do, or live like you do every day. Another way to think of it would be what is your end goal with the wealth you have accumulated or might accumulate? You could be one of the fortunate ones at the end of your journey and figure it all out but I am going to guess that is only a small number of people. I would take a guess that most people are on that road right now and it might not always be clear what direction you are going.
This is where my journey starts/started not long ago was that I realized I had not fully defined my relationship with money in my head. In fact, it was also that I didn’t have any short-term goals attached to a larger one. I was just doing what the system told me when I left college. I got a good job and put money away for retirement.
So my question for you to think about is, what is YOUR relationship with money?
That is all I have for today but let’s keep this conversation going in the near future. I was kind of thinking once I started to write this might end up being a couple of posts in which I hope to build on them going forward and incorporate feedback from you.
Dark morning trails.. I like the cooler weather but wish it was lighter for my morning runs again. #running
Running through the streets and along the harbor of Boston is not a bad way to start the day… #running
However, the streets in some places are more like running on boulders.
Beautiful morning to get out early and run around the lake #running #sunrise
Finally made it out for a run last night in the gorgeous weather we are having… It’s almost been 3 weeks since I have ran #running
Crash! Asphalt 1 - Eric 0
I had a great post for you a couple of weeks back I was in a slump about running and getting motivated to get out and run every morning. I was thinking now that I am back at it 100% and fully motivated it would be a great time to share but then this happened this morning:
*Sometimes the ground wins*
That picture was taken well after the run, a painful shower, and three bandage changes later. Though that wasn’t it as I really twisted my ankle and have a couple bruised ribs (or that is what the doctor told me). Also, my iPhone took a good fall on the pavement as I normally run with it and that was the arm that broke the rest of my fall. Overall, nothing major was broken or damaged but I am a little slower moving today.
You might be wondering how this happened and I wish it was a much more glamorous story. I was running along like normal on the sidewalk but on a rougher part of asphalt and my foot must have hit a dip wrong and my ankle twisted bad and there was no coming back from that. I broke my fall with my hand for the most part that was under my chest. I quickly rolled over into the grass and said some choice words to the sky as I knew my iPhone was on my arm that broke the fall. I got up quickly as well and noticed a lady stopped in her vehicle asking if I was ok. I said I was all good and started to jog off. After two blocks and I knew I was dripping blood from my hand and knees I decided to stop and just walk the remainder of the way home as I also knew my ankle was tender but probably not broken. On the walk home I realized I had a lot of pain in my chest as well which ultimately is probably bruised or cracked rib.
Sooo… stay tuned and I will still post it (probably Monday) as I might need some more motivation after I get all healed up.
Today’s score: Asphalt 1 - Eric 0. Guess that is what I get for running this morning. Why couldn’t it have been grass 😒
Now let’s just hope my ankle and ribs are only bruised / sore and nothing else.
Morning exploring the streets of new places #running #railyard
After a rainy weekend it was great to see the sun on my run this morning
Got home from my run this morning to find these two bookworms ð#reading
Catching the sunrise in the morning is always great.
Couldn’t have been more proud yesterday watching B run his first 400m dash. He went out strong and finished 2nd. When he finished he told me he was going to die, and I told him that means you ran it right. 😀
The Caballo Blanco Experience - Ryan Van Duzer
For anyone who has read the book Born to Run or enjoys running, in general, needs to check out this series of videos that Ryan Van Duzer put together of his trek down to run the Caballo Blanco Ultra Marathon earlier this year.
“You can’t feel pain if your smiling… right?” - Ryan Van Duzer
That was a perfect quote he had at the very beginning and was fitting since he was smiling during what appeared to be the last couple of miles at the end of the video. Honestly, being a runner myself, after watching this video I was ready to strap on my shoes and hit the trails.
Take note, not only is the feat of running 50 miles in a single time amazing but remember he did it all while carrying the video camera to capture this amazing event on film too. If you are looking to be motivated you should definitely check this video out.
Here is the entire playlist so you can start from the beginning and watch all 6 episodes.
Finally, as amazing as these videos are, Ryan has made a bunch of other amazing videos and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon so be sure Subscribe to his YouTube channel, and follow him on Instagram (you can also find him on Facebook, and Twitter).
Nothing like breaking in my new pair of ASICS shoes on a long run in warm foggy weather yesterday morning
