August by morning…
…and by evening.
Week of August 19, 2012:
Monday: Evening walk with a friend
Tuesday: Evening bike ride for groceries
Wednesday: Morning run (20 minutes)
Thursday: Yoga (Morning Flow #1)
Friday: Morning run (20 minutes)
It’s been an emotionally exhausting week for me, but there was one particularly bright spot: Tuesday evening’s bike ride. To be honest, I’m not sure I would have hopped on the bike if I hadn’t needed groceries, but I did, so I did.
And it was glorious.
We’ve had a cool spell this week, and the evening air felt luxuriously mild, with hints of fall. I felt fast and free on the bike, legs pumping and wheels flying. I was pretty excited to go grocery shopping too, as I had plans to try out a new recipe for dinner—something quick and easy but very delicious. (Recipe coming soon, I think!) What struck me about that evening is the simplicity that exercise brings to my life. I am overwhelmed with other people’s confessions, secrets, and deceptions this week. Absolutely overwhelmed—and for the first time in a long time, my own dramas seem to have receded. But my bike ride was so simple, almost pure in its pleasure—just me, the bike, and a gorgeous Texas evening. When I returned home, I felt refreshed and more like myself, a feeling that one should not take for granted.
Have a good weekend, my dears. May your work-outs refresh, invigorate, and relax you.
I'm really sorry to hear that you've had an exhausting week complete with confessions and deceptions. I hope that you haven't been overburdened by someone else's secret and that biking and other exercise continues to refresh you and make you feel like you're back in your own skin. I'm struggling a little bit to adjust to running here. I feel like I'm constantly anxious during my runs because I'm worried I'm going to encounter a territorial moose or a hungry bear and that's made it hard for me to get into the zone.
ReplyDeleteYikes! Your wild animal problem does sound scary. Are there more human-populated running paths that could be used while you get used to Alaska? Or any defensive measures you could take?
DeleteRegarding other people's secrets: this is the burden I bear for being a good listener. And it's why I'm hibernating from the world this weekend ;-) (Blog friends are an exception--a most delightful one, too! Happy weekend, my dear.)
PS I'm behind on reading and commenting on your blog! The last two days have been weird and crazy. My apologies--I know that when a blog friend disappears, sometimes you wonder if there's a reason. I still like you and your blog :-)
DeleteI need to buy some bear pepper spray and get some bells for my shoes. Right now I just jangle my keys and play music on my phone when I go through a particularly isolated stretch. I have seen other runners out on almost all of my runs. I think that part of it is just getting used to the idea that I'm in the same area where bears and moose are.
DeleteAnd no worries about the commenting. I've been so busy the past couple of days with getting ready for the start of the semester that I am behind on reading blogs myself. :)