Category: Uncategorized

There Will Come a Time

When sleep will not be so evasive for ye olde broad. Part of the poor sleeping is due to:

  1. The Men O Pause – nature and nothing more I desire to do about it but let it run its course
  2. Snackmaster Flex – my alternate ego who makes questionable food choices at night. Cheez-its anyone?
  3. Drugs – not of the illicit kind, chill! The normal culprit for me is prednisone.

Now, 2 and 3 are both within my control. Both actions are a result of choices I made. I will cop to that. There will come up a time, hopefully before the permanent move to the upper room, that I will get some sleep.

In the meantime? This is not the move.😴

Soul Revival

I hadn’t been there in over five years, July 2011.  I actually wrote about it here.  I only made it there a few times, not to return because as far as I was concerned it had nothing on my fave.  I really had no intention of returning there but I moved this summer and there’s some renovations going on at the park that I now frequent.  I decided last Saturday to give it whirl again.  It was a fairly cool morning considering the heatwave we’ve been in since like March???? It was cloudy, which was even better at least until I started walking.

It had been so long that I didn’t remember what the trail was like, was it hilly, covered in trees.  I didn’t know until I got out there.  I saw some things that rang a bell.  The big red barn, the disc golf stuff, which I still didn’t have a clue about, and then something I couldn’t put my finger on.  I started feeling cross, a little bit sad and heavy, I started to remember what landed me at this park those years ago.  I was looking for something, I was looking for me.

The last time I was there I had just been through a year of hell.  Those who know me well know that I have a flair for the dramatic, but what I went through wasn’t drama, the struggle was very real.  I had been in a depression like I had never experienced in my life.  I was trying to piece myself back together and 2011 was what I call the between.  I was leery, weary and white knuckling through.  I was at this point carrying the heaviness with a smile on my face, I wasn’t on the verge of tears all the time, but I was still tired.  Being out on the trail last Saturday brought all of that back.  I FELT IT. It was uncomfortable.

As I did five years ago, I powered through, this time briskly walking.  As I kept moving I remembered the pain, I remembered the year after when I nose-dived again, and the year after slow recovery.  As I moved faster, my mind moved faster, right out of the pit.  I thought about all of the good things that happened since then. I thought about how hard I fought to get it together, I thought about all the support I had, the soft gentle kind and the girl get your s**t together kind both of which worked for my good.  I thought about all the BLESSINGS that have come into my life since then and felt overwhelmed again.  Then I was finished.

I went to go stretch on some stairs.  There was a hawk sitting on the fence near me.  I snapped a few pics of him with my phone, stretched some more and then the sun came out.  I felt complete and whole and absolutely happy.  I thought that it was the distance that kept me away all these years, it wasn’t, it was my head.  As has been the case many, many times I had to work through some stuff out on the trail and I’m so glad I did.  In fact so glad that I went back a couple of days after and guess what? The day was perfect, seasonable and sunny, just like my disposition.

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Want more information on Lenora Park? Check this and all the other fine parks Gwinnett has to offer on their website.

Until next time, see you on the trail, where I’m always working out something 🙂

Lamenting Authority

I’d heard a few months ago what was about to go down. I thought to myself haven’t they been there before? I didn’t Google it, didn’t want to know, didn’t want to confirm, didn’t want to believe but alas, ’tis true. I went by the spot and saw for my own eyes, Sports Authority is going out of business. I’m undone.

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My love for the sporting goods store goes back over 30 years. My dad took me to our local spot, Dunham’s to buy my first pair of running shoes. I’ve been hooked ever since.

I’ve shopped specialty stores and even worked in one back in the late 80s but the all purpose sporting good store has always been best for me especially as my needs changed. I got hooked on Sports Authority  specifically because they:

  • Always had specials
  • Always had what I need
  • Weren’t so gigantic that you couldn’t get help
  • Staff was always cool
  • Locations were always convenient

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I tried that huge chain that starts with D and found success all of three times. When I was looking for the super thick Thorlos, Sports Authority had them. Different thicknesses of yoga mats? Sports Authority. Reasonably priced gym bags, yeah they have those in spades. Stuff I didn’t even need but thought was cool, SA sold it to me.

Many of been shut down already, those that are not closed as yet? I won’t be going by for the “Going Out of Business Sale“, it’s just too much to bear. I have no plans of trying a big box substitute. If I need to go into a store, I’ll get that fix the next time go home. Going forward though, looks like that Prime membership is really going to get a workout.

How about you? Is there a spot in your town that you use to frequent, park, court, gym, store etc that broke your heart when it closed? Come let us grieve together in the comments, or here or here.

Until next time, see you online where I’ll be checking out my virtual cart of stuff I can’t touch until it’s delivered.

Photos: MsThorns

Skip the Gym with Ya Boy

I think it was the beginning of the year. Knee deep in work (already) and feeling a truckload of guilt and actual sluggishness in general I decided to get back on track, again. Though I was ready physically my mind was playing tricks on me when it came to going to the gym. I was NOT ready to do that, because it required me to get up too early. I checked out my favorites on YouTube but wasn’t really feeling them either when I stumbled on this young fireball Millionaire Hoy @yaboymillhoy.

He came up in search all the time but I ignored it because so many of the titles included HIIT which given my back and joint situations I figured they would be out of reach. I was wrong. Just so happens that at the time I finally took the leap he was running a monthly challenge was for beginners so I dove in and loved it!

What I dig about ya boy:
Intensity – the workouts are challenging for all fitness levels. There are mods and previews of the next exercise in the mini box. Your heart will be pumping and you will sweat.
Variety – Millhoy is prolific he has close to 800 videos on his channel with new videos published every Sunday thru Friday. With a new challenge every month. So if you only wanted to workout with him you will not run out of things to do. He is also contributor to Sweat Stream Collab on YouTube.
Personality – y’all know how it goes. You pull up a YouTube workout that looks promising only to find the instructor to be gross i.e. voice irritating, too loud, obnoxious or just appear to be STANK in general. Well, he’s none of those. Now he talks non-stop, but never induces any side eye. He’s quite upbeat, lively and bearable even in the early morning, which is essential for grumpy old broads.
What he is not – a hulk smashing, weight dropping, cussing dude. If that’s your thing, cool, but he ain’t that dude.

So, if you feel like skipping the gym but still want to get it in, I highly recommend Millionaire Hoy. Check him out and subscribe if you dig him.

 

 

Changes

It’s Memorial Weekend and hot as a mug in the metro.  Last I wrote it was the dead of winter, well it was January anyway, not that cold here.  Nonetheless, it’s been a long time and I’m glad to be here, but MAN things have been hectic.

Health – is meh. Fitness is blah, weight is through the ROOF.  You see really since about September I have been WORKING.  At one stretch in the last months I was working four, yes FOUR jobs.  I had bidness to take care of, debts to settle and it was just required. Now I know certain folk are beasts of fitness and manage to balance the whole world on their shoulders while staying tip top (POTUS & FLOTUS I see you).  I’m not that good at scheduling nor motivated enough to try to do all the things.  An ole broad got to sleep sometimes.  So to maintain energy I sparingly worked out, sparingly practiced yoga and stayed afloat on a steady diet of milk duds, popcorn and Nutriblast juice.  Helluva a combination right?  Well after 4 jobs, 10 lbs and seemingly endless financial roadblocks this happened:

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Photos: MsThorns

YEAHHHHHH BOYYYEEEEEEEE, ye olde broad bought her very first house!  I’m in it now, it’s an absolute wreck and in spite of the inspection I have been getting stuff fixed non-stop, but… not sharing a wall with someone I don’t live with has been priceless. I didn’t know how much that was on my nerves until it wasn’t there. More importantly though I never thought it would happen, and it did.

The working has slowed, I walked today and it was nice and soon, I hope to exhale completely. In the mean time I leave you with this.  As long as you’re upright and above ground you have a chance to change your life.  Eight years ago, I was fragile AF, a middle aged divorcee starting over with NOTHING but problems, some of which I never thought I’d ever overcome, but I did. Wasn’t easy, sometimes it still isn’t but I kept it pushing, kept the faith and got some stories to tell.  I had to live through it to tell it and I’m thankful that I did.  You can too, whatever that thing is that you THINK you can’t over come, you can honey. It’s not too late.

Video: David Bowie

Retirement Party – Peachtree Road Race #16

The old broad waffled all the way until the last week this year but mugs refused to let me weasel my way out. With the promise (to myself) that this was my last Peachtree everrrrrr, predicted perfect weather and a commitment to go to the race with the young’n below. My fanny made it out the door to the 45th Annual Peachtree Road Race, my 16th and FINAL 🙂

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The People
I met this cute couple Jamie a race veteran and Albert a first timer who were absolutely right. Travelling after 7:00 am to the race start made their wait time for their start wave minimal.

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I plopped down next to Christian, also a first timer who was cool as a cucumber and indulged the old broad’s questions and photo snapping.

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Of course upon arrival there was no shortage of costumes. Wonder Woman and I think Captain America (not good with superhero names) were making their way to the start line.

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The music
The bands this year were some of the best I can recall. At Brown & Co. Jewelers the band was playing some serious funk. Further up at Fellini’s Pizza I heard rap and across from Justin’s, salsa/merengue so good that I wanted to take my non-salsa dancing self over and join the party.

My race
I ran through and got sprinkled by the holy water at St Phillip, ran up cardiac hill and took it easy by running just under 4 of the 6.2 miles. Taking it easy allowed me to watch an 80 year old man who was a member of the  100 marathon club pass me, meet and talk to a soror from Decatur Alumnae and enjoy all the good music, colorful folks and architecture on the way to the finish. My finish time was the slowest I’ve ever recorded and I was over the moon about it because there was no need to visit the medical tent.

Retirement
I’ve said I’m through for the last three years or so but actually mean it this time.  I had to get my ego out of the way and realize that I can’t take heat and humidity like I used to and weather like today doesn’t happen every year.  I’m certainly not through racing now that I’ve got most of the injuries behind me, but I’m no fool either.  Fall and winter are my new seasons and as long as the body holds up.  I’ll return to racing when the temperatures drop.
How did you spend your fourth of July? Was it in active pursuit of a personal record in a race, or active pursuit of a plate, beer and friends and family? Let me know in the comments.
Until next time see you on the trail and Happy Independence Day!
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Photos: MsThorns

The Party’s Over (It’s not what you think)

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Gym vets know that the beginning of the year is when all the noobs and those who are trying to rekindle their fitness program show up. Now I won’t front I’m one who has scoffed at all the Johnny Come Latelies coming in hogging the machines the beginning of January. I don’t really sweat it because I know most of them will be gone by March.  I was judging them and their commitment and that is not cool.

I haven’t had a come to Jesus moment or anything of that sort, however looking back from whence I’ve come in the last six years, I know the struggle.  I know what it’s like to have the desire to go to the gym but not be able to because all the joints hurt from being heavy.  I know what it’s like to want to go to the gym and not do it because you’re far to depressed to leave the house and food is more comfortable than a treadmill.  I understand what it’s like to actually make an attempt and stop because it hurts too much and the progress is too slow. I know what it’s like to want to go to the gym but decide against it out of shame. Yeah, I get it and can no longer scoff.

I welcome all of those who are beginning or restarting their journey to better health at the gym.  I hope all of these folks stay past March. I hope that the trainers in the gym will lend a helping hand when they struggle and that the rest of us encourage and celebrate them in their success.

Until next time, see you at the gym.

Photos: MsThorns