The Wisdom of the Dad Strikes Again





A reader asked me the other day are you naturally positive, or do you have to work at it? 

a fave running view - sunny, like my attitude!

 

The answer was yes. But some days, all of us have to work at it.

 

I've had some of those days lately.

 

I sat down a few days ago in typical MAJ fashion and resolved to take action.  My Grand Plan was to get ahead on workouts while I can, in case I have to stop training. With a few more weeks until I know what I am facing, it is hard not to think about how I will miss training if I have to re-arrange my life for another unexpected health issue.   

I didn't realize that I miiiiight have been overdoing it a little on "preparing" until  The Professional told me WHOA, NELLY.  Back it down a notch.  (I hate when people tell me I push myself too hard unless they're coaches or professors - they know their shit.  And The Professional knows his shit.)



It made me realize that I had to have a really difficult conversation with myself.  The conversation was that, no matter how tough I am and how hard I try to get through it - this could be different than my experience with my thyroid, which basically turned out all sunny. 

 

I had to accept that there might not be a marathon at all this year.

That really got me.

 

So I did what I always do in these situations: I called Dad.  I told Dad I might be overdoing it a bit trying to "prepare" myself.  Dad knows I've already accepted that the end result will be what it will be; I'm just trying to stay sane because training does that for me.  At the same time, I have to be realistic, and giving up one of your favorite hobbies is never fun.

 

And Dad says to me, after listening to me basically tell him everything I just typed above, there will always be another marathon.

And then he says, just think of your workouts as something you do for yourself.  Whether there is a marathon or not.

 

At other times of my life, when things have been insane or I haven't been well, and people told me things like why can't you just do yoga, (I do some of that too) or your workouts are too extreme (they aren't), or why can't you just train for a 5k (at the time, I hated those), I always got aggravated.  Those are good suggestions, but they don't get to the heart of the problem.

 

Dad (of course) did: your workouts are something you do for yourself. 

 

Whether there is (this) marathon or not, not only will there be others, but I know where I need to go to find my sanity.  I just need to remember another wise thing Dad always tells me: everything in moderation.

 

And of course there is still fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Even more meaningful this year.

 

And now, because the mood needs lightening, I present to you Some Funny Shit I Saw on The Interwebs.