Welcome back to SOLO at SIXTY!
How is 2020 treating you so far? Two weeks are in the books, 50 more to enjoy this year. Luckily, we do get one extra day since this is a leap year. Is it just me or does time seem to be flying by? I mean, the older I get, the faster it goes. Which is a great reminder to make the most of each and every day. Once that day is gone, it is gone. No getting it back.
How are those New Year Resolutions going? According to Inc. Magazine, 80% of people drop their resolutions by mid-February. And Strava (a fitness and social app that tracks cycling and running) predicts January 19th is the day most people abandon their resolutions, which is a bit funny, because the busiest day of the year in our clubs is the 3rd Monday of the year, which this year is January 20th, Martin Luther King Day. I can attest to the fact that many people made fitness their 2020 resolution, as our clubs are very busy these days. Classes are full, fitness floor is full, locker rooms are full. Good feeling to see so many people thinking about their health and working on getting fit.
“Imagine yourself in 6 months if you continue working out… Now imagine yourself if you quit.” (borrowed from one of our personal trainer’s FB page)
I have struggled a bit with my knee lately – stiff and swollen after a couple of fairly good runs. Decided I needed a “spa day,” so I scheduled a physical therapy session. Yep, like a spa day for me, especially since my therapist changed part of my treatment from icing to heat (heavenly!). She manipulated my knee, treated it with light therapy (actual light), followed by E-Stem and HEAT. All the time I got to lie down with my knees supported by a bolster. Oh, and I had 2 pillows. So… I took a nap. Yep, right there in the middle of the PT clinic. Told them to nudge me if I snored. Nothing like getting to take a nap in the middle of the day! I was scheduled to run after PT, and was so afraid she would tell me not to, but it was just the opposite. She wanted me to run and see how my knee reacted. Don’t have to tell me twice! Left there feeling like a new person.
“Don’t run from life, run with life to face life.” – Akhil Tharakan
Had a decent run, but had to dodge some remaining snowy spots! Still can’t believe we had snow last week, and then enjoyed a record high of 69 degrees this past Sunday. I am NOT complaining – yet. I’ll be complaining as the cold weather returns this weekend. I could take one big snow, as long as it is on a weekend, where I have no plans. You know, the kind of weekend where you can just hunker down and enjoy doing nothing but being snowed in. One weekend of snow and I am done for the season. I don’t know about y’all, but I really struggle with cold weather these days! I refuse to wish my days away, but I cannot wait for spring and summer.
So struggling with an uncooperative knee and cold weather are pretty mild. But trust me, I have struggled with much more serious matters in my life, especially in the last 4 years. Several of my friends are struggling with many different issues – health, family, financial, personal. Which leads me to say that we never know what people are dealing with. No matter the smiles on faces, the struggles are real. Just be kind. Always.
“Just because you are struggling does not mean you are failing. Every great success requires some kind of struggle to get there.” – Nicky Gumble
Funny, but I really struggled coming up with a blog topic this week. Nothing happened to spark my interest. Probably because this is my busiest time of the year at work, and at work is the only place I have been… including all weekend. I did make it home Saturday in time to watch Carolina’s continuing struggle this season. Maybe I should have stayed at work! Plagued with injury after injury, my Tar Heels are in the struggle of a lifetime. But I still support and love ‘em! It’s a character-building year for sure.
“It doesn’t get easier. You just get stronger.”
I also struggled to stay awake Monday night to watch the battle of the Tigers – Clemson vs LSU, for the football championship. LSU struggled at first, Clemson struggled in the end. Two great teams, 2 unbelievable QB’s, one a Heisman Trophy winner. In the end, LSU prevailed in a big way. Then I really struggled to get up for a 6 am cycle class Tuesday morning. But I did!
So as I said, I really struggled with a topic this week… then I realized that WAS my topic. I looked around me and realized that we all are struggling in big and small ways. How do you handle struggles in your life? Do you pull the covers over your head and hope they go away on their own? Or do you face them head on (maybe after having a pity party)? Life, in general, is a struggle every day, for everyone. Obviously, some days more than others. But we have to continue fighting to succeed every day. Attitude. Fortitude. Gratitude. (Lots of “tudes”!) The struggles are real, so best to accept and overcome your struggles, because life goes on, life is good, and as we all know, none of us is promised tomorrow.
“You have within you, right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.” – Brian Tracy
Best,
Leslie
PS – Did you know that today, January 15th, is National Bagel Day? Have to admit, before moving to Charlottesville, I had never eaten a bagel (or even seen one!). We had biscuits in the South, not bagels. Now mind you, that was 23 years ago! Today I LOVE bagels and Charlottesville has the BEST bagel shop – BODO’s Bagels!
SOLO at SIXTY 