I have a real love hate relationship with the holidays. I can't be the only one right? I love giving presents, and cooking, and spending time with my family, but sometimes everything else just makes it miserable!
Daylight Savings is such a bummer; who enjoys the sun setting at 5pm?! No one can drive once daylight savings starts either! The holiday traffic is horrendous. People turn into such Scrooges. They are more worried about getting to their destination before you and will run you off the road to do it. But the biggest bummer (to me) is the weather. In the Gulf South, winter for us is rain and cold, it's cold that Northerners would laugh at, but for us it's cold! When I'm off work, all I want to do is lace up my Brooks and run. I often can't though because by time I get home from work it's already starting to get dark and it's either raining or cold and 90% humidity. Nothing about that is motivating to get out of the house and I refuse to get a treadmill because it is just so BORING! I usually workout in studios, but I'm taking a break from them right now until after Christmas. I plan on hitting Yoga, Pilates, and Cycling pretty hard after the holidays to step up my cross-training routine. I was doing Orangetheory for 2 years, but just recently quit. I enjoyed working out there, but it was time to move on. After the holidays I'll be trying out Studio Hop and Class Pass to see which one is a better fit for me. I'll also be trying out a Bikram yoga studio in New Orleans, which I'm really excited for! But until then, I'm stuck staring out my window at the depressing weather. Other than the weather decreasing my motivation, there is the pressure to spend more time with family and friends. I feel super guilty if I can't fit it all in. Brunches, parties, making cookies, simply hanging out, it all becomes increasingly overwhelming. I know you can't be everywhere at once, but I wish I could! Do I go to the work Holiday party or do I hang out with my family? Do I go to the movies with friends or do I stay at home with my husband? Throw in my part-time job and it becomes a whole cluster! (I don't know how people juggle everything they do with children and can't imagine what's going to happen once I throw one into the mix!) During these times, I have to remind myself that missing a run or two is okay. I won't die and can make it up later. I won't automatically gain 10 pounds from skipping a run. When I do finally get to squeeze in runs though it's pretty magical. The stifling heat of Southern summers is gone and my times are immensely faster. I feel more confident in my runs and myself as a runner. If I go after work, the Holiday lights are starting to come on and it brightens up my runs even more. The park I normally run in sets up a huge light display that is filled with families making memories. I am reminded of childhood holidays of decorating the tree and playing with all my Nana's Christmas villages. Despite all the hustle and bustle and Scrooges though, the holidays are still a pretty magical time. Even though I complain about these things, I know there are people who would love to have these problems during this time of year. I understand the importance of family and how much it hurts not having some around. I know there are parents who struggle to feed their children during the year and can't even begin to figure out how Santa is going to come. I try to give back all throughout the year, but especially around the holidays. I encourage everyone to donate your old clothes and running shoes and anything else you can to those who need it more than we do. (Vietnam Veterans of America will pick up from your house for free and don't make a profit off your donations.) At work we raise money for families of our students who need some extra help. Sharing, giving, love, and compassion; these are the real reasons for the holidays. I hope everyone has a great holiday season and a wonderful New Year!
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October 2018
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