have a hobby?
Happy August, friends! With all the crazy going on around us, all over the world (and man, is there ever so much), I think it's good to take a pause from time to time and think about things that aren't quite so heavy; to strive for a good balance. Jumping back on the random fact friday train is a small way for me, and you too, to do just that.
Since it's been a little while, I thought I'd summarize the "why" of this little initiative . . .
From brief, anecdotal research earlier this year, I saw that a lot of times, we struggle to see the "interesting" in our lives, and to me, it's important to see those many, vast parts that summarize our whole as the gifts that they are — I think it impacts the way we see ourselves, and I think we should be fair to ourselves to not go to and/or believe, "I'm boring," when asked about ourselves . . . but to recall the positives in our lives -- big and small -- and celebrate them as the facts that they are and how they've enriched our lives and introduced us to new experiences and maybe new friends too, along the way.
Ultimately, the whole point is to encourage and inspire. So on that note, this month, let's talk about hobbies!
one of my hobbies -- running
Nashville, 2007; more details on this race below.
I would guess that most all of us have had a hobby at one point or another. I would also guess that many of us maintain a hobby, on some level, depending on where we are in life and what other commitments we have to keep.
Many of you that know me personally know that I love to run. It's probably the one hobby I've been able to maintain -- at least on some level -- most consistently for quite some time now. Fourteen years now, to be exact. My foray into running began in the summer of 2000. I'm pretty sure I started this hobby for two reasons: 1 -- I had the time and interest, and 2 -- I thought it would be a good way to shed a few pounds.
getting started wasn't easy
I started slow; I remember how difficult it was to even run a half mile without stopping! So to build my endurance, I quickly found I needed to run/walk portions, until I could run at least a mile without absolutely DYING to catch my breath! Soon enough, I found myself really enjoying this time, and it grew into a full-fledged hobby! My average runs would be maybe 2 or so miles, and that's pretty much what I do today.
My first official "race" was in 2007, the Azalea Trail Run in Mobile. I did this in part as training for a larger race I was signed up for later that spring, one that I NEVER saw myself doing nearly 7 years before -- a half-marathon!
from hobby to helping
My friend Michelle approached me about training for Nashville's Country Music half-marathon with her through Team In Training, directly benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As much as I loved the idea of giving back, I was a little hesitant at first to commit -- 13.1 miles was a far cry from the typical 2 miles I would normally run.
But . . . life being what life is, sometimes high and sometimes low, I had just lost my step dad weeks before to a battle with Lymphoma, and for the first time, I felt inspired to push myself to this level, since TNT fundraising helps find cures for blood cancers.
Me and Michelle the morning of our race; I learned that a garbage bag could not only be a fashion statement, but is a norm on cold morning races to help keep you warm, then you can easily toss it at the start.
It was amazing to me to learn how my body could be pushed to do what my mind never thought it could! I loved my training (despite the insanely early mornings and soreness that followed!), my coaches (who are now my friends), and the amazing feeling of accomplishing something personally as well as helping others in the process.
since then
Routinely, I mostly run for fun; to stay healthy; to have time to think/pray, and decompress.
I sometimes run with friends in local races that help area needs/organizations, and I've ran a few long distance races at Disney:
At the Disney Tower of Terror 13K (8 miles); my TNT training was a lifesaver, as it helped me stay the course while I trained for this one on my own!
Tower of Terror 13K the following year, which happened to (wonderfully) correspond with a reunion of Disney friends from my Jungle Cruise skipper days
A few years later, fireworks signaled the start of the Tower of Terror 10-miler, with my awesome brother, Pete--his first long run! He got into it back then and now totally blows me out of the water with how he trains!
One of those fun runs mentioned above was the Color Me Rad 5K, which benefitted Mobile's Ronald McDonald House (and this really was, probably the most fun a run has been, with all that great color and zero pressure to beat a previous time!)
At Color Me Rad with my very colorful friends: Matt, Rianna, and Steven
this week's question
So back to you . . . what do hobbies look like in your world? Do you have a current hobby, or maybe one that you'd like to pick back up? What does that hobby mean to you, and is there more you'd like to do with it? If so, what's stopping you? :) In the famous words of our pals at Nike, Just Do It! Here's the downloadable PDF you can use if you're keeping up that way.
. . . and PS: help me take my own advice, as I'm mentally prepping to convince myself to take the plunge into marathon training next year. I have my eyes set on the 23rd annual Disney marathon in January 2016, Lord willing :)