Out of the Saddle

Thank you for all of your heartfelt comments on yesterday’s post about my dying dog, Lucky. Weird to think a dying dog is “Lucky,” but I like to believe that he has been Lucky to be with us, and us with him. Even when I am not talking about farting and running and inappropriate things, you still read and respond. I appreciate that you take time for the silly, the gross,  and the serious sides of me.

I agree that I will know when it is “time” to let him go. I sort of equate this to how people told you that you would know when that right person was “the one.” I had faith in that type of knowing and knew immediately I when I met Ken that he was “it.” A strange comparison, but I do think my intuition will also tell me when it is Lucky’s time. In the meantime I am loving him up. The weirdest thing is that my parent’s dog, Brindle, is also dying right now. Lucky and Brindle are best friends and spend a lot of time together.

Moving onto the lighter side of life. I’ve been trying to mix up my workouts quite a bit lately and adding in more swimming and spinning.  My first love is running, and I get into modes where that is all I do and then my body gently reminds me to stop having an eff’ing closed mind and to expand my horizons.

Today Ken and I tried a new spin class. I’ve been to quite a few spin classes and I can’t say I’ve ever had this experience. Maybe I am not well rounded enough in the spinning world. We spent the first 20 minutes out of the saddle, climbing and sprinting. 20 minutes. Not sitting and spinning. Try it. It is not easy. Or, maybe I am just a spinning pussy (<- that sounded weird).

Tomorrow I am heading back to my beloved trails. Trail running has become my favorite thing because:

• It’s challenging as hell. Maybe even more challenging than being out of the bike seat for 20 minutes
• It’s gorgeous, peaceful and beautiful
• You get to see all kinds of animal scat (Guess which one this is? Hint: you may find a piece of Goldilocks's hair in there)

Blueberries on your oatmeal anyone?

• The landscape can be your bathroom and no one really knows but you, your running partners and the rabbit whose hole you crapped in
• The soft and varied terrain feels easier on my old bones

Here I am on Thanksgiving doing some trails and I’m really feeling as happy as I look until I fell off and my skirt went over my head exposing my under parts (just kidding).

 

Did you just “know” when you met your significant other that they were the one? YES! When I met Ken, I had been with someone else for 7 years and the relationship always felt like work. With Ken, it just felt right and easy. That’s how I knew.

How do you mix up your workouts? I spice things up with hot yoga, time on the trails, intervals in the pool, spinning and doing climbing on my bike in the nearby foothills. Keeps things tres interessant! (That’s French in case you were wondering. I am very sophisticated and I bet you didn’t know I was a French major).

What did YOU major in? I was Political Science and French undergrad, then got my Master’s in Social Work.

SUAR