sweat & tears

top of the morning monday to you m'loves.

how did miss weekend treat your tender hearts?

i popped back and forth across the emotional ping-pong table of my precious aunt's latest hospital stay.

we yo-yo'ed between tears of hysterics, like on friday when we listened for hours to patient, in bed #4, hold the nurses hostage with her "diaper" in exchange for more oxycontin; to sunday where tears of frustration poured over her white blood cell count.

i pity the yoga mat, spin bike, and in this weekend's case, the water rower, who bared the brunt of my unleashed sadness.

led by master trainers, jay blahnik and josh crosby, yesterday i took the fantastic teacher training for indo-row, a crazy-fun, group fitness class that gives you a killer cardio workout AND strength and flexibility training. you can't say the same for spinning, treadmill classes, etc.

it's a team spirit atmosphere, building community and camaraderie; which i think we can all use in these divisive times, no?

it was definitely a new fitness experience for me and challenged me to the point where i hadn't gone to in a long, long time. i had scary flashes back to running "the apple" in junior high, coming in last, looking silly, etc. indo-row is NOT like that, yet it does inspire a youthful, competitive spirit. that post race feeling with my team felt exhilarating, and the longest stretches of hard work never lasted more than 90 seconds.....if that. you can bet each paddle, each stroke was for my aunt charla.

i'm so excited indo-row is coming to my club.

tell me, m'loves, what gave you goosebumps this weekend?

running down a dream

i've been running lately.

there. it's out in printed word. i guess i finally have to admit: i'm becoming a runner.

{melodramatic-think drew barrymore-sigh}

this is meaningful only to those who know me well. there are two things i detest: beets and running. and i'm not quiet on either of these opinions, nor respectful of those who differ from mine.

i used to think a lit bonfire in my pants {now don't get naughty, i'm talking a literal fire you scamps} would be the only thing to get these feet skipping faster than a 1.5 m.p.h. speed on a treadmonster. zero incline of course.

but something happened when i was in mexico this summer, in an effort to lose the rest of the world and its problems, i found my gait.

a stride which steadies my breath, narrows my focus, and reigns in my anxiety.

i can't run for very long. pain sets into my usual spots.

but those minutes are precious. preferably without distraction, just me, my headphones and my monster.

the music varies according to my mood and what i need, but without fail lissie is always somewhere on my playlist.

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wednesday happy to you m'loves.