RUN(derful) & RI(derful) Wednesday

HAPPY WEDNESDAY GUYS! Ahhhh! We made it! It's all downhill from here (and that's GREAT news when it comes to running and biking). 😄

No matter what goes on in our lives, it's important to live in the moment and to focus on what's important to us. It's important to appreciate the time we spend doing what we do, whether that's riding with new friends at the track, picking up a new hobby or learning something new in a class. Lately, I've been thinking about several key items and changes that has taken me to where I am now, and I don't mean a big move or a new job. Have you ever had a time in your life when you look back and finally realize how much you've changed? Your mindset is different, so you begin to think about how you got to where you are now and realize it wasn't any one thing in particular. However, it might have been that ONE tiny thing you changed, and that caused a change, and so on, and so on, and so on... So here you are.

This week's thoughts include:

For most of us it can be exceptionally easy to fall into a schedule and stay there. We get up, brush our teeth (and sometimes our hair 😋), have breakfast, go to school or work, workout, eat dinner, watch some TV and go to bed. That's fine for the most part, but when we begin thoughtlessly going through those motions we stop learning much of anything new and we resign ourselves to doing whatever we need to do in order to make it to Friday. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be caught in a cycle or doing the same things over and over again. I want CHANGE! I read somewhere that if you don't try anything new, you keep repeating the same cycle, and you continue to get the same results over and over. This theory could apply to a range of situations, and because of this, is quite valuable in its simplicity.

Aside from trying something new with my training/workout schedule (more on that to come), I'm also dipping a toe into the unfathomable (at least to me) world of cooking. I've never been much of a cook; it just wasn't something I gravitated toward and it wasn't something that gave me happiness. I ate because I was hungry and that was it. Besides the innumerable health benefits to knowing exactly what goes into the food we consume, cooking also saves money. No matter how many times I watch Anthony Bourdain on Netflix, smiling excitedly over perfectly simmered and seasoned noodles, cooking will most likely never fill me with utter and absolute joy- but it's something new, and it's good for me. Armed with a few- and for the most part unread- cookbooks I packed during the move and absolutely ZERO oven mitts, I will be stepping WAY out of my comfort zone and trying not to let sizzling hot olive oil jump out of the pan and ding me on the arms.

Oh GEEZE, I own these two cookbooks for runners/athletes - BIG shocker, I know. But, there ae some REALLY cool and easy recipes in these. I just need to find the box they're hiding in now. They must be around here somewhere...

Cooking might be far from new for some, but everyone's different. A common misconception when thinking of something new to try is that it must be done on a grand scale. For the most part, trying something small can have just as big of an impact.

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Some examples of new things to try are:

1. Sign up for a new workout class - been aching to try that spinning class? Do it! It's awesome!
2. Skip the drive-thru for something home-made
3. Volunteer somewhere for the day - races always need help with packet pickup and on race day, BMX races can always use volunteers too. Homeless shelters, libraries, yard maintenance for the elderly, road clean up- you name it, I did it during college with my sorority, and I actually missed it after graduation, so every once in a while I'll volunteer somewhere. It's a great way to meet people as well.
4. Have a salad for lunch one day a week, it's healthy and it's a small change as well.
5. Finally get that hairstyle you've been thinking about, you know you want it. Now's the time!
6. On the track, take one extra pedal on your way to the double- talk about something that can get you ahead!
7. Change your stance slightly on the gate, you may discover something new and helpful!
8. Offer to help someone with something you're good at
9. Ask someone to help you with something they're good at
10. Try a different kind of spaghetti sauce on your pasta- vodka sauce, anyone?
11. Go to bed one hour earlier twice a week, you'll notice a difference. 
12. Run on a new route (just be safe and don't get lost)
13. Join a group run, especially if you're an introvert. You might surprise yourself.
14. Check out some art at a museum or gallery- there's nothing like gaining new appreciation and a new way of seeing things. 
15. Read a biography, other people can be really interesting.
16. Keep a succulent alive (I'm still terrible at this one). Just remember, very very little water. 
17. Travel to somewhere you've never been (this doesn't have to mean far or expensive)
18. Listen to music you normally wouldn't listen to 
19. Help out on track-work day
20. Paddleboard - Take the dog or a friend, go find a lake that has them and rent one (make sure the lake is safe for dogs), along with life vests.
21. Make your bed every morning- Warning: this one's harder than it seems.

It's time to try something new so you can get to where you're going. It might not feel like it now, but change happens all around us. Be that change, and who knows, you might find something you love to do!