Musings With Meg

      Every year, Romi, my friend, mentor, and overall badass encourages us to consider what word will guide our year. I've always followed her guidance, spending quiet time considering what I learned from the previous year and what I hoped to carry into the new year. I've picked On Purpose, Focus, Joy, Hope, and others...broad concepts that met the mark, but never really made me uncomfortable enough to be real.      I spent a lot of time avoiding certain parts of who I am, or who I want to be, because I struggled with the reconciliation of the good and the bad, the strong and the weak, the pretty and the ugly, the successful and the failed. Because of that, I am confident that I have stumbled on my path more than I should, and definitely more than I would have liked.     Of this, I am tired. I've spent a lot of time over the past year and a half working on me. Podcasts, Bible studies, continuing education courses, reflection, prayer, and even a f...

 (Previously published on my gym's blog, crossfiteverlasting.com in December, 2020) I think, like many, I went into 2020 with hope. I enjoy the chance to start fresh, make goals, let go of burdens, and see potential in the possibilities ahead. While I’m never one to say “THIS is my year!!” I knew that so many good things were coming my way. And then…2020 happened. For me, it started at the end of January. We were putting the Christmas decorations away in the attic. I carried a tub on my shoulder, pushing it towards Chris, but was a little short. So I puuuuushed. And my shoulder didn’t like it and was aggravated for a few days. I just kept plugging away at life, and in the gym, because “I was fine.” By late February, it became clear I actually wasn’t fine, so I saw my doctor and she ordered an MRI. And then March. COVID became a pandemic, and our world changed overnight. We closed the gym, my MRI got cancelled because it wasn’t critical, and I was left to deal with it on my own. I w...

(Previously posted on my gym's blog, crossfiteverlasting.com in 2020) Even before the onset of COVID-19 and shut-downs, isolation, and uncertainty, we have all often heard (and used) the phrase “The struggle is real!” It is a cute hashtag, a camaraderie builder, and even an excuse. But what does it really mean, and what is it really about? Food  choices? Relationship problems? Going to work each day for a job you don’t love? Or feeling unable to have tangible goals in the gym with an inconsistent schedule? Often, then, after lamenting the “struggle,” comes the question of “How do I overcome the uncomfortable?” I was recently re-reading my old blog, and I was reminded of the many times our dog Misty has helped me answer that question. I take Misty jogging if the weather isn’t too hot, and she loves the opportunity to smell the smells and earn a hard nap. I’ve never been one to really enjoy running, but I push myself to go a couple of times a week for the challenge, as well as the ph...

(Previously published on my personal blog in 2015)           As I continue my running training for the Army Ten Miler in mid-October, the mileage has gotten longer and the time to think greater. Misty has finally been able to rejoin me on some shorter runs as the weather has cooled, and I again am able to focus my energy on encouraging her and distancing myself from the fatigue, boredom, or lack of motivation that I sometimes face.      However, it was on a more recent solo run that I was reminded again of a theme I have noticed before but never bothered to put into words. As I get stronger, I find myself more willing to choose routes with hills...on days I am open to a challenge. Imagine it...whether in a car, or on a bike, or on foot, more power, more energy, more effort must be exerted to get UP the hill. And when we get there, it is a victory. We've defeated the struggle and are often rewarded with a flat road that feels easy and fast. ...

(Originally posted on my personal blog in 2015) It's so easy to say that having goals is a good thing. It is great business practice, it is important for athletes of all levels, it even applies to parenting and relationships, finances and spending habits. But how we focus on our goals, and how we use our goals to motivate us, is also key. Last weekend Misty and I went for a run. It was muggy and gross, and I had forgotten that the local library (on our route) was having a huge community yard sale. As usual, Misty was thrilled to see her harness and leash, so I was expecting a great run, despite the ick factor and the sidewalk traffic. I set a goal--to improve upon my route time. Ready, Set...TROT??? We weren't more than two or three minutes into the run when it became clear that while Misty was excited about running, she wasn't going to be doing much of it. She was doing a ton of sniffing, was dragging behind, and frankly, was driving me a bit bonkers. Instead of coaching h...

(Originally posted on my personal blog in 2015, and in modified form on Everlasting Fitness's blog in 2020)  "The Struggle Is Real!" It's a saying we hear...or a hashtag we read. But what does it mean? Food choices? Relationship problems? Going to work each day for a job you don't love? Maybe it is all of them. So often then, comes the question of "How do I overcome the uncomfortable?" A couple of weeks ago Misty and I went out for a run. In this case, the struggle was real. I didn't want to go, but she clearly did. I would have been quite content going for a walk, listening to the birds, and looking for those first signs of spring. But alas, she was pulling, making it clear we were going to jog, not walk. We've got a three-mile course that's a straight shot, u-turn and return, so we headed out. Frankly, I just wasn't feeling it, but as usual, the more I watched Misty, and the more I coached her through the run, I came to realize I had ma...