Making the Most of My Time

No...I'm not going to die. Doesn't that title sound morbid? But I guess, in a way, a part of me will be dying for a short while when we undergo IVF. You see, I know myself as someone who is an exercise-fanatic...maybe even a compulsive exerciser, but I just LOVE it. I LOVE the feeling of my heart beating 170 beats per minute, I LOVE beating the challenge of getting up that daunting hill, I LOVE pushing myself to new limits, I LOVE how strong and accomplished I feel when I'm done with a great workout, I LOVE the friends I have from the gym, and I LOVE that I don't have to be on Ritalin or Prozac because exercise lifts my spirits and burns tons of energy. Exercising is not something I feel like I have to do, it is something I feel blessed I get to do; however, in 12 short days that will all be taken away from me. I have strict orders to limit myself to "walking leisurely" and lifting very light hand weights.

I have to admit, I am quite nervous about all this. The 2-3 hours I spend per day getting to and from the gym, socializing there, and exercising will have to be filled with something else. I know, I know..."Get A Hobby" you say, but exercise is my hobby. That and cooking I guess (which somehow go hand in hand). I am very grateful that I will be returning to school as I know I will be plenty busy trying to get ready for my students to show up, but still, what am I going to do with myself when the school day is over and I still haven't gotten my fill of happy pills/exercise?

No need to worry about things before they happen, instead, I'm just "making the most of my time." This weekend, I hit up my favorite trails at Hobbs State Park just 45 minutes from our house and ran a 9 mile trail run. It is so beautiful and peaceful out there. I saw more deer this weekend than I did people. Trail running enables me to zone out, to enjoy the silence, and to completely relax as I focus on the sound of my breathing and nature that surrounds me. This morning, Brad and I conquered the hills of Bella Vista with a 7 mile SUPER hilly run. Brad's training for the Chicago Marathon so as a part of his training program, he gets to run hills once a week. Somehow, when the training program said to "find the hilliest course you can find," I don't think they realized that some people live in the mountain like we do! Nonetheless, it was an AWESOME run. We really have our best conversations when we're out running and it's the best quality time we can spend together.