Be Flippin'

I love flipping my calendar over the to the next month. Something about it feels like a fresh start...and honestly I love to see a new picture! I had a superviser a few years ago who always used to tease me about flipping the calendar a bit too early…..he was very focused on being mindful and present in THIS moment, without pushing time forward before it arrives or demanding that things be different than they are.  “It’s not April yet, Amy!!!! You can’t flip until April 1!” He probably had a point…..I should stay more present and enjoy the current opportunities life gives my way...even on the 30th or 31st of each month (or 28th and 29th in Feb!)

September was a challenging month for me personally and as an athlete. The month started off with a difficult finish at Rev 3 Cedar Point. I have an earlier blog post about that race so I won’t rehash the chain of events. It was indeed both frustrating and yet also encouraged me at the same time. I saw what I could do when my brain had the option of quitting or pressing on; and thankfully I pressed on. Do I still wonder what I could have done if I had made it out a bit further and not gotten swept up in the current? Yep, definitely. But I have no regrets about the way I handled myself that day. A year ago I was crying after finishing Rev 3 Cedar Point without a PR….this year I was proud I had the gumption to keep moving forward, even knowing I would have “DF” by my name in the results.

On the bike at Rev 3....a new half distance PR!

Pushing it on the run! Was happy to see Ann :)

After Rev 3, came a truly personally challenging day: the day of my divorce. This isn’t something I’ve talked much about publically and probably won’t go into too much here either….just not ready yet. But for me, this was a day that was on my calendar for months and those closest to me knew how much agony, pain, guilt, fear, worry, judgment, tears, and sadness went into this decision. Nobody ever chooses divorce or thinks that will be how their marriage ends when they head into a life together. It just sucks.  Thankfully I had some amazing supportive friends that day who carried me literally from the beginning of the day until the end. There were so many hands involved that I marvel to think I could possibly be that loved. It made a big difference, and my heart will always be utterly grateful.

Amazing cake. Perfect message.

Can't believe all these amazing gals came out for ME. :)

That same weekend I ran the Lucky Buckeye 8 Miler down in the Grandview Yard. This was meant to be a tempo run for me anyway and I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was a great day to run! As the gun went off, I started to realize I was out in front with the lead police vehicle. Say WHAT?!?! Yeah, that’s what happened. For about 7.8 miles of the 8 mile race, me, Amy Avery, the girl who was teased in gym class growing up, the girl who used to be unable to run a mile without stopping, the girl who consistently doubts her abilities to set out and achieve anything, was the lead runner in an actual race! It was truly unbelievable and every time I would look back to see if I was going to be passed I realized I was still out in the lead...and THAT would make my heart rate jump too! Towards the end, I didn’t have enough “kick” left in me and 2 other amazing gals overtook me and I ended up in 3rd place overall. Nothing to be ashamed about.

I'll take it :)

Moving on in September I had the fortunate ability to officiate my dear friend Stephanie’s wedding. She and her husband Martin put on a simple, personal and beautiful wedding and it was a real honor to be officiating for them. We had a blast! In the next part of that week my counseling practice moved into a new building up by the 270/23 construction madness. Moving was a chaotic time, but we’re settled into our new space and loving it. I’m sure we’ll love it more when the construction is over…...anyone know when that is actually meant to happen?

MIT crowd with the bride and groom, Stephanie and Martin

My counseling practice's new building!

The last weekend in September allowed me to be able to finish some long run and bike workouts and then take a night out of town to attend a friend’s wedding in Cleveland. It was a fun time to be away and just relax after a challenging week of workouts.  Fun times.

Cleveland Rocks!

It’s October and officially the largest and most demanding month for me leading up to IMAZ. I’ll have some majorly epic weeks of training this month and lucky for me, I get to spend a full week in Arizona just training! Saving up that vacation over the summer months will be worth it…..or it’ll really hurt. Probably both.

Be Flippin’. Be Brave.