Blogging 2015: 853 down, 1162 to go (Lurong Day 43? I think?)

I was going to recap the Fall 50, but since I didn't take a single photograph it's a little hard to make it interesting. Also it was my sixth year. So been there, done that in a way. This year we had a friend come up to join us from Alabama, and we conned our neighbor and a fellow rugby wife into joining us for part of the day.

Extra blingy for the 10th year.

The Fall 50 has shit weather about once every 3 years. Shit weather defined as torrential rain, extreme wind, or irrational cold. 2010 was a rainy year. So was 2015. I only got rained on a little, but fantastic husband got pretty well drenched on both of his full legs. He and I split one of the shorter legs later in the day, which was a blessing in disguise as the regular exchange was a total clusterfuck.

Over the years I've had the opportunity to run every leg of the Fall 50, so this year I just picked 2 kind of at random. Some of our friends had a team that was starting at the same time we were, so we paced along with them for the first 2 legs. I'm generally a solitary runner. I listen to my music too loud and go away in my head for the duration. Sometimes I daydream about vacations in Scotland or on an island somewhere. Sometimes I rerun scenes from my favorite books in my mind's eye. Sometimes I sing to myself, or have long conversations with my inner sloth. It's not that I never run with people, but doing so makes me nervous. Am I going to slow? Too fast? Am I talking too much? Not enough? Am I breathing like I'm going to die? Am I even making sense? What if I start farting? It happens.

Leg 2 went fine, I definitely ran faster than I would've on my own. And since my pace was better than anticipated for that leg, I pushed myself to run harder on my second-into-third leg. I passed a lot of people on Leg 8, and it felt good. I didn't listen to music this year because I've been using my phone and I didn't want to risk it in the rain. It's harder to stifle the urge to just walk or slow way down when I don't have a beat to run to, but I didn't do too badly.

Ultimately we had a fun day, got to hang out with some fun people and have some beers, and still made it home to bed by 9pm. Not too shabby. I don't know if I'll Fall 50 again. I won't be buying teams in the future, but if someone needs a runner to whore on, I'm likely game. I should probably mention that "whore on" is a rugby term meaning to jump on a team in need of players. I'm not offering my services to your Fall 50 team as an actual whore. You couldn't afford me.

It was back into the usual swing of things this morning. Got the smalls up for breakfast and assembled lunches while they ate and I drank copious coffee. I ate breakfast early as I was going to 8am yoga.

Apple carrot sausage hash. No egg. Couldn't be bothered today.

I've never gone to this particular yoga class before. It's a style called Yin yoga. Done in a cool room, almost every pose on your back, and you hold them for a reeeeeeeeaaaaaaalllllllyyyyyyy long time. It's pretty much the opposite of "flow" style yoga. I think we maybe did 8 poses over the whole hour? It was oddly intense. Definitely a good stretch, but with a lot more introspection than I'm used to. I don't like spending that much time in self reflection. I'm too much in my head as it is. It's uncomfortable. Which is probably the point. I don't know, it was my first time. 

After yoga I ran some errands and chomped down an apple before heading over to the box to repeat the initial Lurong WOD. 

SweeTango, purchased in the midst of a rainstorm at the Fall 50.

Can I just say I crushed that WOD today? It was hard, and I was tired afterwards, but satisfied. Thrusters can still suck it, but all the rest of my bar work was leaps and bounds better than 6 weeks ago. I was elated to see the improvement. One week left to finish strong. I'm fighting the self-sabotage dragon pretty hard today, as the end is so near and I'm so close to so many of my goals. Send me your stay-the-course mojo please. I need it. 

I stopped over by my tattoo artist to take one last look at my drawing before heading home. I'm in the chair at noon tomorrow! I'm so excited!

Then I came home and cut down some brush in the front yard. Fun times, since I could only find one of my work gloves. I still have more to do, but tomorrow is a new day and I'll have some time before CrossFit. After getting covered with thorns and Russian Sage, I treated myself to a bubble bath. It was lovely.

I didn't feel much like making lunch, so I just had a few meat cookies. I wish I'd gotten a shot of the dog. She was sitting at my feet just vibrating with excitement. I tossed her a few pieces.

Fall 50 leftovers.

I picked up the smalls from school, got them a snack and settled down with a cup of coffee to watch Ellen. I never watch Ellen. It wasn't half bad.

Yep, those are slippers, and I absolutely wore that shit as shoes ALL DAY.

It was CrossFit Kids day, and since they missed last week while we were travelling and picturing, they were stoked about going today. They did KB deadlifts, rope climbs, and running. P finished first, C second. Even L finished strong, doing more than I thought she would (I knew she could, but wasn't sure she would). They were so proud, and I was proud of them. They also fell asleep on the way home from the gym, so I gather they will sleep like small corpses tonight. Win-win-win.

I had leftover chili, because it was a chili kind of a day. Fantastic husband made it yesterday. I even watched him make it and I couldn't tell you what's in it. I'm not even sure he knows. It's never the same twice, but it's always delicious. No beans this go to stay Lurong legal.

As my mom is so fond of saying "You better to everything in your power to hold on to that man." So when I get arrested for some sort of public sex act, you'll know who to blame. That's right. My mother.

Always better the second day.

At the moment I'm supervising homework and trying not to eat cookie dough. Well, I guess I'm succeeding at not eating cookie dough. For now. 

Tomorrow is the box at 915, yoga at 1030, then quickly cleaning up so I can hustle over to Artrageous so Steve can make my right calf pretty. One good thing about having big calves? Big tattoos! I've been contemplating this one for 2 years, since I got my sleeve. I get compliments on my shoulder piece daily (really, almost every day for 2 years and from some very unexpected sources) so I'm very excited to see another one of Steve's masterpieces take shape.

I'll probably need help getting a photo of it...taking pictures of the back of my leg is a yoga move I haven't mastered.

My foray into Yin yoga provided me with today's affirmation.

I will not participate in my own diminishment.

This spoke to me today. I've always tried to be an outspoken advocate for myself. In an academic setting or a professional setting, I am a force to be reckoned with. But I diminish myself in other ways. I let prevailing standards of beauty dictate my happiness. I downplay my talents. (For example, did you know that I can play the piano and the guitar? Also that I am a trained vocalist?) For many years I was literally diminishing myself by trying to weigh less than 140 pounds, and I put many things on hold waiting until I was small enough to "deserve" them. That is some horseshit right there. If you're waiting until you're "thin" to be happy, do me a favor and stop that shit right now. Be happy now. I'm not going to judge anyone for wanting to look their best, but for fuck's sake don't wait to be happy.

I'm done diminishing myself. I am going to take up some motherfucking space. I'm going to mark my body with beautiful colors and call as much attention as possible. I'm going to be bigger and better than ever. Stronger. Faster. Vibrantly, passionately, vigorously happy. And I'm going to do my damnedest to stop others from participating in their own diminishment. Not one of us is "just" this or "only" this. 

We are all capable of remarkable things. Don't forget it.