Saturday, April 11, 2020

Glimpses of Gratitude in #StayAtHome - 1

I just played Bingo. I cannot remember the last time I actually played Bingo! Of course, because of how my life darts and weaves these days, I did so while cooking bacon over a medium-low heat, making sure it took the length of time to enjoy several rounds of Bingo. 

Our morning here had been appropriately relaxing, beginning with coffee in bed and some quiet reading-writing times. I knew if I wanted to try my new running shoes out today, it would have to be early in the day. Even though it would be chilly. So…we made plans for me to enjoy a run, then be in charge of breakfast-brunch plans…all nicely coordinated so to enjoy Zoom Quarantine Bingo with CrossFit peeps. It is GOOD to be grateful for the things we’d never experience were it not for #stayathome. I cannot remember the last time I played Bingo with friends, for example, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Simple. Easy. Restful. FUN.

I’ve not run continuously for 35 minutes in a long, long while either. Our city finally completed the sidewalk that now runs down the hill of Shakertown Rd. by our condo complex. This has revolutionized our walking routes, now easily and safely able to include the nature preserve that is a part of Bergamo/Mt. Saint John. We visit there nearly daily now, with Nala leading the way, or trying to. But this morning, I found myself a bit nostalgic for the three ‘loops’ we’d always used to walk and I would often run. Or four loops, if you count the “walk to the Stop sign and back” as a loop. Stop-sign (1.2 miles or so), short loop (1.5 miles or so), middle way (2-2.5ish) and longish loop (3-3.5 miles, probably). There’s an even longer loop that sometimes we’d take, over to the Greene shopping complexes and back, which is closer to 4 miles, but that seems unwise in the #stayathome days.

This morning, I headed out at a gentle pace, simply to run until it didn’t feel good anymore. I figured that would take maybe 1.5-2 miles, with some walking home. 35 minutes later, I found myself walking into the garage, having enjoyed the 3ish mile loop at a continuous, loping pace. How about that! New shoes, attentive form, not even that out of breath at the end. Interesting…

Things I notice… I used to run with a rising ‘out-of-breath-ness’ that would happen in the first mile, whereupon I would set a rhythm of in-breaths and out-breaths attuned to my pace, my steps. This would calm my mind a bit, with an orderly feeling of what to expect, and my body would move into the longer distance with a greater sense of ease. I don’t think I ever got to the out-of-breath-ness this morning. Or if I did, my body attuned to the pace without any conscious thought. Not sure which it was, actually.

I can remember the two ‘kinds’ of metabolism, I think it’s categorized…or two kinds of somethin’ where your body burns a certain kind of fuel at the front end (anaerobic) of exertion, then burns a second kind of fuel (aerobic) with a more sustained exertion. (If I were at Community workout this morning, I could just ask Jim). I think the extensive anaerobic workouts I now regularly enjoy (yes, enjoy) have really deepened my body’s capacity for greater distances and exertion, without the out-of-breath-ness panic that used to rise up inside.

My mind was much more engaged and peaceful in the run this morning as well. Or perhaps distracted, as I took in the beautiful redbuds I saw, the new landscaping in some of the houses I always would pass on this route. I marveled at the ancient sense of some of the trees on one of the streets—they must be at least 100 or 150 years old, which for us in Beavercreek, is old.

Coming home to get to enjoy some food prep time for brunch was a gift for me too.
For one, I could do so with CrossFit peeps in my kitchen with me, via Zoom Bingo. But I thoroughly enjoy cooking healthy food for myself (and Brian), stewarding all we bring home with a bit more intention, less waste. When there is just two of you (plus a dog), it’s easy to throw out a lot of food. Since I’ve become more conscious with my food life and choices, waste happens much less. Eggs, slow-cooked bacon :), sauteed asparagus, and almond meal muffins. YUM.

And I got to play Bingo this morning. I have yet to order groceries online (shocker! I know…but my husband and I love to go grocery shopping, what can we say?), have yet to binge-watch an entire series of anything. I have yet to take a bike ride, but now the idea is well planted for this next week. 

What has been consistent for me in these #stayathome days has been the community to offer opportunities to workout, stay conscious in fitness, make conscious choices in nutrition and health. Which this weekend will include my once-a-year lemon bread that ROCKS…before returning to a no-sugar week to follow.

Conscious living. Good health. Delight in play and laughter with friends. My glimpses of Gratitude on this Saturday of the unknown days called #stayathome, for the good of all. What are your glimpses of gratitude? Name them, and you’ll smile all day!

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