Yesterday I got up and ran (well, did a run/walk!) before work. It felt so good to start my way that day!
This used to be my go to. I did it all the time. It was ingrained in me. It felt wrong if I didn’t start my day with a run outside. Running was my identity!
Then I got injured from overtraining (summer 2020) and couldn’t run like I wanted to. I shifted my identity focus to rock painter! (who runs sometimes).
Did I mention this was all during the pandemic and I was doing everything to the extreme? Running to the extreme (60+ mile weeks) because I had time to and it made me feel good. Reading a ton (100 books!) because I had time to and enjoyed it. Then, going all in on rock painting and making a ton of rocks to hide, and once I started my rock painting Instagram account, spending a ton of time on there.
So much time. So, so much time. Like, my daily screen time report was EMBARASSING.
Embarrassing, but purposeful. During the pandemic, when it wasn’t the best idea to meet up with people in real life, it gave me A LOT of connection, and I have formed relationships with amazing people around the world. Some of whom I consider very close friends now (and love spending time with in person).
I knew (and hoped! ha) that that passion and need for a digital connection would die out at some point, and I am happy to see it is now.
Because in the same way running was my entire identity, rock painting was becoming my entire identity, and I need more going on in my life.
So it feels good to be getting back to running, and shifting my priorities to be a bit more balanced. Less time on my phone. More time focusing on my health and wellness. More time in the real world, even though the digital world was good to me too (and I am still on there, just purposefully not as much).
Look, show me one runner who didn’t run too much in 2020 – we all did! Looking back, it made sense at the time. You hit the nail on the head that running is great as a hobby but not as an identity.
I know that I’ll do a little bit of running once it gets light enough in the mornings but probably not very much. Before my mindset was “if it’s not at least 3 miles why bother” and last week when I did the run-walk it felt so right to just follow a neighborhood route and have no cares what the ending number was.
Ha, so true! It was so nice to have then, when everything shut down!
Good for you for making that shift! I was similar, like, “Does this even count?” and obsessed with having to end on a whole number. Just move your body, Kim!!!! I am glad it felt so good last week!
Love this!!
Thank you! I am feeling really good about it all!
It’s interesting about shifting identities. If your identity stayed the same for always, you’d make for a pretty uninteresting person, wouldn’t you?
Would you ever consider teaching a class on rock painting? I am in charge of programming at a local community center and it might be fun to have you come and teach!
Yes! I think it would! There is something about reliability, but it becomes stale, kwim?
I have taught some classes! A few at Sip and Purr Cat Cafe and now I am starting to teach them monthly at a place for Veterans! And thanks for saying that about your community center! I think it would be a good class for there!
You don’t even want to KNOW what my screen time average is. I bet I have you beat. 😉 Doing time-logging this week has helped me see how much I use my phone to dissociate. Gotta figure out how to do better.
Ha! Is your time on there feeling less purposeful and more mindless?
I love this. Love it. Balance is so important…and I am so, so bad at it. Like, terrible. I admire your ability to shift back to a more holistic approach… let’s see if I can learn anything from it!
Thank you! I hope you do! It’s really hard to do!