Balance

Balance has always been a tricky thing for me. When I'm "in," I'm ALL in; and when I'm "out," I'm far, far OUT. The more fellow runners and athletes I talk to, the more I see that this is an obstacle for a lot of us. I'm improving with experience (older and wiser, eh?) but I still struggle to find that perfect balance between passing out on the bathroom floor at Caddy's every weekend and living on Tofu and Chia seeds.

I'm not someone who does things halfway or moderately. If I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go all out.

One Spring Break, I read the book The Face on Your Plate, a lovely story about the torture and murder of billions of innocent critters for our own human consumption. That was the day I became Vegetarian. Well, actually, I became Vegan; that lasted until I got pregnant and could not live without cheese and Coconut Shrimp. Now, we are very happy Pescatarians (sorry, Nemo).

A few years ago I got really into Yoga. Super, duper IN. I'm talking every day, standing on my head for at least 30 minutes, practically living on Green Tea and wearing more hemp and bandanas than I care to remember. My "Yoga Year" happened the same year I got knocked up, after which I ditched my "OMMM" in favor of shopping for a lot of baby gear and staring at sonogram pictures for hours at a time. I still love Yoga (Namaste, ya'll), but on a much more moderate level.

Anyway, my point is, I go all the way. For better or worse. 

Moderation: My Achilles heel. 

So, the flip side of this Balance coin is a tricky little jerk. Its the side that's left me hungover, fat & miserable. If I'm partying, I'm really partying. If I'm not giving a damn that day, I'm really not giving a damn that way. My go-to's for misbehaving: Red Wine, Van Morrison, a giant plate of Cheesy Nachos and sometimes even a smoke or two (the horror!!!) This negative side to my personal struggle for balance has diminished so much during my Marathon journey. I'm so grateful for the balance, motivation and focus that I've gained from this training process; I'm excited and looking forward to seeing it through to the finish line. In 8 days!!!

Of course, I'm still a work in progress. I'm (admittedly) almost always the last person to leave my monthly girls Wino Wednesday night and I still struggle with being too wrapped up in my training. 

Who will I be today? The slightly-too-tipsy chick dancing and singing karaoke until way past midnight or the crazed exercise freak who can NOT miss a day of running? Turns out, the best answer lies somewhere in-between. Ultimately, my path to the Marathon has also been my path to finding Balance. She's an elusive little minx.