Pulling on my 2011 New York City Marathon long-sleeve shirt yesterday, I immediately started comparing 2018 Theodora to 2011 Theodora. “Why is it so hard for you to run like you used to? Where is your motivation?”
I’m getting better at stopping those negative thoughts in their tracks…sometimes.
As I recently talked about on Kayla’s podcast, I’ve shifted my fitness perspective over the past few years. It’s still just as important a part of my life (hi, I just got my NASM cert!), but man, is it serving a different function for me.
When I first started working out, it was entirely for vain reasons. I wanted to look good at my friend’s wedding in Aruba. I wanted to look good in a bridesmaid’s dress and a bikini.
Check.
Life was so, so much simpler then, though. I was twenty-six. I had just moved to Manhattan and started a new job, and my young life was full of possibility. And so I worked out hard and filled my diet with lean protein and vegetables to make up for the gluttony of my early 20s.
Dealing with anxiety was my first brush with matching my workouts with my mental health/mood. I turned to yoga HARD. I left it all on the mat, several times a week, and I felt it chipping away at my anxiety, one asana at a time. The deep breathing, the turning focus inward all helped me deal with my problems a little better and remember the ephemerality of time.
But while my anxiety called for movement that would quiet my mind and slow down the racing of my heart, I learned that depression was a different beast.
It’s no secret around here that I’ve been feeling stuck in quite a few ways. When I’m feeling this way, literally changing my scenery is one of my favorite ways to change my perspective. Some kind of trip that involves getting on a plane is my preference, but that’s not always in the cards time-wise or financially. (BRB, crappy day, getting on a plane…no?) The next best? Finding somewhere local that feels like it’s worlds away and going on little day trips.
On one of the first nice days in NYC last week, that meant getting to the BEACH. But not just any beach — Coney Island, where we could act like kids for an afternoon and escape the long, gray NYC winter for a sunny day in a veritable outdoor funhouse.
With no real agenda in mind, we hopped on the F train, smiling contentedly as the sun touched our faces when the subway car emerged from the dark tunnel into the light.
Once in Coney Island, we treated it as our playground, going from the boardwalk to the Wonder Wheel to a little adventure to the circus sideshow, because why not? (Sadly no pictures, but my BFF Meg got to pull a sword from the swordswallower’s mouth, NBD. All photos also by Meg, who is multitalented, obviously)
It’s fitting that I worked with The North Face on this post, because their hashtag is #NeverStopExploring. Again, most people equate that with crazy, far-flung adventures (which, don’t get me wrong, I love, too! see: South America), but I’d bet no matter where you live, there’s somewhere you haven’t been yet or somewhere that just feels like you’re on vacation even if you’re close to home.
Find that place nearby that makes your heart race a bit, that makes you feel alive. It could even be as close to home as a street you’ve never driven down or a block you’ve never walked. Find that place, and get yourself there, stat! (If you’re anything like me, somewhere near water is always a good place to start.)
The North Face x Zappos outfitted me for this adventure. I don’t know about you, but The North Face is a brand I’ve been wearing since I was a teenager, starting with the big black fleece that I didn’t take off for most of high school…
But, um, high school was a long time ago for me, and so the brand has changed and evolved since then to not just be for the outdoorsy type (though I did wear my North Face shell hiking Machu Picchu!). The Lucy brand is now a part of The North Face, and so now The North Face has even more clothes for everyday adventures.
Speaking of Zappos, can we just talk about how amazing their shipping is? I was given a gift card to purchase the clothes in this post, and it only took about 36 hours from hitting order to having these clothes in my hands. Basically, I thought about ordering, and the clothes were there. I’m obsessed with ordering from them last-minute before vacation for this reason alone.
The pieces I’m wearing are from their training line:
The North Face Perfect Core High-Rise Tights
No matter what size I am, I always have some level of belly pooch, so I am all about any form of high-rise pant that can suck me in a bit. These have “extra core support” (in the form of a nice little spandexy reinforcement) that actually stays and doesn’t roll down.
The North Face Graphic Short Sleeve Tee
True story, this top is LONG, but paired with the high-rise pants, it works. It’s also incredibly soft and breathable.
The North Face Stow-N-Go Bra
Where can I start on how much I love this bra? IT HAS A POCKET (in the front, which to be honest, is a bit weird…), and it comes sized by cup (this one is C/D). As an FYI, I went for a large. I generally am a medium-ish in most other things, but I’ve finally learned my lesson that 36D = large in sports bras.
The North Face Mountain Sneaker
So…I took these “mountain” sneakers to the boardwalk, not the mountain, but they’d be amazing for hiking. Super cushy, they’re also lightweight and easy to get on and off.
What are your favorite day trips when you want to explore locally?
