Class of January Support Thread 2018 Part 9
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
Apologies for being a little quiet, we were pretty full on exploring on our city break last week and I only had time to steal away to keep my emails in check and things ticking over! A delayed flight and some work drama meant a long journey home, but ultimately all was OK in the end. I got plenty of horse time in this weekend which was great - but I feel as though I am ballooning given the sheer volume of cr@p I have shovelled into my body over the last week. Thankfully I made it to the gym today and intend to stick with a programme over the coming weeks. We'll see.
PS: Ah, yes..as you can tell from above, I am right there with you on the 'Monday is the day to get back on track' sentiment. I did dust off my old Fitbit last night though in an effort to keep myself more accountable. I've tracked my steps and exercise all day and from tomorrow, I'm also going to brace the dreaded scales with daily check ins to try and keep myself accountable. I still love your choice of dinner and recreation whilst your husband was away - TV in bed with chips for dinner - AWESOME. Haha.
NL: Sorry for my long delay in responding to your post, I've been wanting to carve out time to respond properly since I read it. I found it so interesting and inspiring to hear how you both could be so open and honest with each other about how you're feeling, your respective perspectives and how it's effecting you both individually and as a couple. My initial reaction to your husband's comments about how he feels about your sobriety triggered a knee jerk disbelief and irritation on your behalf. However, once I thought about it, and dispelled that defensive / protective / supportive (not sure how to describe it!) filter, I was able to take a step back and try to analyse the situation objectively and without prejudice and I realised that this is actually a really positive thing. Your husband's feelings when viewed through our lense of the challenges and necessities of sobriety for us may seem harsh and inconsiderate, but the reality is that we don't get to invalidate other's feelings because they don't align with our own views or hopes / expectations of how we think they 'should' feel. And when I thought about it like this, I figured it's actually pretty great that he felt he could say those things to you, because obviously they wouldn't be considered as 'favourable' or 'supportive' feelings, but the fact is that he is entitled to those feelings and he is experiencing them nonetheless, so at least this way it is all out on the table and you can be aware of those feelings, which gives you an opportunity to help him to understand why it is important to you for him to try and consider your feelings , motivations and experiences, also. It is often said that relationships are lost in the gaps of what is NOT said, and I am a firm believer in open communication as a salvation to airing latent or underlying feelings and issues which fester and spiral without giving the other person the opportunity to address / defend / present their own viewpoint. It's often the easy way out, because the person with the 'grudge' - in this case your husband re: your sobriety - holds on to the perceived slight and germinates this without having to listen to the other person's (you) reasons / experiences / feelings and in that way, their view / grudge is never threatened or disproven and they get to hang onto it and grow that discontent. When these things are brought out into the open, it forces both sides to contend with the issues and misalignment of feelings and experiences. Though it is not always possible or necessary to 'explain' or 'defend' your actions, it is vital to a functioning relationship to at least discuss those differences and try to understand how they have arisen and how best they can be tempered if not resolved. It sounds as though the conversation you had was quite painful and difficult, but also as though you both got to air some pent up feelings and present your own side of the experiences. It does sound as if your husband may have a ways to go to understand your motivations for getting sober, and for him to be able to let go of his drinking relationship in order to support you, but it sounds as though you guys have at least progressed that path by opening the door to frank and open conversation around these things? How do you feel now that you've had some time to digest? How have your interactions with your husband been since then?
Hi Dee!!
Apologies for being a little quiet, we were pretty full on exploring on our city break last week and I only had time to steal away to keep my emails in check and things ticking over! A delayed flight and some work drama meant a long journey home, but ultimately all was OK in the end. I got plenty of horse time in this weekend which was great - but I feel as though I am ballooning given the sheer volume of cr@p I have shovelled into my body over the last week. Thankfully I made it to the gym today and intend to stick with a programme over the coming weeks. We'll see.
PS: Ah, yes..as you can tell from above, I am right there with you on the 'Monday is the day to get back on track' sentiment. I did dust off my old Fitbit last night though in an effort to keep myself more accountable. I've tracked my steps and exercise all day and from tomorrow, I'm also going to brace the dreaded scales with daily check ins to try and keep myself accountable. I still love your choice of dinner and recreation whilst your husband was away - TV in bed with chips for dinner - AWESOME. Haha.
NL: Sorry for my long delay in responding to your post, I've been wanting to carve out time to respond properly since I read it. I found it so interesting and inspiring to hear how you both could be so open and honest with each other about how you're feeling, your respective perspectives and how it's effecting you both individually and as a couple. My initial reaction to your husband's comments about how he feels about your sobriety triggered a knee jerk disbelief and irritation on your behalf. However, once I thought about it, and dispelled that defensive / protective / supportive (not sure how to describe it!) filter, I was able to take a step back and try to analyse the situation objectively and without prejudice and I realised that this is actually a really positive thing. Your husband's feelings when viewed through our lense of the challenges and necessities of sobriety for us may seem harsh and inconsiderate, but the reality is that we don't get to invalidate other's feelings because they don't align with our own views or hopes / expectations of how we think they 'should' feel. And when I thought about it like this, I figured it's actually pretty great that he felt he could say those things to you, because obviously they wouldn't be considered as 'favourable' or 'supportive' feelings, but the fact is that he is entitled to those feelings and he is experiencing them nonetheless, so at least this way it is all out on the table and you can be aware of those feelings, which gives you an opportunity to help him to understand why it is important to you for him to try and consider your feelings , motivations and experiences, also. It is often said that relationships are lost in the gaps of what is NOT said, and I am a firm believer in open communication as a salvation to airing latent or underlying feelings and issues which fester and spiral without giving the other person the opportunity to address / defend / present their own viewpoint. It's often the easy way out, because the person with the 'grudge' - in this case your husband re: your sobriety - holds on to the perceived slight and germinates this without having to listen to the other person's (you) reasons / experiences / feelings and in that way, their view / grudge is never threatened or disproven and they get to hang onto it and grow that discontent. When these things are brought out into the open, it forces both sides to contend with the issues and misalignment of feelings and experiences. Though it is not always possible or necessary to 'explain' or 'defend' your actions, it is vital to a functioning relationship to at least discuss those differences and try to understand how they have arisen and how best they can be tempered if not resolved. It sounds as though the conversation you had was quite painful and difficult, but also as though you both got to air some pent up feelings and present your own side of the experiences. It does sound as if your husband may have a ways to go to understand your motivations for getting sober, and for him to be able to let go of his drinking relationship in order to support you, but it sounds as though you guys have at least progressed that path by opening the door to frank and open conversation around these things? How do you feel now that you've had some time to digest? How have your interactions with your husband been since then?
Hi Dee!!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
Some sunny weather here today which is really nice for lifting the spirits after the miserable gray days we've been having. Planning to continue my gym plan today with a lunchtime workout. Lots going on at work but thankfully just busy and not stressful right now.
Have a great day!
Some sunny weather here today which is really nice for lifting the spirits after the miserable gray days we've been having. Planning to continue my gym plan today with a lunchtime workout. Lots going on at work but thankfully just busy and not stressful right now.
Have a great day!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2,912
Good morning and hi!
NC, I’m barely awake so may have to supplement later when I’m more coherent but thank you for all your compassionate thoughts. I read something recently (one of those kind of goofy self help emails) about a key moment in relationships being how we react when the other person explains how they are feeling. That validation is what matters, and it makes the other person not want to open up if someone dismisses matters by comparing it to themselves, or explaining it away. All by way of saying you make a good point about how he gets to feel how he feels even if it seems not right somehow. It’s part of what makes me feel sad in the relationship, not feeling validated or supported in my feelings and my guess is he feels some of the same. I feel better overall, though a little fuzzy in terms of what to do in concrete terms to work on our relationship so our communication is better. We’re having a meeting every Monday morning to talk about where we are and also scheduling stuff as that’s one of our biggest fights, generally because we can’t keep it all straight and have different ideas about what is happening. He also consciously chose not to drink at Mother’s Day brunch. I couldn’t believe it. It meant a lot to me and I told him later that it did. That i didn’t want to take away his fun but that it will always mean a lot to me if we can have a sober date.
NC and PS y’all are so hard on yourselves re: eating. I guess in some ways that can be motivational but don’t forget to show yourselves some grace to borrow Sunflower’s old terminology.
Hope all are well. Gotta go pound some more coffee and get to cycling class.
NC, I’m barely awake so may have to supplement later when I’m more coherent but thank you for all your compassionate thoughts. I read something recently (one of those kind of goofy self help emails) about a key moment in relationships being how we react when the other person explains how they are feeling. That validation is what matters, and it makes the other person not want to open up if someone dismisses matters by comparing it to themselves, or explaining it away. All by way of saying you make a good point about how he gets to feel how he feels even if it seems not right somehow. It’s part of what makes me feel sad in the relationship, not feeling validated or supported in my feelings and my guess is he feels some of the same. I feel better overall, though a little fuzzy in terms of what to do in concrete terms to work on our relationship so our communication is better. We’re having a meeting every Monday morning to talk about where we are and also scheduling stuff as that’s one of our biggest fights, generally because we can’t keep it all straight and have different ideas about what is happening. He also consciously chose not to drink at Mother’s Day brunch. I couldn’t believe it. It meant a lot to me and I told him later that it did. That i didn’t want to take away his fun but that it will always mean a lot to me if we can have a sober date.
NC and PS y’all are so hard on yourselves re: eating. I guess in some ways that can be motivational but don’t forget to show yourselves some grace to borrow Sunflower’s old terminology.
Hope all are well. Gotta go pound some more coffee and get to cycling class.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
So I made the mistake of training legs before my 5k run in the gym yesterday, and it was actually comical how long it took me to be able to move my legs in a normal rhythm as they were so stiff from the workout! It has been months since I trained with weights, but I figured that my legs would still be pretty strong from all the horseback riding. Man was I wrong!! I guess it's a different kind of fit. Happy to be back to it though, even if it's a bit shameful how unfit I've gotten. It's another nice bright day here, so looking forward to my riding lesson this evening. Hoping to also try to get to the gym for a mini workout. It's crazy how a few years makes such a difference - when I was in my early / mid twenties, I could bounce back like that and just drop the lbs, not anymore!! Lamenting how fit I was back then and how I never appreciated it when I had it. My mission is to get back to a place where I feel comfortable in my own body shape and fitness, as right now I feel like all I can do is dress to cover up or hide my insecurities. I braved the scales this morning and I am 1 stone out from my 'happy' weight, so at least I have a clear objective now. Sorry for rambling!
NL: I am so so happy to hear that your husband chose not to drink to honour you on Mother's Day. That sounds as though he may be trying to really work with you to make some positive changes after your discussion a few days ago. I also love that you told him how much you appreciated it - it sounds as though you guys are really working towards maintaining that open communication and team effort to improve your relationship. The Monday morning meeting idea sounds like a really clever plan. Something so simple could really help to address all the little things that can fester and grow into resentments by just nipping them in the bud and creating a space for clarity and collaboration. Relationships are a lot like other areas of our lives, I guess, and maintenance and KPIs are always a huge part of sustainability over the long term - so these littel weekly check-ins sounds like they could go a really long way.
Hi to PS, Dee - and Scotty, Sunflower, please pop by if you can for a mini check-in!
So I made the mistake of training legs before my 5k run in the gym yesterday, and it was actually comical how long it took me to be able to move my legs in a normal rhythm as they were so stiff from the workout! It has been months since I trained with weights, but I figured that my legs would still be pretty strong from all the horseback riding. Man was I wrong!! I guess it's a different kind of fit. Happy to be back to it though, even if it's a bit shameful how unfit I've gotten. It's another nice bright day here, so looking forward to my riding lesson this evening. Hoping to also try to get to the gym for a mini workout. It's crazy how a few years makes such a difference - when I was in my early / mid twenties, I could bounce back like that and just drop the lbs, not anymore!! Lamenting how fit I was back then and how I never appreciated it when I had it. My mission is to get back to a place where I feel comfortable in my own body shape and fitness, as right now I feel like all I can do is dress to cover up or hide my insecurities. I braved the scales this morning and I am 1 stone out from my 'happy' weight, so at least I have a clear objective now. Sorry for rambling!
NL: I am so so happy to hear that your husband chose not to drink to honour you on Mother's Day. That sounds as though he may be trying to really work with you to make some positive changes after your discussion a few days ago. I also love that you told him how much you appreciated it - it sounds as though you guys are really working towards maintaining that open communication and team effort to improve your relationship. The Monday morning meeting idea sounds like a really clever plan. Something so simple could really help to address all the little things that can fester and grow into resentments by just nipping them in the bud and creating a space for clarity and collaboration. Relationships are a lot like other areas of our lives, I guess, and maintenance and KPIs are always a huge part of sustainability over the long term - so these littel weekly check-ins sounds like they could go a really long way.
Hi to PS, Dee - and Scotty, Sunflower, please pop by if you can for a mini check-in!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
I had a good / challenging jumping class last night and I'm happy with how things are going with my horse. We're learning all the time and there are definitely a lot of challenges along the way, but I'm finally taking these as learning opportunities and I'm enjoying the process a whole lot more. Although not 100% consistent, my riding and confidence as a rider is getting a lot better as the weeks / months go on, which I'm super happy about!
I'm 3 lbs down on the scales today, too, so I'm psyched about that. We're going out for a meal with my husband's family this evening, so I'm going to try and keep my choices as healthy as possible.
Hope everyone has a great day!
I had a good / challenging jumping class last night and I'm happy with how things are going with my horse. We're learning all the time and there are definitely a lot of challenges along the way, but I'm finally taking these as learning opportunities and I'm enjoying the process a whole lot more. Although not 100% consistent, my riding and confidence as a rider is getting a lot better as the weeks / months go on, which I'm super happy about!
I'm 3 lbs down on the scales today, too, so I'm psyched about that. We're going out for a meal with my husband's family this evening, so I'm going to try and keep my choices as healthy as possible.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2,912
Hi Dee!
NC thanks for all your posts. Your story about the running reminds me of the first time I ever lifted weights. I had already been running some (which was new to me; I never really did much physical activity growing up) but I went to the gym with a guy friend and of course challenged myself. I just didn’t appreciate what a difference it would make when I did my normal run the next day. I couldn’t figure out why it was so hard. By the time I got done and showered I could barely walk down the stairs. It was as bad as my first marathon in terms of how sore I was! Your comments also reminded me of something wise a friend said to me. I was lamenting how fit I used to be and she basically conveyed in a more articulate way than I can remember that right now is what the future you will lament so your time to appreciate is not the past but now. I thought it was a good insight.
I wasn’t able to meet up with Sunflower last night but will keep checking in to be sure all is well. Not sure about Scotty. Think we’ve all talked about there being different reasons for people to be gone so I’m just assuming things are very busy and the focus is elsewhere. But I still hold out hope for occasional updates. I also always keep a mental light on for classmates who left the group and went back out. May be a silly thing to do but it’s what happens.
Hoping all are well and good and gearing up for a nice weekend starting tomorrow!
NC thanks for all your posts. Your story about the running reminds me of the first time I ever lifted weights. I had already been running some (which was new to me; I never really did much physical activity growing up) but I went to the gym with a guy friend and of course challenged myself. I just didn’t appreciate what a difference it would make when I did my normal run the next day. I couldn’t figure out why it was so hard. By the time I got done and showered I could barely walk down the stairs. It was as bad as my first marathon in terms of how sore I was! Your comments also reminded me of something wise a friend said to me. I was lamenting how fit I used to be and she basically conveyed in a more articulate way than I can remember that right now is what the future you will lament so your time to appreciate is not the past but now. I thought it was a good insight.
I wasn’t able to meet up with Sunflower last night but will keep checking in to be sure all is well. Not sure about Scotty. Think we’ve all talked about there being different reasons for people to be gone so I’m just assuming things are very busy and the focus is elsewhere. But I still hold out hope for occasional updates. I also always keep a mental light on for classmates who left the group and went back out. May be a silly thing to do but it’s what happens.
Hoping all are well and good and gearing up for a nice weekend starting tomorrow!
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: United States
Posts: 2,547
Hi all! Work has been busy, but also a total PITA with this project I'm leading. I'm realizing how spoiled I've become, related to my "real" work team - I'm surrounded by people who are super capable, and also "get me" in the sense that I have my roles and they have theirs (I tend to bring the energy and ideas, but someone needs to help me stay on track, and I'm not great when it comes to consistency and process-driven work. I'm also pretty impatient which can be a liability when working with people who need to process information by talking). This project team is comprised of very smart, and very senior, but also very skeptical, people. On the other hand, this is super visible to the leadership of our organization - it will impact 12k employees once implemented - and we're on a very tight timeline, so we really do need to move quickly. I guess all this is to say that once again, I need to be careful what I wish for, because this is exactly the kind of challenge I was hoping for. Ugh.
Numblady, your friend's comments about future us looking back on present us as the ideal is very well taken. Also, I'm so happy to hear that you and your husband are making some headway with communication, and that he didn't drink at the Mother's Day brunch completely on his own. It's great to recognize that even if it doesn't happen at the same time or to the same extent, you're both capable of change.
On another note, I keep hearing that strength/weight training is so important, do you have any suggestions on where a beginner might start?
NewChapter, congrats on the weight loss, and as the joke goes, I think I found the pounds that you lost.
I guess the important thing is that we're all still trying, and of course, not losing sight of the fact that we're doing really well relative to alcohol, which we shouldn't take for granted.
Hey Dee!
Today is my 17 month sober anniversary, yes, I still get excited when the 18th of the month rolls around! And it's been almost exactly a year since we had the house fire - how things change when we least expect it!
Numblady, your friend's comments about future us looking back on present us as the ideal is very well taken. Also, I'm so happy to hear that you and your husband are making some headway with communication, and that he didn't drink at the Mother's Day brunch completely on his own. It's great to recognize that even if it doesn't happen at the same time or to the same extent, you're both capable of change.
On another note, I keep hearing that strength/weight training is so important, do you have any suggestions on where a beginner might start?NewChapter, congrats on the weight loss, and as the joke goes, I think I found the pounds that you lost.
I guess the important thing is that we're all still trying, and of course, not losing sight of the fact that we're doing really well relative to alcohol, which we shouldn't take for granted.Hey Dee!
Today is my 17 month sober anniversary, yes, I still get excited when the 18th of the month rolls around! And it's been almost exactly a year since we had the house fire - how things change when we least expect it!
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Congratulations PS!! I still get excited when the milestones roll around too - I think it’s a good thing to acknowledge our commitment and accomplishment in that way, it kind of bolsters the journey and our resolve! Hope you treated yourself as a mini celebration!
NL your friend is very wise! I’m going to remind myself of that next time I’m being melancholic or a little harsh on myself.
Hi Dee!!
Must dash for now but more later hopefully.
NL your friend is very wise! I’m going to remind myself of that next time I’m being melancholic or a little harsh on myself.
Hi Dee!!
Must dash for now but more later hopefully.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
We hosted some friends on Friday, we went out for dinner and to a bar with live music, then they stayed over and we went for lunch together on Saturday before they left. It was really nice to have them over, but I'm really looking forward to having a week or two with less social obligations. I know that must make me sound so anti-social! What I mean is that I could do with a week or two of routine to get through my work tasks and stick to a workout and eating schedule.
PS: I'm sorry that the work project is becoming a little less enjoyable and leaning into the frustrating territory. I completely understand what you mean about the importance of having a well oiled and dependable team around you. Hopefully your colleagues on this project will pull together and you guys can reach a suitable work balance between the different styles soon, in order to meet your deadlines as efficiently and smoothly as possible.
NL: I really liked your comments about 'leaving the light on' for our OG comrades here. This is a shared journey that we all must walk in our own time, at our own pace and in our own way. I like to think that this community is a supportive safe place no matter our struggles, ups and downs, divergences or detours.
I hope everyone has a great week!
We hosted some friends on Friday, we went out for dinner and to a bar with live music, then they stayed over and we went for lunch together on Saturday before they left. It was really nice to have them over, but I'm really looking forward to having a week or two with less social obligations. I know that must make me sound so anti-social! What I mean is that I could do with a week or two of routine to get through my work tasks and stick to a workout and eating schedule.
PS: I'm sorry that the work project is becoming a little less enjoyable and leaning into the frustrating territory. I completely understand what you mean about the importance of having a well oiled and dependable team around you. Hopefully your colleagues on this project will pull together and you guys can reach a suitable work balance between the different styles soon, in order to meet your deadlines as efficiently and smoothly as possible.
NL: I really liked your comments about 'leaving the light on' for our OG comrades here. This is a shared journey that we all must walk in our own time, at our own pace and in our own way. I like to think that this community is a supportive safe place no matter our struggles, ups and downs, divergences or detours.
I hope everyone has a great week!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
My back has been in really bad shape since last week, so I had to skip the gym yesterday and rest up. I did plenty of stretching instead, and have booked myself into Bikram yoga this evening, so hopefully that helps and also doubles as my exercise for the day! I've been wearing my Fitbit tracker again and it is really working to keep me mindful about how much / how little exercise and steps I'm getting in each day.
It's a lovely bright day here which always serves to boost my mood. Plenty of work to get through but feeling productive.
Hope everyone has a great day!
My back has been in really bad shape since last week, so I had to skip the gym yesterday and rest up. I did plenty of stretching instead, and have booked myself into Bikram yoga this evening, so hopefully that helps and also doubles as my exercise for the day! I've been wearing my Fitbit tracker again and it is really working to keep me mindful about how much / how little exercise and steps I'm getting in each day.
It's a lovely bright day here which always serves to boost my mood. Plenty of work to get through but feeling productive.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2,912
PS, yes congrats on the soberversary date. I for whatever reason don’t think about it so much when that date of the month rolls around but I do keep a loose eye on the day counter. Was excited to hit 500 last week! Oh my gosh could I go on about the strength training. So good for building bone density and in my view if done right also increasing agility and preventing injury later. I hope I’m not violating any forum rules but my personal go-to is to just do videos on YouTube. My favorites are probably HASfit and FitnessBlender. They are all free workouts! It’s amazing and awesome. But they both also have websites if you want to search by intensity level etc. Both always include beginner modifications and I would say of the two Hasfit probably has the most that is geared toward beginners. If that’s not your jam I would pay for a few trainer sessions to get a program established. In my view money well spent in the long run.
NC so sorry the back is back to acting up! Hope bikram helps. When you mentioned OGs it totally cracked me up as my son the other day referred to himself and his long time friends as the OGs. Like 5 little 11 year old white kids. The OGs. Ha!
Gosh I think I had more to say but that’s all I can recall /come up at this point. It was a brutal day that started around 4 a.m. so I’m going to go try and get some rest and hope things look a bit better in the light of day.
Be back soon.
NC so sorry the back is back to acting up! Hope bikram helps. When you mentioned OGs it totally cracked me up as my son the other day referred to himself and his long time friends as the OGs. Like 5 little 11 year old white kids. The OGs. Ha!
Gosh I think I had more to say but that’s all I can recall /come up at this point. It was a brutal day that started around 4 a.m. so I’m going to go try and get some rest and hope things look a bit better in the light of day.
Be back soon.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
NL: Those YouTube sites sound great, I'll totally be checking those out, thanks for the tip! I LOL'd at the imagery of your little guy and his buddies as an 'OG' squad. Too cute! I hope today is a little easier and that you got a decent night's rest after your early start yesterday.
PS: Thinking of you! I hope the project isn't kicking your butt too hard.
So Bikram last night was amazing and I feel it definitely helped my back. it was a super packed class though and given that I haven't been in about 2 months and I am slightly out of practise, I found it quite tough with the heat and had to sit down a few times as I felt dizzy. I stuck out the whole class though and just did my best, so I'm still happy that I went. Though I don't have enough time to go as often as I used to now that I have the horse, I'm hoping to at least make a weekly session as part of my routine. This morning I had to drop some paperwork off at the university at which I'll be undertaking my Masters later this year, and I have to say that I felt a sense of pride and excitement. It's going to be tough and the workload will be difficult to balance with work, the horse and finding time for my relationship, too, but ultimately I think I've just decided that I'm going to take it in my stride and not allow myself to become overwhelmed, so that I can enjoy the experience as it is a lifelong dream and something I've worked hard to earn the opportunity to do.
NL: Those YouTube sites sound great, I'll totally be checking those out, thanks for the tip! I LOL'd at the imagery of your little guy and his buddies as an 'OG' squad. Too cute! I hope today is a little easier and that you got a decent night's rest after your early start yesterday.
PS: Thinking of you! I hope the project isn't kicking your butt too hard.
So Bikram last night was amazing and I feel it definitely helped my back. it was a super packed class though and given that I haven't been in about 2 months and I am slightly out of practise, I found it quite tough with the heat and had to sit down a few times as I felt dizzy. I stuck out the whole class though and just did my best, so I'm still happy that I went. Though I don't have enough time to go as often as I used to now that I have the horse, I'm hoping to at least make a weekly session as part of my routine. This morning I had to drop some paperwork off at the university at which I'll be undertaking my Masters later this year, and I have to say that I felt a sense of pride and excitement. It's going to be tough and the workload will be difficult to balance with work, the horse and finding time for my relationship, too, but ultimately I think I've just decided that I'm going to take it in my stride and not allow myself to become overwhelmed, so that I can enjoy the experience as it is a lifelong dream and something I've worked hard to earn the opportunity to do.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
I hope everyone is doing great!
My back has improved a lot, so great news there! Last night as it was a really nice evening, instead of our horseback riding lesson in the arena we went on a group trek in the mountains, which was really lovely and laid back. Jumping lesson tonight and I'm equal parts excited and nervous. It's a little more advanced and as I was learning how to handle my horse when he becomes highly strung / excitable, I took a break from this particular lesson over the past few weeks as I didn't want to be causing a hindrance to the others. Hoping my return goes well as I've been working super hard to progress and overcome my fears / challenges.
Work is busy and the tasks on my plate (as usual) are the less pleasant / more contentious items, but I feel as though I'm being super productive this week, which is nice.
Hoping to squeeze in another yoga session tomorrow maybe, depending on how things go.
Thinking of you all!
I hope everyone is doing great!
My back has improved a lot, so great news there! Last night as it was a really nice evening, instead of our horseback riding lesson in the arena we went on a group trek in the mountains, which was really lovely and laid back. Jumping lesson tonight and I'm equal parts excited and nervous. It's a little more advanced and as I was learning how to handle my horse when he becomes highly strung / excitable, I took a break from this particular lesson over the past few weeks as I didn't want to be causing a hindrance to the others. Hoping my return goes well as I've been working super hard to progress and overcome my fears / challenges.
Work is busy and the tasks on my plate (as usual) are the less pleasant / more contentious items, but I feel as though I'm being super productive this week, which is nice.
Hoping to squeeze in another yoga session tomorrow maybe, depending on how things go.
Thinking of you all!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2,912
Hi gang. Just a quick hello. Mainly to say I met up with Sunflower last night and she is doing well. She is just really never on the forum anymore but she thinks she’ll come back fairly soon. I had a really tough day/night on Tuesday so i reached out to see if the timing might work and it did.
Doing better mentally in part because i’m Ignoring some of the most challenging stuff at work but oh well. Whatever it takes. I suppose. But feeling quite bad physically. Super sore throat that kind of thing. Waaaaaah right...
NC, glad your back is feeling better and that you are feeling more comfortable with the riding. Hope the jumping lesson goes well. And congrats on dropping off the paperwork at school. Must feel really good! It’s really happening.
Have a great day!
Doing better mentally in part because i’m Ignoring some of the most challenging stuff at work but oh well. Whatever it takes. I suppose. But feeling quite bad physically. Super sore throat that kind of thing. Waaaaaah right...
NC, glad your back is feeling better and that you are feeling more comfortable with the riding. Hope the jumping lesson goes well. And congrats on dropping off the paperwork at school. Must feel really good! It’s really happening.
Have a great day!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 984
Hi Class,
Crazy day today. I won't get into the detail, but I feel like I really managed a lot of curveballs and pressure quite well, and I'm pretty proud of that, as I can see how much I've grown in the past year reflected in my ability to cope despite the drama. Last night's lesson went pretty well which I was super happy about! Not perfect, but again, I managed to persevere and face the challenges and even my coach noticed that psychological difference and I'm grateful for that.
NL: Thanks so much for the update on Sunflower, I'm so happy you guys got to meet up and that she is keeping well. I'm sorry that you had such a tough night, but I'm thrilled to know you were able to reach out to Sunflower. Sorry about the sore throat etc. - I know that I always get those kinds of symptoms when i'm stressed out, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was the challenges at work manifesting in physical form. Take care of yourself. Will you get any time for yourself this weekend to workout / go biking?
Palmer: Hope you drop by soon, missing you!
Hi Dee!!
Crazy day today. I won't get into the detail, but I feel like I really managed a lot of curveballs and pressure quite well, and I'm pretty proud of that, as I can see how much I've grown in the past year reflected in my ability to cope despite the drama. Last night's lesson went pretty well which I was super happy about! Not perfect, but again, I managed to persevere and face the challenges and even my coach noticed that psychological difference and I'm grateful for that.
NL: Thanks so much for the update on Sunflower, I'm so happy you guys got to meet up and that she is keeping well. I'm sorry that you had such a tough night, but I'm thrilled to know you were able to reach out to Sunflower. Sorry about the sore throat etc. - I know that I always get those kinds of symptoms when i'm stressed out, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was the challenges at work manifesting in physical form. Take care of yourself. Will you get any time for yourself this weekend to workout / go biking?
Palmer: Hope you drop by soon, missing you!
Hi Dee!!
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