ashleyd /

Monday Musings

nyc approach

Good morning and Happy Monday!

The skyline-filled view from the plane this morning and the traffic on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway reminded me very quickly that I’m no longer in Savannah. It was a slow, relaxed weekend outside of Saturday and therefore coming out of it almost feels like I have a bit of a hangover from too much wine, relaxation and fun with family.

While I catch up on work and kick off my Monday, here are a few Monday musings.

Going home to Savannah is very easy now that we are just a quick, 2 hour flight home. Our parents can expect far more visits this year as we try to soak up as much time with them as well as the marsh views and water after missing it for so long. In fact, we already have four trips planned between now and May.

In response to Savannah’s horrible, rainy weather yesterday, we headed to the movie theater. We saw Burnt yesterday afternoon and loved it. There were raw, emotional moments but by the end  the four of us left saying WOW what a great movie. Also, Bradley Cooper can cook for me anytime he wants. I realize critics didn’t love the movie but we really enjoyed it.

Speaking of movies, there are so many great ones either already in theaters or coming out soon. I have My All American, Love the Coopers, The Martian, The Peanuts Movie and Spectre on my list.  What’s on yours?

I have access to what many consider the best pizza in the United States and NYC,  but man did Papa John’s pepperoni and mushroom taste delicious last night.

I picked this sweater up at JCrew factory after my dad felt how soft it was.  It’s loose without being sloppy and unflattering but cozy enough to wear during last night’s fireside and wine chat. Now that it’s on sale for just $39 I’m tempted to buy another color.

I committed to an average of three classes per week during Brooklyn Bar Method’s November challenge. Due to life and half marathon taper, I’ll have to do four classes this week and next week to reach the three class average. Any locals want to join me for a class?

Come back tomorrow for my Savannah Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon recap will go up tomorrow!

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ashleyd /

The J Word

As Spring race season is just getting kicked off back in the United States, my Facebook feed is filled with friends excited to run races of all distances. Some people are traveling down to Washington, DC this weekend for the Rock ‘n’ Roll DC marathon and half marathon while others are enjoying local races.

Some people have aspirations of setting new personal bests during these upcoming races while others are looking forward to enjoying warmer temperatures and coming out of winter hibernation.

More and more, I see and hear friends describing their accomplishments of training for a race, regardless the distance, with the word JUST.  I am guilty of this habit as well, doing the same yesterday during a Facebook conversation with a friend. He kindly complimented me and said that my early morning runs inspire his girlfriend to get out of bed. My response was naturally to say I JUST ran 5 miles and could never be an actual Nike ad. 

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I wish we would stop using this four letter word, replacing it instead with another description. JUST  is the way we naturally downplay accomplishments or minimize them. I see it more often in women, as women often find it uncomfortable to be proud of their accomplishments both personally and professionally, instead minimizing them. 

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Think about the effect this can have on both the person using the term and those around them. If we stick with the running example, this can play out in multiple ways.

I’m not running the marathon; I’m JUST running the half marathon.

1. This mentally makes the runner think that the half marathon isn’t as important or difficult as the marathon distance. This can result in under training, a less than optimal mental state and reduce the excitement of crossing the finish line. Earlier this week, my coach wrote a post about the mistakes people make when training for a half marathon, and this is the #1 mistake she captured.

2. This can affect other runners as well. Remember how you felt when you trained for your first race? Whether it was a 5k or a marathon, it felt like the most important race of your life and such an accomplishment. There are beginners all around us, looking forward to crossing their first finish line. If they are training their hearts out for their first half marathon, by downplaying that accomplishment and using the word JUST  you make them feel as if it isn’t a big accomplishment.

Allow yourself small victories. Don’t deny giving yourself credit for accomplishing something, no matter how insignificant it might seem at the time.

So next time someone asks you about your training or distance, own that distance with 100% of your heart and mind. Regardless your goal, don’t JUST  run the race. Instead, be proud and loud about the decision to cross the starting line. There are thousands of other people who have yet to leave the sofa and it is our responsibility as runners to motivate and inspire them through our accomplishments.

Thank you to Jess for inspiring this post and to those friends whom I’ve called out this week for using the term JUST, I apologize but you need to start owning your accomplishments!

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ashleyd /

Who Lifts You Up?

Over the past few weeks and months I have found myself stepping out of my athletic comfort zone far more often. Trail running, swimming, signing up for a triathlon, clipping in a road bike, and pushing my pace are all things that have intimidated me to the point of resistance for years. I’ve cheered and supported my friends in these endeavors but never believed enough in myself to personally accomplish them.

Tonight, while pushing through my speed workout, I thought about what I would have done a year ago in this situation. After a long day in the office, I probably would have told myself I could do it next week and shirked off speed work for a few more minutes of work or a relaxing evening. In the back of my head, I didn’t think it was that important because I would be “fast." Now, a year later, the runners in my life are constantly pushing me whether during runs or training conversations, to get out of my comfort zone and focus on how strong I’ve become. These simple words and mantras are finally starting to register mentally and help me push down the negative thoughts.

Surround yourself with people who lift you up

In fact, I’ve evolved into a person I barely recognize sometimes and it is because of the people in my life. They aren’t all here in Geneva, in fact, many are social media friends that I have yet to meet in real life. But regardless of how they came into my life, I am blessed to have people who support and lift me up on a daily basis. On Monday night, as I prepared to swim a mere 100 meters in our swim meet, I was overcome with nerves so severe that I was on the verge of letting a co-worker take my place at the meet. Within minutes every single person on my team was surrounding me, telling me how strong and courageous I was for standing on the starting block, preparing to swim. They motivated and supported me until with only ten seconds left I turned, flashing them a smile, assuring them I would swim as fast as possible. To this day, I barely know some of their names since we spend most of our time with our heads in the water during our early morning practices.

But, tonight, I took the time to organize all my notecards and start writing thank you notes, one by one, to those incredible people in my life who lift me up daily. They will never know what an impact they’ve had on me these past few months during this time of change and adjustment.

Take the time tonight to think about who you surround yourself with each day. Do you have an opportunity to find more positive influences? Have you thanked someone in your life lately for helping motivate you to be the best person possible? 

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