You know how one big thing happens, and just as you take care of that big major thing and finally get your laundry done (because it was a messy thing, whatever it was), the next big thing comes along? Then before you can catch your breath, you’ve got twenty more things on your “to do” list that needed to be done yesterday? That’s how my last couple of weeks have been. At the beginning of the year I set a goal to blog twice a week and today, as I look at my website here, I see that the last time I posted was TWO WEEKS ago!
Well, let’s catch up, shall we? First, after I got home from the Tinker Bell race, I started blogging for Psychology Today’s blogger team! This has been super exciting for me because I finally get to combine in writing my love of the marathon with my expertise as a therapist!
Next, I rushed to get out my professional February Newsletter, which is another one of my new year’s resolutions (so far, I’m two for two on that one!). And then before I was finished composing it, Bill called me from his office to tell me that the Chuckanut 50K has opened up 500 more spaces and did I want to sign up for it? I quickly had to decide if I was up for a hard 31-mile trail run a few weeks after my Arizona marathon (which is this coming Sunday). But the same morning Bill called me, I had talked to my grandmother on the phone and she told me she needed a hip replacement. I gave myself a good think and decided, YES! I should go for it and run the 50K. Our hips don’t last forever, after all. Why wait?
No sooner had I decided about the 50K (and gotten in a couple of runs up on the trails just to reassure myself that it IS a hard course) when it was time to pack and head off to Arizona.
So here I am, in the desert, finally with a chance to breathe and catch up with you. How about you? What have you been up to? Are you running? Are you on track with your training? Taking a break? How are you coping with winter this year? Catch me up on your life.
Hey Cami!
I hope you run really well this weekend! I look forward to hearing about your next month of running! It’s an exciting time for you!
As far as I am concerned, my life is always consumed with being a student. That’s how I keep busy year round. Right now and really for the last many months I have been consumed with thoughts of uprooting my plan for “life” and changing everything. These last two weeks I’ve slowly been trying to decide where to go. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and I’m to a point where I think I can make a decision to move forward that I am comfortable with.
There are kids who figure out young what they want to do, my best friend is an example. Growing up she always wanted to be a teacher elementary and possibly special ed. She’s hit snags but persevered through them. She should be finishing up soon and be well on their way. There are also kids who have no idea, which I don’t necessarily fall into, but I’ve had multiple things in mind for what my future looked like.
I wanted to be a writer for so long, that dreams still not out, I hope to write a book one day, but it probably won’t be the fiction I once dreamed of. I moved from their to wanting to be a teacher. That’s been the goal for the last chunk of my life. I came to college looking for a major in math and a minor in something, to become an educator. High school level, and I wanted to coach. I’m an excellent coach. I think that’s what held me so firmly to teaching. I know I’d make a great teacher too. I’ve been in front of peers, and elders even. I’ve always been a leader someone that was looked to for support and to be strong when they were needed.
The past few years at college have been a struggle in finding a place where I can be comfortable. I have failed a few of my math classes barely scraping by in others. I have moved through a bit as a wandering soul, deciding where I wanted to go. I finally this last spring (Junior year) to an Earth and Space Science Major and a Math minor instead. I fell in love with my geology class this last quarter, as I continued to both make strides and struggle in math. The education aspect of it all also stood as a deterrent. I despised going to my education classes last quarter.
Not all of my experiences have been bad, I helped in a fourth and fifth grade classroom over winter break and found so much love from the kids as I helped out. I did not however, really enjoy myself. So I’ve been slowly pulling away from teaching. I’ve sought out advice from a number of sources, all telling me to do what I feel is right for me, to do what I think God has planned for me. Go where I think he is leading.
I’ve hit a ton of snags myself. Trying to weed out the ones that are meant to be true setbacks that are saying, “Hey Brandon this isn’t where you’re supposed to go!” and the ones that I am meant to persevere through.
So here I am simply rambling on to you in a long winded comment. The long and short of it is I think I’ve come to a decision to change my major once again. Getting away from education at least for now and going into geology. Who knows where this will take me, but it feels right.
As far as running is concerned I am getting back to it. I got in a 9.1 mile run this last weekend and felt great. I was out with a friend which makes long runs easier, I haven’t had a long run training partner in ages it feels great. I’m keeping it minimal, my mileage isn’t too high at the moment. I don’t know if I will feel a true need to add more than the 4 runs a week I am doing. I will most likely add in a cross training day or two once I get my distance legs back. Looking forward to the season that is ahead. I have a possible run in March the St. Paddy’s 5 Miler that I have done the last number of years, with expectations of possibly hitting the Bloomsday Second Seed mark again, but most likely I will just go run it. Then I will probably do a 5k in mid April as another attempt at Bloomsday Second Seeding. Then Bloomsday followed by a wonderful season of marathons, Coeur D’Alene, Rock and Roll Seattle, and Missoula. I have also more or less made the decision to sign up for both North and South Dakota to check two more states off and complete 5 marathons this year. I would probably follow that up with a showing at the Spokane Half Marathon and a season of Jingle Bell Runs!
Anyways I hope you’ve enjoyed a long winded response! Probably introduced to a new aspect of my life that you now know more about than a lot of people! Thanks for listening I really needed it!
Good luck this weekend!
Brandon
Hi Brandon. Thanks for your response. I have to tell you that you’re in good company with me if you’re a late bloomer with the “what should I do with my life” question. I’ve just now settled into a contented routine. I don’t worry about you finding your way at all! Every dead end is just a message to try another direction. We all know those lucky people who have their lives planned out from the get go, but most of us muddle through, getting lost plenty of times along the way. Hugs to you.
Thanks Cami! I sent a message to the head of the Geology department today, I am going to head up there tomorrow after class and meet with him, and work out a plan to get me through the BS in Geology. Hopefully all goes well this weekend! Thinking of you! Hugs!
Brandon