Self Sabotage, Self Loathing & Stepping out of my own way

Written by stacey on December 24, 2011. Posted in C2F, Coaching, Divorce, Fitness, Michigan, Nutrition, Relationships, Running, Supplements, Traverse City. Leave a Comment

I’ve just recently learned to like myself. The cool thing is that, yes, you can learn to like yourself and stop hating yourself. Yes, you can push those ugly thoughts aside and find a way to look at yourself and actually smile. The bad news is that it requires a LOT of work. Determination. Perseverance. Oh…and a lot of support. I wouldn’t recommend going down that dark path without backup–some friends or resources that will light your path in front of you, hug you when you need it, and gently encourage you to keep going because you’re worth it.

I’ve spent years in therapy working on me and have invested

Holiday Traditions (and a Turkey Trot)

Written by stacey on November 24, 2011. Posted in Fitness, Michigan, Relationships, Running, Traverse City. Leave a Comment

Holidays can be a time of great joy or great angst for people. It’s often forgotten that others may feel differently about a holiday than others and I want to take a moment (as a person experiencing great change) to encourage patience and understanding for those that experience change, are forced into new traditions, or walk willingly into new traditions.

Thanksgiving has always been my most favorite of holidays. My kids ask me why it’s not Christmas and my answer is simple: Thanksgiving is one day that is set aside to be grateful and appreciative of what we have. It’s not about getting stuff or giving stuff–it’s an opportunity to truly sit back and be thankful for what we have (and sometimes, what we do not have). We are taking time to

Friends. The family we get to choose

Written by stacey on November 21, 2011. Posted in Coaching, Michigan, Relationships, Running, Traverse City. Leave a Comment

Friends.

The people that we individually selected and asked to join our lives because we believed our lives would be better if they were in them. Most friends make us better; some make us worse; and some make us great. My guess is that if you absolutely HAD to put a label on your friends/family you’d know who is an asset and who is not. The real challenge comes when you have to take action on those labels.

I have looked around my inner circle and I’m saddened by those that

Running in the Dark

Written by stacey on November 18, 2011. Posted in Divorce, Fitness, Marriage, Relationships, Running. 3 Comments

The day started as they normally did; a restless night’s sleep followed by an early morning with the Things before taking them to school, but something was not as it should have been. It was pecking at the corner of my brain like a black crow on roadkill…cannibalizing my mind. I was pacing in my house like I was caged and knew that I had to workout to work through it further and get to the root of the angst-of-the-day. I kicked around which workout to do (either Turbo Fire or Insanity Asylum) but I didn’t think what was going to be long enough to help me work through it. I opted for a run.

Truth & Lies. Marriage & Divorce. Kids. Yeah………

Written by stacey on November 12, 2011. Posted in Divorce, Fitness, Marriage, Running. 22 Comments

The voices in my head were LOUD today. Deafening. And before you contact my local authorities, you should know that I love the voices in my head and have no intention of taking a pill to send ’em packing. They amuse. They educate. They resonate. They make me look at me in a way that brings about growth and change. They’re AWESOMESAUCE! Today they were begging for a run. Since my back is out and I can’t kick my own butt with my usual favs (Turbo Fire & Insanity Asylum), I obliged the voices with a run.

Going into it, I knew it was gonna be a long run (my voices and I needed to have a serious chat). As I began to find my stride, I felt a little relief. I had no idea why I was out there other than I knew the answers would come and, for right now, it was my job to juggle the questions. One of my fav songs of all time–running or not–is Till I Collapse–Eminem (explicit) . My feet are in a perfect rhythm for me. I’m pumping…I’m breathing…I’m angry. I’m not at my personal revelation yet, but I’m starting.