Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Bike Father, Bike Daughter

My dad is the person who taught me how to solve word problems, that tomatoes actually taste good, how amazing college is at OU and among many other things how to ride a bike. We eat tomatoes on our salads now, reminisce often on good times in Athens, quickly solve simple math problems and yesterday, we rode our bikes together on the Olentangy Trail



I love my dad way too much to make this post just about things that I love about him so I'm going to get even more specific and share some of my favorite things about riding bikes with Dr. Rob:

  • My bicycle was my most recent birthday present! Sure, a bike may seem more like a gift you'd ask for when you're 5 or maybe even 15, but my for my 25th I asked for and received a brand new bike! Having recently moved to Columbus I am learning how bike-friendly the city is and spend much of my time riding on the bike paths that interweave this city.
  • My dad has book smarts, street smarts and bike smarts. The breadth of the things my dad dad could be considered an expert on inspires me to try to learn more about more every day. My bike was "broken" when he arrived but I now know that some bikes do not have numbered gears and you need to turn until the gears click and then you're all set to ride.
  • For an older guy, my dad can move! Most of my days have been spent in front of a computer lately so it's really nice when my dad comes to visit and encourages me to get up and moving too. It's always extra nice to see him when rather than feeling guilty about the food we eat over dinner, I can feel proud about the calories we burned first.
  • He can move, but not as fast as me! I used to struggle to keep up with my dad whether we were walking, jogging, figuring out the ending of an episode of Full House, finishing our plates at dinner or riding bikes. My dad can still beat me at a few of those things but yesterday I heard for the first time, "Okay you gotta slow down, I can't keep up!" 
I had a great day riding bikes with my dad yesterday and look forward to the next time we'll get out on the bike path together. Until then I'm guessing I'll write another post about something else I love to do with my dad; he's really that great! 




Monday, September 24, 2012

On Your Mark. Get Set. Cheers!

"Why did the idiot start hitting himself over the head with a hammer? Because it felt so good to stop." This is among my favorite jokes and my very favorite running analogy. I still remember laughing the first time my dad told me this as I was running cold water from the hose in our front yard over my head after coming home from a mid-day summer run. Why did I go out for a run that day? Because it felt so good when I stopped. To me, it's just too funny.

Running doesn't always have to be a sport only celebrated when you've stopped; case in point, a fun run! This past Friday evening my friends and I supported the March of Dimes Night Moves run through Columbus' Brewery District. Being an evening run, we were given the brightest race shirts I've ever seen and encouraged to bring along other bright lights for our run through the dark streets of the city.

Decked in neon shirts, hats, socks, shoelaces, necklaces, rings and any other accessory we hoped could be seen from a space shuttle, we took the streets along with about 1,000 other runners in support of babies, the sport and each other. At the end of the race I had a smile on my face, pride in my accomplishment and a ticket in my hand for free pizza and cheap beer (another common fun run bonus!).

I loved the anticipation of the challenge, spending time with my friends and for being able to help a worthy cause. Evidence of my college career will prove to you that I love theme parties so a themed race is right up my alley - it was so fun compiling our accessories and dressing up for this run! Once the race was finished there was a party for all the runners with live music, food and draft beer. We all agreed that Night Moves was a great way to spend the begining of our Friday night!

And another plus, every bar we went to later that night people wanted to know where we had been and why were so loudly dressed. When you respond you just finished running 5 miles in support of premature babies, they almost always respond with a beer. Check out this listing to find a fun run near you and get some friends together, I promise you'll have fun, burn some calories and you might get a few free beers out of the evening as well!



Friday, September 21, 2012

The Light in Me Bows to the Light in You


Yesterday I revisited a hobby I used to enjoy much more often than I do now, yoga! I forgot how much I enjoy practicing yoga and wanted to put together a reminder for myself of the things I am loving about it so much now, to remind myself in the future. 

  • Yoga can happen any time, any place. - Yesterday we did yoga in my friend's backyard under the sunset and eventually in the light of a bonfire. From a yoga mat to a scrap from a gym floor, and even on the grass we moved from cobra to down dog to warrior one and through a series of poses that left me feeling relaxed, stretched and centered.
  • In yoga, whatever you can do, is perfect. - Everyone is different. Skills, beliefs, flexibility, we are each unique. In yoga this is recognized and although everyone is shown the same moves, the way you feel and experience each is up to you. It was entertaining and at times impressive to see the moves my friends were attempting but there was more than once (especially during the head stand moves in the slight decline of the backyard) that I found myself relaxed with a smile on my face in child's pose or resting on my back under the newly emerging starlight. 
  • You will never hear "This seat's taken" at yoga class. - We've all seen the movie or been the kid on the school bus that walks the aisles fearing the words of someone telling you you're not welcome to share their space. I've never felt this way in a yoga class and feel that each time I go I am amazed and inspired by the openness of everyone to the practice and to each other. Each of us at yoga yesterday had a different day, different worries on our minds and different joys in our hearts. For an hour, we took all the positive energy we could muster and whether we knew it or not, put it out in the air and shared it with each other freely. 

Some of us could stretch farther or hold poses longer but in the end we all laid down, closed our eyes and embraced the newly found warmth in our bodies and calm in our hearts. Click here to take a look at the Sun Salutations we practiced and try them for yourself next time you're feeling a desire for some chi... no guys, sorry, not cheese.



 Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours. 
Swedish Proverb


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Love, Love Me Do


"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud." -The Corinthians
"There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need." -The Beatles

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs

"In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it." - Barack Obama

From Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex and the City" to Barack Obama's politics in our cities, love is everywhere! So much of today's news is filled with anger, hate, violence and fear that it can be hard to see but it is so important to the success of our country and ourselves that we look to love in our actions, hopes and beliefs. 

The point of this blog is to remind myself (and anyone who reads it) of the importance of finding love in the little (and the big) things that fill our lives. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by a task or a problem because the big picture just seems like too much! If I can take a step back and appreciate and find love for some part of each task, the project seems much more manageable and I find myself excited to tackle the challenge. I'm going to apply this theory to my life and look for ways every day to remind myself of the love for the things that fill it. With faith, patience and hope, I'm sure the love will continue pouring in!