"Give it a try," she said...

It's okay to try new things; actually it's great to do so.

It's also okay to try doing "old" things in a new way.

Case in point, there are a few new and/or different things that I've been doing in my little world of fitness. They've been a little scary, and I did have some doubt how things would play out. In retrospect, though, these things weren't as tough as anticipated. And, I came away much stronger, physically and emotionally, for the challenge of doing them..

Here's what's been rocking my world...

***Racing without my "security blanket" of music.

Ever since my early days in the running shoes, I have relied on music for entertainment and mojo on the race course. After all, who doesn't love a great song (or several) in the final mile? Music also had long played a vital part in keeping me moving along, at a (somewhat) steady pace due to the upbeat songs on my iPod Shuffle. 

Well, at the Marine Corps Marathon (2019), my trusty Shuffle died at Mile-2, on a very rainy morning. I'd also gotten separated from my friend, Rachel, so I was all on my own. Thankfully, my training had been pretty solid, and the crowd support was phenomenal...so I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other, en route to the finish line and make the best of the unplanned situation. Surprisingly, all went well, and I didn't even miss having the music with me. I learned, on that horrendously rainy morning, if I can make it 26.2 miles sans music, I probably wouldn't need it for shorter races either.

 Fast forward to April of this year, and I had the Drake Relays Road Races Half Marathon on tap, and still had not replaced the Shuffle. I'd brought along the hubby's (even more) vintage Shuffle, as a back-up, but never felt the need to use it. I actually had forgotten that I had it clipped to my waistband until after I'd crossed the finish line. 

that bulge, above my bib, is from the Shuffle ear buds that never got used

***Running (all alone) without music.

Since I no longer "need" the music on race day, I have not been bringing it along for any of my runs (since I can't remember when). I do a lot of short runs on my own, but most of the longer runs are with Barb. One weekend, though, back in May I had a 10-mile run on the schedule and Barb was out of town. Amazingly, I wasn't the least bit apprehensive about it. I even ventured out on the hilly bike path for the first seven-ish miles. No music, no problem. Honestly, it's so nice to head out for a run and not have to worry about charging the Shuffle anymore (it's a struggle remembering to charge the Garmin LOL).

my first 10-mile sans music

***Drinking plain water.

If I can be brutally honest, I've never been a plain water gal. Like ever. I always had to add some kind of flavoring or the poor glass of water would go untouched. Then, for seven months (late June of 2019 through January 2020), I underwent an orthodontia treatment (Invisalign) where I had to leave the trays (like retainers) on my teeth for 22 hours daily. I could remove them for meals, but if I wanted a drink of anything other than plain water (during those other 22 hours), I had to remove them and brush and floss my teeth before replacing them. So, I learned to drink (and actually like) plain water. I still prefer flavored water, but I can drink plain water without dreading it now at mealtime, throughout the day, or even while running. 

water, please....

***Those 1-mile time trials.

I have never been a fan of speed-training. I realize a lot of runners like the adrenaline rush from running fast, but for me it doesn't come easy or natural. It's always a struggle between running too fast (and burning out too quickly) or not running fast enough (and then not being able to make up the "lost" time before a finish line). In an attempt to shake up my little comfort zone bubble, I did four weeks of 1-mile time trials in May (recap HERE). While these gave me some anxiety (since I'm a believer in full disclosure, I shared my finish times each week), I also grew to appreciate the challenge of trying to run strong (and "fast") for each of those miles. Much to my surprise, two of the four trials resulted in 1-mile PR's, and another of them came within one second of tying my (new) PR. Hmmm... maybe I ought to do this speed-training stuff more often?

It felt so good to have that last time trial in the rear view mirror!

***Delving into the world of video...

I have mentioned my "views" (no pun intended) on the whole Reels thing on Instagram. It's a very big trend these days, and I respect everyone gets to do their content their own way. That said, I was very late to the video party. I started creating videos back in May, and (finally) dipped my toes in the Reels water in late July. I was a broadcasting/film major in college, so I have some training in videography (though times have drastically changed in terms of technology LOL). Much to my surprise, it has been more fun than intimidating. I'm keeping my Reels as conversational and interactive, at least for the time being, because I'm not a fan of the lip-syncing "TicTok-style" ones. But stay tuned, it wasn't that long ago when I said I'd never do videos or Reels, at all LOL.

So, yeah. Such has been my world...not just in recent months, but much of 2021.

"Give these a try," she said. "They might be fun," she said. I'm really glad I took this gal's suggestion to heart and took a leap outside of my comfort zone. BTW, in case you haven't figured out who "she" is...it's me.

Have you ever shied away from trying new things? Or doing "old" things differently? What's the biggest comfort zone violation you've attempted...and how did it go?

  I'm linking this with Michelle, Renee, Darlene, Jenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.

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