New adventures, same ol' pandemic

Dang, it has been a bit, hasn’t it?

The world has really changed since mid-October. We’re in a new surge of the virus, and I hope all of you are trying your best to stay healthy and safe.

I’ve also had a lot going on in my life, the least of which involves a career change, which is super exciting! I’m now the Brand Ambassador Administrator for Athletic Brewing Company.

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to go down this road. I’ve always, always wanted a job where I was fostering a community, connecting with people and spreading excitement about something I love. The scope of my dreams have previously centered around gaming, which has always been a big part of my life, but, as you know, I’ve more recently (and by recently, I mean for the last 4 years or so) discovered a passion for fitness and for sharing a healthier lifestyle with others.

Needless to say, it’s a natural fit. The ABC Ambassadors are such an amazing group of people. We have a really diverse mix of people, not all of whom are athletes, but many who are very inspiring in their own way.

You do not need to be an elite anything to be a part of the team. It is cool to see what some of our more elite members can accomplish, for sure! But that is what I love about this group, is that we are all just pretty normal people who want something more out of life and out of the time we spend on this planet. Some champion fundraisers, hikers, explorers, generous community organizers and participants, photographers, actors, lovers of the outdoors — it’s so wonderful to see what they are up to every single day.

Some may say that social media makes you feel left out, makes you feel like you just aren’t doing enough, that your life is just ordinary and boring. I think that can be true in some cases. Sometimes, people just pick and choose what they want you to see. They’ve carefully curated their online persona.

But not all of us do that. These are my favorite kinds of people to follow. Sometimes, some of us post some rather mundane stuff, the everyday, the “this is my life” kind of stuff. I think it’s special to get a glimpse into people’s lives in this way. Real life isn’t a perfectly edited photo. It’s that blurry one you tried to take while hiking up a trail you’ve never been on before but just wanted, for a moment, something to remember it by.

Not all of us have a photographer or video crew to follow us around.

Let’s see, what else is going on?

The gym has become a bit of a scary place. I’m still teaching on Saturday mornings, but it’s not without concern. My class numbers remain pretty low, which helps alleviate some of that worry, but it’s still risky. My 30 minutes on Saturday now are about the only time I spend in the company of others.

It’s hard, man. Teaching is something that brings me great joy, but it’s also riddled me with anxiety and some guilt lately. I worry what would happen to me if I get sick. I remember my flu from February, and if it’s anything like that, I know I would be in for a pretty harrowing week or two.

Anyone else feel conflicted in a similar way? I’m one of those people who really does try to do the right thing, but the right thing is not always easy.

We are all together in this, though. Remember that you are not alone, even though you may feel like you’re the only one who said no to Thanksgiving this year. The only one who isn’t going to the bar. The only one who got takeout food. The only one hiding in your basement doing Black Friday shopping instead of going into the store. The only one with masks in every single bag you own to make sure you don’t accidentally forget it.

Stay strong, stay vigilant, and keep reaching out to your close friends and family.

I say it often during the last few sets of Sprint, when your body is starting to push back and you just want to give up: We didn’t come this far just to quit now. Dig down deep and find that bit of you that is still pushing forward, still pushing toward improvement, still pushing toward the finish line. That is the part we all need to find right now, through the winter. Let’s nurture that part of ourselves right now.

And part of that comes with the acknowledgement and acceptance that sometimes it sucks and it hurts and it’s incredibly uncomfortable to be going through this. There are parts of your workout and your training that are very, very not fun. Yet we do it because we know that we’ll come out better on the other side.

Let’s tap into that mindset for the month of December, what do you say?