What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

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It’s been life in transition these last few weeks. My home is all packed up in boxes, waiting to be carried bit by bit onto a moving truck. I’m at that place where I’m excited and anxious and ready to start my new job and life but also in the midst of saying so many hard goodbyes I don’t know how I’m going to keep myself together this week.

Sheryl Sandberg talks in her book Lean In about the posters at Facebook that say, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” I’ve used that mantra a few times, especially lately. Because it reminds me that I am afraid. And for what reason? You can’t grow without taking risks.

Like when I moved to Florida 5 years ago to take an internship — What if I find out I’m not cut out for the newspaper business, 2000 miles from home?
Like when I entered the LA Duathalon on a team to bike 14 miles — What if I let my team down? (They still cheered me on, even in last place!)
Like embarking on training for my first marathon — What if I end up giving up?

Here’s another Snapple cap: If it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing.

I ran so many miles* this weekend. It was the last time I might get to do it with a lot of people and I still haven’t said all my goodbyes.

And tonight was the last night at track club. I hear there’s a track club in Bangor Brewer and I’m on their Facebook Group, but it will be different.

With life in transition comes health. I might be running as much as ever but I am dangerously close to the overweight BMI line again. I know exactly why — I’m mostly eating food I haven’t prepared myself. The best I can do now is listen to my body as best I can and focus on setting up good habits when we get settled in next week.

Next week! I’ll be blogging to you from a different bedroom by this time next week.

*29. If I didn’t mention it earlier — I ended up forgoing all spring and summer marathons and I hope to still run one — probably the Maine marathon — in the fall.

Pattie Reaves

About Pattie Reaves

I'm a new mom and renegade fitness blogger at After the Couch. I live in Brewer with my husband, Tony, our daughter Felicity, and our two pugs, Georgia and Scoop.