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“Hope is not wishful thinking.
Hope is the audacity to believe after all I have been through there is more ahead of me.”
-Morgan Harper Nichols
Happy Friday!! Even though the days seem to run together, I still look forward to the weekend. A chance to step away from work, emails, and social media to enjoy the fresh air or a good movie. Sure the weekends are not as fun as they used to be pre-pandemic, but I am finding joy in the little moments that make me happy.
I finally went running this past week! The last time I went running was about 2 months ago when I was in Ohio. It is not really my forte but I do enjoy an occasional run. What I enjoy about running is that there is not much thought put into the movement, so I can just think about other things or enjoy whatever song I am jamming to all while getting a good cardio workout. Since being back in NYC I have been itching to do more cardio. Yes, I do dance cardio classes in my apartment, but I am not really doing it full out. I try not to jump as much; to not disturb those that live below me and also to not hurt myself as my apartment floors are not equipped for proper jumping. So while I am getting my heart rate up, I am not really giving my body the full cardio workout experience that it deserves. Anyway, it felt great to run, especially on the West Side River Park trail. I love running or walking the trail while taking in the scenic views of the water and sailboats. It makes running so much more pleasurable.
I have to admit that I am out of shape; my stamina is not where it used to be pre-pandemic. I ran a mile, which is pretty normal for me. I usually only run 1-3 miles depending on how I feel that day. But I was starting to huff and puff and ached all over pretty early on in the run, which is not normal for me. I figured, however, that this would happen since I am not going to Mile High Run Club once a week as I did before. From now on I am hoping to get in at least 1-2 runs a week until the cold weather seasons start.
Other than my attempt to run, I did a lot of yoga and sculpt classes this past week. I was sore from running, and I had plantar fasciitis in my right foot from doing dance cardio in my apartment barefoot. I am not surprised I got PF, as I have been getting it on and off on both of my feet for many years as a dancer. So I wanted to make sure to rest my foot and do a lot of low impact workouts and stretches.
I started watching a few new to me shows. The first being The Great on Hulu, about Catherine The Great. I do love period pieces and was pretty excited to watch the show not only to learn about the Empress of Russia, but also for the fabulous costumes. The show is not what I thought it was going to be. I have to admit I didn’t know anything about Catherine except she was beloved and she overruled her husband. I find a lot of what happens in the show (and maybe they are true to real life, I have yet to read an article comparing the two) is pretty vulgar. Peter is a vile man and it can be uncomfortable to watch sometimes. But as the story continues I find myself wanting to know what happens next. Plus I really like Elle Fanning and think she does an amazing job as Catherine, and I was right about the costumes being incredibly beautiful.
The other show I started to watch is Schitt’s Creek. I have to admit I tried watching it a long time ago and only made it through two episodes which I did not find either one to be funny. Everyone kept saying how hilarious it was and that the seasons get better. I didn’t think it was a terrible show, just didn’t pique my interest enough to get past two episodes. Then, my cousin, Hannah started to text me saying I needed to watch and how hilarious it was. So I figured no better time to retry and watch the show than during a pandemic. I am so glad I gave it another shot– I really enjoy the show. David is by far my favorite character and the one that makes me laugh the most. I also really love the message that it tells; how you do not need materialistic things, you only need the people you love. That home is really your family and not a possession.
This weekend’s plans are the same old, same old. I did use the subway for the first time last weekend which was pretty wild of me. Although I despise the subway in general, pandemic or not, it was nice to be able to travel to another part of the city that I haven’t been in since February. Now that I have survived a COVID-era subway ride, I am thinking I will hop on the train again this weekend to venture around another part of the city or dare I say, maybe go to Brooklyn. We will see where the wind takes me. I do have to run a few errands; get a new book and return a few items. Maybe I will go for another run, get my heart pumping and my legs aching. Or maybe I will grab a drink somewhere on a rooftop. The possibilities are endless when you have no agenda.
Have a wonderful weekend xo
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