Taking a Break is Good for the Soul

What a way to start a new blog, huh? 

For those of you coming over from Heat Runner, you know me as an outdoorsy, trail running, road running, try anything, kind of girl. 

That's basically what this blog is too. Except I wanted to add a few things. 

As my interests change, so do my blogs. :)

RRTC is definitely more outdoor focused. 

I want to share with you my love of the wild, from trail running to outdoor adventures, to camping and summer camp itself. 

I felt as if Heat Runner didn't express me in enough ways. 

Back to the title. 

Taking a break is good for the soul. 

I am a first year math and science middle school teacher. 

That takes a lot of my time.
I love it.

But it does take up a lot of my time. 

I am also in school again. 

I literally just graduated in May of 2012. 

But I'm back. This time in a post-degree teaching program. 

Thankfully, only part time, but I will be doing it until 2015 (UGH).

There you have it: 2 major things on my plate right now.

So: I'm taking a break. 

Taking a break from running. 

&

Taking a break from blogging. 

I love love LOVE to do both, 

but I have to catch my breath. 

AND THAT'S OKAY.

You can do it too. 

Take a breather.

Figure out what exactly you need in your life

to make YOU happy. 

I've been trying to figure that out for awhile. 

I think I finally got it. :)

When I first started trail running, I put hiking on the back burner. Why would I want to hike a trail when I can run it? So, for a year or two, I had stopped hiking completely. I just wanted to run the trails. 

When I ran my first marathon a couple of months ago, I realized I needed to get back to basics. 

I had lost my momentum for running. 

I needed to go for a hike. 

My boyfriend and I traversed up the one of the steepest trails in Sabino Canyon: Blackett's Ridge. 

It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have been on! 

When I got to the top, I realized how stupid I was for not hiking more often.

I literally sat for 30 minutes just staring at the scene below me (above).

It was so calm and serene. I could have sat there all day. 

Yes, I could have just have run to the top.

Actually, a woman running it passed us on the way up.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. ;)

But then it wouldn't be the journey that it was. 

It wouldn't have given me all that time to think. 

When you run, you have to think about rocks, and cliffs and THEN you can think about what you want. 

But hiking gives you the chance to take it slow and REALLY think.

Now, I'm not saying "stop running go hiking". 

I'm just saying that sometimes

you need to slow it down and take a hike. :)

 

“Every exit is an entry somewhere else.” ~ Tom Stoppard