Keep those Plates Spinning!
I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately, but what’s new, right?! It’s a constant struggle that I deal with daily. Between work, family, getting the Run from the Norm Newsletter together, and juggling my role as the editor of The Sage Tick, my head is spinning. It’s a lot to keep straight, and despite my best efforts, I constantly feel like I’m on the verge of dropping the ball on something.
The good news? My back continues to improve as my recovery progresses. I have my three-week post-op check-up this week, and I’m hoping for good news—that things are healing as they should. Even better would be the green light to start engaging in something a little more exciting than rolling around on the floor pretending I’m stretching when I’m technically still not allowed to bent, twist, lift, or really move much at all. I’d love to get back to running and rebuilding my overall fitness level. I know I have to be patient, but I can’t help but be fueled with stoke about lacing up my shoes and hitting the trails again as the pain fades more and more with every passing day.
In the meantime, I need to figure out a plan for strength training. A gym membership might be in the cards, though I’m not thrilled about the idea of working out in a crowded space full of distractions. I might just put together a strength routine at home and use the kettlebells I already have for resistance work, and then incorporate bodyweight exercises, cycling, and—most importantly—real stretching. Lots and lots of stretching! My body is not being super compliant after a couple months or restricted movement, so working on my flexibility is going to be key moving forward.
Through all of this, I’m trying to maintain balance by still playing around with my car projects. It’s just a different release working on cars—it generally never brings me anxiety. I say generally because sure, I stress about the cost of parts and finding time to work on things, but when I get into the garage, I lose time. It’s like a creative puzzle I’m solving and I love every bit of it. So my automotive goals for 2025 are to spend even more time wrenching, finishing up some projects on the Porsche— exhaust work, oil lines, an oil change, a valve adjustment, there’s the harness bar, bucket seats, and a correct tire balance— and then finally diving into the VW Fastback build. There’s always something.
To get that thing going I ordered up some custom brackets to swap in a Type 1 front beam, which works out perfectly since I already invested in rebuilding one for my old bug project. Not sure what I’m going to do with that project long-term, but it’s a problem for another day. Right now, the Fastback will be my race car build roll cage fabrication and lots of metalwork. Again, I’ll have to be patient, though. With everything else going on, I’ll be lucky if I can work on it once a week. But that’s fine by me. The progress still adds up over time.
As I write this, it’s a little after 4 AM. I woke up at 3:30 again, my mind spinning with everything I need to get completed in a short amount of time. Right now, it’s all the Sage Tick stuff for the PCA group that’s got me stressed. So many deadlines, events, and contacts to keep track of. I ended up getting out of bed to create a spreadsheet to help bring a little order to the chaos.
I know I need to get better at prioritizing, managing my time, and keeping things straight with a calendar. But I also know I always take on too much. If I have a free moment to breathe, why not add one more thing, right?! I do this to myself over and over again, and I’m very aware. I’m my own worst enemy!
But maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to recognize the importance of balance. Of stretching. Of slowing down when I need to. Of giving myself permission to work on things at my own pace.
We’ll see how that goes.
