I have no idea how or when I discovered Suzy’s blog but I thank the heavens above that I did. Her blog is everything I wish mine could be. In all aspects. She’s freaking fast so anytime she writes about her running, I’m green-eyed. She’s an amazing writer in general and super honest. When she writes about real life stuff, I wish I had the cajones to do so on mine. There’s def times I wish I would/could write more about life behind the running. There are moments when I’ll start a post about something non-running related, something that has been inside that needs to get out. And I know ultimately this blog can be about whatever I want….but I always seem to put those posts in the “save” folder and stick to the running topics.

I feel like there should be a picture here between paragraphs.

Suzy and me last January

But when I go visit Suzy’s little corner of the inter webs, I always look forward to her thought provoking posts and the questions at the end because that’s my moment to share with her (and anyone else who comes across my comments, lol!) some of what’s happening in this little ‘ol brain of mine.

Her most recent post ended with these bad boys:

What does your what-for look like, usually? Do you need a smack around today?

What do people usually criticize you about? Is it true, or are they just being jerks?

If you’re Type A, what are the pros? What are the cons? Would you rather not be a Type A?

What helps you be more chill, or do you wish you weren’t so relaxed all the time? Do you wish you had more oomph?

And when I started answering, I found I had a lot more to say than what is normal for a comment on someone’s blog. I know Suzy loves me, but I knew she’d probably prefer I call her or text her rather than leave a blog post in her comment section, lol!

…

People don’t typically criticize me to my face (thankfully, jaja!), but I do know that something that drives my friends and family nuts (and I’m completely self-aware because I criticize myself more than anyone else), is that I’m pretty uptight. I’m very particular, picky, opinionated, and whatever other synonym that means the same or close. Most times, I’m able to keep others from being affected by my…issues…but the other day, I completely vomited an opinion when it was better left in my mouth (or stomach or whatever). It was so unlike me and I immediately apologized, but like any purge, there’s an after taste that lingers for a while.

Suzy’s Type A question kinda relates… My personality thrives on routine and structure so those can be seen as pros. I feel like my success with Hanson’s Marathon Method was largely due to its rigid plan. I like knowing what to expect each day and crossing it off when I was done.

But, life doesn’t work like a Hanson’s Marathon Method training plan. So when I’m thrown a curveball in the structured day I’ve so carefully planned, I get a lot little frustrated. Sometimes I wish was more relaxed and go-with-the-flow, but that’s just not how I’m wired.

What helps me chill is running. My husband, my ying-to-my-yang (i.e. The Calm One), knows that when I’m getting a little anxious about things/life/adulting, I need to run and leave it out on the pavement. I’m able to not let my anxiousness overwhelm me because running allows me to process whatever is going on in my head.

And yet, despite having these often seen as negative traits– actually because of it–that’s where my oomph comes from. While I may not be overly spontaneous, my oomph comes from thinking about things beforehand, putting thought and purpose into everything I do. It’s not an exciting oomph, but I think it’s still pretty emphatic 🙂

How would you answer Suzy’s questions? Where does your oomph come from?