I want to bottle up this summer and make it last forever (well, maybe minus the wildly hot and humid weather that makes running a big thumbs down). I mentioned this in my last post…but I am really enjoying the slower pace and the days that feel like they have more space. While I’m trying to fully appreciate the day that I’m in, it’s hard not to feel some anxiety about how quickly summer is flying by and how soon we’ll be back to the school year routine of early mornings, afternoon activities and less freedom for trips and adventures.

I know that the contrast of the different seasons is what makes them so special. If it were summer all year long, I wouldn’t feel this level of gratitude and longing. Same with the holidays…they feel so warm and bright but there comes a time when you’re ready for the decorations to go and move on to the fresh start of a new year.

There is a lesson here for me and it’s that I need to create a more sustainable schedule for myself year round. I cannot run myself into the ground for 10 months out of the year for two months with a little more ease in the summer. There are some things I’m doing well – I always make my work schedule such that I can drop off and pick up Finn from school when he’s with me, I choose only one sport/activity per season for Finn, we see family every few months, I get out and do some really cool outdoor adventures like trail runs and races and I think I do a good job feeding everyone…even if I’d like a little more time for play and creativity in the kitchen.

What’s not feeling in balance is consistent sleep. I need to either get 5:15a classes off my schedule or seriously commit to going to bed significantly earlier. I absolutely cannot figure out how to run with the regularity during the week needed to seriously train for anything  due to my teaching schedule at the moment and the physical demands of it. I really miss writing and creating. I would love to find uninterrupted blocks of time in my schedule that are dedicated to this. And a really important one is relationships – I would love to nurture friendship and connection in my life and not be “too busy.”

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been working full-time in fitness since 2011. It’s looked like a lot of different things over the years and that’s something I’ve found to be exciting. It’s a constant evolution. One thing I’ve learned working in this field (and as a mom) is that a perfect balance is impossible to find but I do find that I need to periodically re-evaluate where I’m focusing my time and attention and this summer has given me this opportunity. I don’t have the answers yet but this is what I’ll be pondering in these final weeks of summer.

Whew, did not intend to go so deep there but that’s what a pot of french pressed coffee and a slow Sunday morning will do for ya!

Here are some summer highlights.

SPACE IN ACTION 

Weekday lunch dates, slow mornings with cinnamon rolls, seeing all the newly released movies (Toy Story 5 – SO GOOD, Mario Movie – SO ENTERTAINING, Minions + Monsters – SO STUPID lol), sleeping in and snuggles.

FLORIDA + FINN’S FIRST BIG KAHUNA’S 

We took a June trip to Florida to visit the fam and will return one more time in August before school starts.

I surprised Finn with a trip to Big Kahuna’s. It’s a water park in Destin that I grew up going to. It was a highlight of our summer vacations for me and my brother. Water slides are one of Finn’s favorite things in the world and now that he’s over 48 inches, he can ride everything. I went in with low expectations but we had a really great day!

SWAMPY SATURDAY AT DOUGHTON 

I spent a very soupy and swampy Saturday on the trails at Doughton Recreation Area. I got in 17 miles and 3,500 feet of gain. I need to write a dedicated post about this magical place.

FOURTH OF JULY

We had a sweet little Fourth that included decorating sugar cookies (this has become a tradition for us for every holiday and I love it!), a little neighborhood bike parade and a fun (hot!) morning at our swim club.

FARMERS MARKET FINDS 

I love the farmers market 365 days a year (again, the beauty of all seasons that is a theme in this post) but there is something extra special about the summer market. Homegrown tomatoes are one of the best things ever and the South Carolina peaches are so good and sweet this year!

ALL THE GROUP FITNESS  

While personal training has been sloooooowwww this summer (almost all of my clients have been traveling or out on medical leave), teaching has not. I am currently teaching 11 permanent classes a week and most weeks there are a few extra added in covering for my team since it’s prime vacation time. I also take classes as part of my role at the gym and have been doing a lot of work tightening up existing formats and getting ready to relaunch a new one.

SUNDAY IN THE PISGAH 

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of an afternoon on the trails in the Pisgah National Forest after dropping Finn off at camp (more on that in a second!). I parked at the Fish Hatchery and ran Cat Gap to John Rock to Cat Gap to Art Loeb to Butter Gap for 12 miles and 2,500 feet of vert. This hike on All Trails but add in John Rock. Note, I started at Cat Gap and did the steep climb first and then it was tons of rolling runnable flats and downs for the back half.

FINN’S FIRST SLEEP AWAY CAMP! 

I dropped my baby boy off at Camp Wayfarer last Sunday and picked him up yesterday. He spent six nights at Camp Wayfarer a.k.a. heaven on earth. I was a counselor here for three summers in college and have been eagerly anticipating the summer that Finn would be ready to experience this magic. He was extremely nervous going in -how could he not be!? He had no idea what to expect! My biggest wish was that he’d like it enough to want to go back. My heart soared when he told me yesterday that not only does he want to return but he wants to go “for five years.” GO FINN!

I am going to write a longer post on camp in the coming weeks so look out for that!

That’s it for today! Off to enjoy the rest of this summer Sunday with Finn!