I finally had my coaching session with Mara Glatzel yesterday. I was so, so nervous to begin the call. I wasn’t sure what I would say, or what she’d want to talk about, or if it would be uncomfortable. Trust me, I worried for nothing. Talking to Mara was like talking to my best friend. It was easy, laid back. The topics just sort of developed on their own, and I felt free to say whatever I needed to. She asked questions, led my thinking a little, and helped me understand what I was trying to say. I felt understood. I felt heard. I felt lighthearted in a way that I haven’t in a long time.

I would highly, HIGHLY recommend signing up for a coaching session with Mara sometime soon. It’s just such a natural way to work through your thoughts. Even after one session, I felt so much more at peace in my own head. She gave me the opportunity, the permission to just be myself, to feel and think the things that I do without judgement. It was such a powerful experience. I was so happy to be able to speak to her, and I am hoping I’ll get the chance to do so again sometime soon. I will certainly be following up with her so that she knows how powerful the experience was for me.

I also wanted to send a big thank you out to a lot of my friends and connections. I’ve been working through a lot of stress lately, and I have had people just coming out of the woodwork offering help and love and support. I feel SO good about the life I am living when I look around me to find that I am absolutely encircled by this powerful group of people, all ready and willing to lend a hand however they can. It’s the best feeling in the world.

So go. Go check Mara out. Schedule a session with her, just to see how it makes you feel. Be prepared for some really beautiful moments. It all seemed so simple, so easy, yet I came away from it feeling so much lighter and easier in my soul. Even my husband commented on it, saying that I was noticeably happier last night. Now I’m even more looking forward to my session next week with Karen. She’ll help me work through even more of the thoughts and feelings that I struggle with, that I feel like hold me back, and by working with yet another incredible woman I’ll be getting that much further down the path of learning to LOVE myself more this year.

I’m also, as a result of all of this shifting thinking, rethinking my training goals. I will absolutely be moving often, setting an unofficial goal for myself that I do some strength and cardio every single day, but I may not be sticking as strictly to the running goals that I set for myself. I’m having a real struggle with running right now, and instead of constantly fighting it to the point that I dread every run, I’ve decided to be gentler about it. Being healthier works so much more efficiently for me when I stick to the kinds of things that make me happy, that make me feel good even when I am doing them. So, I am NOT giving up on running. Nowhere near. I am just stepping back from it a little. No more pushing for specific intervals or times right now. Just running when I can, when it feels good, when I want to, and making sure that the rest of the time I am still moving well and often, and fueling my body in a way that makes that movement possible.

I’ve been upping the fruit and vegetable intake this month, and I am definitely noticing some benefits there. I’m feeling more energetic, not dragging as much during that midafternoon slump, and feeling a lot more satisfied by my meals than I do when they lack produce. It helps that I had another cooking weekend, and we specifically sought out the kinds of recipes that easily incorporated a lot of veggies without making it feel like we were choking down grody greens. We did an awesome veggie lasagna, a super good chicken chili with lots of beans, and a lovely Greek beans dish too. All of them have been wonderful, and we’ve all really enjoyed the new flavors. Now we’re on to the plan for our next cooking fest, which will incorporate another friend with special dietary concerns like NO GRAINS and such. It will be a challenge, but an exciting one.