A Very Lucky Girl

I crawled out of bed on a Tuesday morning over Christmas Break at 5 am to accompany Sharbear to her 5:30 am kickboxing class. I have never boxed in my life, kick or otherwise. I felt EXTRA uncoordinated. That's another plus to running: the clumsiest person can do it with little ill effects. Nevertheless, I persevered through the class, pausing to gulp water only 3 times.  Sharbear is member at a small gym, the class had maybe 9 participants (the time likely drives everyone away) and had your stereotypical bouncy, overly energetic blonde who no doubt was headed to pilates upon completion of the class, the front row mom who did the opposite of whichever side the instructor commanded, the lone middle-aged man who reminisced about his old boxing coach before class began, and the obnoxious girl to my left who sang along to every. single. song. Honey, you aren't kicking hard enough! I really enjoyed the group aspect and the coach dynamic of the gathering. It felt vaguely li...

The Biggest Loser is one of my top five favorite TV shows of all time. I started watching it a few years ago with Sharbear and I've been hooked ever since. So it remains on my Hulu queue week after week. And I watch it religiously--usually with a snack like popcorn or cookie dough to keep irony alive and well.  This season has already been emotion-inducing and I love 3 main things about my Hulu dates with these overweight individuals: The trainers: Jillian Michaels especially. I've missed her. And her abs...no other image makes me want to get my ass in gear like a shirtless Queen of the Gym. On my bucket list: a last chance workout with Jillian.  The kids: This season has a special focus on childhood obseity and three children are in the spotlight. They aren't participating in weigh-ins and are doing most of the work from home, but they have such uncanny wisdom and heart-wrenching stories. I have a special affinity for Sunny, the girl who would like nothing more than ...

Remember when I didn't suck at running? I know, it's been awhile. Seventh grade began my cross-country and track career. Paul and Sharbear required a sport of me, and this one didn't require any hand-eye coordination so I decided it was worth a try. I ran all summer in preparation for the cross-country season (it didn't hurt that my coach lived in the bedroom down the hall and would know if I dared to skip a single scheduled day) and the first race at Ravenscroft dawned on an autumn day. I ran the requisite 5K and crossed the finish line in a decent place, much to the dismay of my parents. Wait, Taylor can do sports?  Our St. David's School Varsity girls team finished out that season as State Champions in our division. Sharbear overheard some indignant runner-ups complain, "uh yeah, we could run that way if we hadn't hit puberty yet either." Irrelevant, since we had some talented high-schoolers on the team as well.  Eighth and ninth grade didn'...

This week has been one of the most invigorating of my life. I've had two interviews, accomplished my schoolwork with time to spare, went on a date, and even found some time to play with my friends. Nothing energizes me like a morning workout. Everyday this week I've been a faithful customer to the Huff before 9 AM, even waking at 7 AM on my 8:30 class days. For those of you that know me, this is truly an accomplishment. I prefer to not wake up early if I can help it, but this semester has changed my view of the wee hours. Having early classes forces me to start my day with productivity, and I feel guiltier about wasting away those idle afternoons after having made such progress before noon. Don't get me wrong, I can still nap like nobody's business, but I'm going to bed earlier (before midnight, usually!) and waking up earlier and I think I'm happier as a result.  Sure, it's difficult to force my feet to hit the dorm floor before 7 AM when it's still d...