When I'm done, I'm done

[katestine]

In a recent conversation with Julian, I realized that most of my hobbies end with a bang. I stopped diving after completing a gainer in competition, one that my teammates knew I planned to punt bc I was freaked out from hitting the board the last time I'd done one. I stopped riding after galloping an Andalucian on a beach and spending a week riding Andalucians trained by a disciple of the school at Jerez. I stopped aerial after posting a bunch of kickass videos to Facebook -- and reaching a level where I'd have to start performing to get better. I've stopped mountaineering after bagging a Himalayan peak; I've stopped rock climbing after leading 5.5-5.6; and I've stopped ice climbing after my last two, internationally-accredited guides got hurt setting climbs for me. Not to mention the fact that I can't think of anything I could do that would increase how kickass I sound about ice climbing without dramatically increasing my danger level. Julian has been trying to convince me for months that it is okay to pluck the low-hanging fruit from each of my hobbies and move on, and I'm sort of okay with it now.

I'm really tired of running. I started my taper last week and I had some phenomenal runs in training for this marathon. I'm also horribly disappointed with what I read -- 4 out of the last 5 audiobooks I finished kinda sucked and flipping through what I've bought on Audible and The Teaching Company, I've realized they don't really fit my current research interests. I don't really care about daily life in ancient Egypt or why Confucius and the Buddha appeared at roughly the same time. Whether I finish the Marine Corps Marathon or not, I don't see myself giving it a retry, leaving the Disney marathon the only one on my bucket list. I'd still like to do the Las Vegas half-marathon, and maybe the Philly and Brooklyn ones, if I end up moving to the latter. Originally I thought 2013 would be the year I run more half-marathons, possibly even trying for all 5 of the NYC boro halfs, but then I remembered the Manhattan half is crowded and sucks.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself after I've recovered from the marathon either. I've completed most of the quests on Fitocracy and I've hit intermediate/advanced on all the powerlifts. My motivation for weightlifting was primarily to get better for climbing. After 8 months of being unemployed - and realizing how awful winter sports are for my partners - I'm pretty sure I won't be ice climbing, mountaineering, or skiing this season. Unless it's unseasonably warm, I dunno how I'm going to get fresh air this winter.

Also, it would probably help if I slept at all before heading to Chamonix in the morning.

Comments

[misterjulian.livejournal.com]

If summiting in the Himalayas, galloping on Andalusians in Andalusia, and turning out near-performance quality aerial work (I've seen the videos, and wow) is low-hanging fruit, then you're even huger than I thought!

I'm a much less avid hobbyist than you are, but for me, it's not a binary: you don't have to continually push the envelope in *every* activity you excel in or else just move on. Which is to say, I think you'll keep doing the things you love the most just because you love them. If (read: when) you feel the itch to level up again, there will be plenty of achievements waiting to be unlocked.

And given your training schedule for the past few weeks, I can understand why you might be feeling a little burnt out. Enjoy the taper and give yourself a little time to recharge after DC; I imagine once that's behind you, you'll be able to look at winter ass-kicking opportunities with a fresh set of eyes.

Have fun in Chamonix!

[katestine.livejournal.com]

LOL to the first paragraph.

I've been realizing that one of my "problems" is that I am incapable of doing stuff without giving it my all - which is why having too many hobbies is tough. This is totally a button my mum installed.

I think you're right that some of this is burnout talking.

[skill-grl.livejournal.com]

a Ragnar Relay (or that style of thing) done w/ an Ultra group? Or an ultramarathon. That sounds like your style.

Really, marathons are just the beginning.

[katestine.livejournal.com]

I'm not really fast enough to run 20+ mile races :-(

[skill-grl.livejournal.com]

Hey, I did my marathons with a 12:30 pace. And, I definitely wasn't the last person to finish either of them.

[islenskr.livejournal.com]

What misterjulian said. Yes.

Say hello to Chamonix for me! What a beautiful place.

[katestine.livejournal.com]

He's awfully smart :)

Chamonix was amazing, but could have been much, much better if we'd been here at a reasonable time of year :-/

[gmpe.livejournal.com]

Pray for snow and go sledding with kids a lot? Seriously, if you want fresh air, you can walk. If you want a workout, I am sure you can pick something. If you've gotten all you want out of a hobby, it's ok to let it go. I loved a lot of hobbies myself, some even to the point of considering making them a career, and am totally ok with them being part of my foundation, not my present.

[katestine.livejournal.com]

If you've gotten all you want out of a hobby, it's ok to let it go. I loved a lot of hobbies myself, some even to the point of considering making them a career, and am totally ok with them being part of my foundation, not my present.

I can't explain why this was so helpful for me to hear. It helps when mountaineering sings its siren song.

[jadia.livejournal.com]

Huh, I thought you were all psyched to climb more in NH, but if you'd rather just come up all the time and go to the arcade with me instead, that sounds cool too. *grin*

*hug* I agree with everyone else, it's totally fine to be done with hobbies and to move on!

I've been thinking about what there is in the winter too, and I've come up with: skating, snow tubing, building snowpeople, sitting in jacuzzis while it snows (hey, it's still fresh air), shoveling (i do a lot of this in boston, wanna help?), cross-country skiing, snowshowing, sledding, hiking, and every single indoor sport you can think of - trampolining, gymnastics, dancing, ballet, acrobatics, yoga, ... :-)

[katestine.livejournal.com]

Troublemaker :)

I like your list and will consult it often. Unfortunately, a lot of those hobbies require weather just bad enough - y'know, actual snow or cold temperatures - or require suburbs. We don't really have shoveling nearby. When it comes to that one, Julian has offered to pick me up in the city if I'll come out and shovel for him ;)

[melonaise.livejournal.com]

If you want to do the Las Vegas half next year, we'll probably be there, too.

[katestine.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that makes it worth putting in my calendar.