I’ve had a bad case of the break-up blues. Lucky for me, unlike a lot of women (at least the ones in rom-coms) I don’t go straight for the ice cream. Actually, I forget all about food.
It’s not great the lack of eating. I don’t condone it, but at least what I do try to consume I’ve held fast to my healthy ways—apples, sweet potatoes, black bean burgers, black coffee, gallons of water, one bite of peach, a watermelon I had every intention of enjoying and a few handfuls of nuts.
I’ve lost six pounds.
But know this. I also haven’t taken this break-up lying down, I’v taken it sitting on my bike and cruising anywhere and everywhere my legs will pedal me.
I have made it my new goal to get in five miles a day.
First, I decided to try out my new goal by biking to my friend’s house. She doesn’t live far by car so biking seemed logical. It is really hilly where I live and, though she lives near a high hill herself, I thought it would be only a moderately difficult ride.
I was wrong.
First off, I didn’t check the weather, so when I started pedaling up what I thought was a small hill near my house in my black leggings and long-sleeved shirt with the sun beating down on me I realized I was going to get very hot, very quickly. And, I had neglected to pack water.
Then it was downhill for awhile. This wouldn’t be bad at all I thought. Then the next leg of the journey began: down a long trail and weaving through neighborhoods. My legs definitely started to feel the burn. Halfway there. Until I reached the base of a long, slowly inclining hill. The worst kind.
My legs were moving stiffly, but the bike seemed to hardly lurch forward. I climbed off and walked it for a bit. Then got back on when the hill seemed close to an end. More hills in sight just around the bend.
I Lance Armstrong-ed that shit and stood up and power rode with all my might thinking this is what champions are made of. I was quite impressed with myself, though my mouth felt like drywall and sweat poured down my forehead while every inch of my legs begged for mercy.
At long last my friends house was in sight, just a small downhill away. I happily stopped pedaling as I coasted down to her door.
The trip was 4.32 miles. Seemed more like 19 miles.
Turned out my friend wasn’t home yet. I got back on my bike and cruised to her school. I biked back to her house afterwards for good measure. Five-plus miles in and I was feeling fine.
So sure, break-ups are hard to do. I don’t like them. But I also don’t like laying around feeling sorry for myself , drowning my sorrows in cookies n’cream.
I had a love and now I don’t. It truly has no bearing on what I want to accomplish for myself. I may have zero appetite for food, but my appetite for good health and adventure hasn’t diminished. If anything it has grown tenfold.
No boy or broken-heart is keeping me down. I have got records to break and a world to take by storm. One of my favorite writers, Nora Ephron gave this advice to Lena Dunham (who I just adore).
“You can’t meet someone until you’ve become who you’re becoming.”
Maybe I am just not done becoming yet. And I am more than OK with that.
-Cassandra