My 20 Silver Linings of 2020: A Year in Review
At the end of every year, I write a blog post to reflect upon my year. I usually tell you about my travels, fitness conferences, races, and all the fun get-togethers of the year! Well, this year? Whomp. Whomp.
Well, as we all know, 2020 didn't turn out as anyone expected, and this year didn't have as many adventures as usual. I wanted to keep the blog tradition alive, as I have been writing this sort of post since 2008! Even though 2020 was not a typical year, it still held many memories and good times worth documenting.
I know it has been a challenging year for a lot of people. Many people that I know and love have suffered health or financial hardships due to the pandemic. I don't mean to minimize anyone's suffering or make light of struggles, but it is worthwhile to dig deep and find the silver linings of a difficult and often disappointing year.
We all know what went wrong this year, but what went right? Although I missed out on travel, conventions, and racing, there were many positive outcomes in my life this year, and I want to take the time to express gratitude for the good that came out of 2020.
My 20 Silver Linings of 2020
Cowtown 10K
On March 1st, I squeezed in one last race before the shutdowns started. There was talk of the larger international races getting canceled, but I had no idea when I ran this race that it would be my last for a long time. I just came off a six-month strength-focused block and barely trained for the 10K, but I had fun and glad I got one last in-person race before the shutdown.
Working From Home
When I walked out of my office for the last time in March, it didn't occur to me that I wouldn't be back for over a year. Working from home has been the best part of 2020. My stress levels are lower, and I have more free time due to no commute. My sleep is better and more consistent. 2020 has been weird and scary, but working from home has been a silver lining.
Consistent Training
My running training has been a lot more consistent this year because I have been running during my lunch break and doing strength training after work. That would not have been possible had I been working from the office. It has been one of my best training years in a while.
TRX Qualification
TRX (you know, those workout suspension straps) offered a free six-hour live virtual instructor training due to the pandemic. I earned some continuing education credits and picked up new skills to become a better well-rounded trainer. Now, I'm qualified to teach TRX. Thanks 2020!
Online Fitness Convention
Since 2015, I've been attending the IDEA World fitness convention on the west coast, and it is always the highlight of my year. Like every other big event of 2020, it changed to a virtual event, and I wasn't so sure about it.
Of course, nothing replaces in-person connection with like-minded humans, but this was the next best thing. The education sessions were excellent and interactive, and I had online meetings with fitness friends, which was a great experience. I also saved thousands of dollars on travel expenses and hotel rooms. Of course, I will jump on a chance to attend in person in the future. Still, the online convention was rewarding, and I was able to earn my continuing education credits for my personal training certification.
Virtual Racing
I teamed up with Rock n Roll marathon series to promote their Dallas road trip virtual race. Virtual races will never replace the experience of in-person racing, but they are a way to connect with other runners, earn medals, and help support struggling race companies. We had fun taking pictures around Dallas and Fort Worth hot spots.
Family Zoom Meetings
I haven't lived in the same state as my family in 23 years, and it took the great Zoom explosion of 2020 for us to realize we could have been video chatting for years! We've been meeting up on Zoom for all our birthdays and all major holidays, and it has been wonderful to see their faces. I honestly don't know why we didn't think of this sooner.
Online Training
When the gyms shut down, I stopped seeing my in-person clients. I know this sounds like a bad outcome, but it opened my eyes to how I want to spend my time. It gave me a new perspective on how I want to earn money in this business, which is a win. I kept my online clients and am focusing on writing and blogging for income. I had to lose my in-person clients to learn this lesson about following my heart.
Made Friends with a Horse
Maybe I am grasping at straws for positives in 2020. This horse lives on the corner of my street and has made my year better. In an attempt to keep moving during the day while working at home, we started taking five-minute walk breaks throughout the day to feed the horse carrots, and it has brought pure joy to our day.
My BFF turned 40, and I wrote her a poem
40 is a milestone birthday, and it's hard to celebrate in the middle of a pandemic. I wrote my BFF this poem for her birthday to celebrate.
BLOG PhotoShoot
My client and friend is a budding photographer and offered to do a blog photoshoot for me. We had fun! You can see more on the homepage of my site: www.leagendersfitness.com
New Walkway
We put in a new walkway, replaced warped wood floors in our bedroom, and got a new roof, in case you were wondering where all that money I saved went.
15th wedding anniversary
We celebrated a quiet 15th wedding anniversary. Oh boy, does time fly! I didn’t have any photos from this year, so here is a picture of our 2005 wedding day in La Jolla, CA.
My 46th Birthday!
I celebrated my 46 birthday in September! We ran 4.6 miles to celebrate, went out to dinner, and got the whole hibachi table to ourselves (yay, social distancing!).
Got a Squat Rack for the ShredShed
Hubs got me a squat rack for the birthday. I don't even know who I am anymore when I considered selling my treadmill to make room for a squat rack, but I got the best of both worlds with this rack from PRX that folds up into the wall. It is my combined birthday, Christmas, Valentine's day gift. HaHa
Thanksgiving for Two
My family lives in four different states, so a Thanksgiving for two is not unusual around here. We've been doing this for years but always enjoy a quiet Thanksgiving dinner.
Virtual Turkey Trot
It was the first year in many that we didn’t run an official turkey trot. I was sad about forgoing our annual tradition, but I think hubs was secretly glad. We ran a 5K around the neighborhood for our virtual turkey trot.
Joined HotWorx
HotWorx is an infrared sauna studio that plays workout videos. Due to Covid, the rooms are private (hooray). I don't do their workouts but use the sauna time to meditate, foam roll, stretch, and do mobility exercises. I am writing a blog post about it, coming soon!
Angel Tree Shopping
I don't have kids, and toy shopping is so much fun. This year I choose a 10-year old boy and girl from the Salvation Army angel tree. My boy got a Vision Street Wear skateboard and helmet, and my girl got roller skates! It makes my heart feel good to buy these gifts.
Shredshed Medal Tree
We didn't put up a Christmas tree in the house this year because it seemed like too much effort, and Dale is still a puppy and would probably topple it. I put up a mini running medal tree in the ShredShed to decorate.
Merry Christmas 2020
While 2020 was a strange year, looking back, I still made a lot of happy memories. I look forward to seeing what 2021 brings, hopefully, travel, family, and friends that I will hug a bit tighter.
Thanks for indulging me in my review of 2020! Let’s appreciate what we have today and hope for better circumstances ahead!
Questions? I’d love to help.