I'm 29!

Oh man. I started this blog when I was like 15 or 16 years old or something. That's crazy.

What do you feel like you did well this year, Andy?

I think I adjusted to a new camp well and made some good connections. In general I think I was able to make adjustments well. I became part of a new camp. I became an art teacher. I lived with new people. I also made adjustments to running and was pretty good about managing my time even when I was busy.

I also think my art really improved. I became a lot more competent and confident in drawing from putting in a lot of practice. That was exciting.

What do you feel like you could have done better?

In the summer I didn't run as much as I would have liked. I really struggled with foot pain and it took almost all summer to realize it was a big knot in calf that needed to be massaged. I learned a lot from that and it's already proven useful again. I know when I'm feeling pain to look for major muscles that could be having some problems.

But, the disappointing thing was that I got in really really good shape at the end of the Spring and I think I kind of let it go to waste. At the time I had just finished a disappointing series of races and I think I was ready to take a break from running but by the end of the summer I sort of felt like I was behind where I wanted to be and wasn't able to carry that momentum as well as I would've liked.

I had some very promising starts and overall I've put in a lot of good work this year, but I haven't really put it together.

side note: I started rock climbing and lifting weights and I think those were both really positive things. I wish coronavirus didn't utterly derail those things. But I know I will go back to them when I can and I am looking forward to that.

Towards the end of being 28 I started dating again and I think that was mostly positive. It was kind of confusing at times and it also got really derailed by coronavirus but it's something I think I could've started sooner and yeah, good job 28 year old me for trying that.

What are you looking forward to for next year?

 I feel like I'm at a point where I need to start making some things happen. Whether in running or art or a job or relationships.

Like when I first moved to Charlottesville I joined the really good running club and I committed to that and it was really hard but I ran the best races I've ever run. Then a job and injuries kinda got in the way and I don't know if I've really gotten back to that level of commitment. Or, if I did, I made some kind of foolish mistakes and it wasn't running in ways that helped me race the best.

So, just now I wrote out a plan for the next month to try to run a fast 800 meters. That's something I haven't done in a really long time. An 800 or writing out a plan. I'm hoping I'll get some good results from a concrete goal and plan.

Professionally, I went into this year with a lot of momentum really excited about camp and leading trips and the potential of that extending beyond the summer as well. It looks like that won't happen. At least this year. So, I think after school is still worth sticking around for, I really want to do that and then the question is, "what is the other piece?"

Is that getting another job? Is it trying to do something with art? We shall see. But I think I need to commit all the way to whatever I decide. And really go after something.

I don't know. I mean, I thought the summer was still safe and it looks like that might be off the table. And then who knows about the Fall. or The Winter.

What I can control right now is running--which I'm committing to. and creative pursuits. reading, drawing, writing, making videos. And I think I'm doing okay on that front. So, I'm in a financially stable place right now.

Go me! Get through this stretch. Reconvene when more data available.