Let's Get Better At Romanticizing Life, Yeah?
I'll be my own pair of safe hands.
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Getting a little vulnerable this week. (But aren’t I, always?) On Monday night I was cleaning my kitchen with Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” blasting. The lights were dim. The Mrs. Meyers cleaning solution (apple crisp scent for fall, naturally) was in my right hand. As I jumped up and down and danced next to the island, red wine sat on the counter in front of me, I smiled and thought to myself:
One day, I’m going to look back on this and think of how lucky I was.
For a long time, I had this approach about being in my thirties and single like I was doing something wrong. Friends were getting married and having babies and there I was getting excited about entirely different things—like my next big live show or the upcoming training run for my next marathon. I felt like an outlier. Have you ever felt this way? And although I often still am, that doesn’t mean that life’s bad.
Far from it, actually. Life is pretty great. Wonderful, even.
The comparison trap will do you dirty like that. It’ll make you feel like all of the good things that are surrounding you just aren’t good enough. I got to a point, through a regular gratitude practice (and a lot of talk therapy), that I refused to be the only thing standing in the way of my own happiness. I got to the point where I could say for certain: I get to choose my mindset. I get to live my life, on my terms.
This really beautiful thing happened when I flipped the script: I started to feel like more possibilities opened up for me. I started to feel really full. Rather than feel like I was doing something “wrong” in my solo time, I began really enjoying it. That’s a big part component of the one-new-thing-a-week thing, too. I stopped waiting for the “right” time to do things and simply … did them. Essentially, I started romanticizing my life exactly as it is right now.
Instead of what’s missing, I consciously choose to focus on all that I have.
All that I am.
Not to say that there aren’t difficult moments. But to have moments like Monday night more often? The moments where I think how lucky am I to be in this chapter right now?
That’s the good stuff. I know now that the cheat code for getting everything you want is appreciating what you already have. And damn, what I have is truly so great.
Keep hurdling,
P.S. Happy (almost) New York City Marathon week to all of those who celebrate! Hurdle will be on a two-week season break until November 11, when I have some big news to share! Until then, if you’re local — make sure you’re following me on Instagram to get the latest event happenings and info on where I’ll be this week! Would love to connect with you IRL. Also! Feel free to comment below if you have anything you want to share with the greater community, happenings or otherwise!
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
I’m Reading: The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports by Nicholas Thompson
I’ve been a fan of The Atlantic’s Nicholas Thompson’s writing for some time, and after hearing a ton of buzz about this title—was stoked to get my copy today. It’s available for mass release on October 28, but you can pre-order at the above link.
I’m Watching: Nobody Wants This
Season two! I’ve been counting down to this since I finished the first one in less than 48 hours.
Gear I’m Loving: Merrell’s Wrapt Slip-On
I don’t know if this is the coolest shoe I own, but I’m definitely not fazed. This shoe is such an easy option to slip on for my morning coffee walks, grabbing my mail, running errands, and it’s beyond comfortable, too. It’s also got a waterproof upper, should it be a little wet out there.
Gear I’m Loving: Tracksmith’s fall collection
I’m a sucker for all things merlot/burgundy/maroon (the exact color I love is like the perfect red wine hue, but often that can be called something different for different folks). Wine is one of the colors in Tracksmith’s fall pallette, and I adore everything in it. Definitely investment pieces here re: $. I will say this: I’ve had one of their Session Quarter Zips for years now, and it still looks like I bought it just yesterday.
NEW ON THE SHOW
When Kate Veronneau started cycling, she was at a low point. After she stopped playing basketball because of one-too-many injuries, she never anticipated that this rolling coping mechanism would change the trajectory of her life. Now working as Zwift’s Director of Women’s Strategy, she’s embracing the pivot to the fullest.
In this week’s episode, she talks about the power of alignment and following her passions, what it was like to build community during a global pandemic, and how she feels about the company stepping in as the title sponsor of Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift. Plus: What she’s learned along the way, how she anticipates the sport to grow in the future, and how it feels to be a vocal leader (especially on the days she’s not feeling so shiny).
“Trust the journey and embrace every step, even the tough ones. Setbacks aren’t failures. They’re part of your growth. stay truth to who you are and don’t be afraid to take up space.”
- Misty Copeland
Other thoughts and links: I loved this interview with Anna Sitar on Sportish. The CrossFit Games announced they’ll be returning to California for their 20th anniversary. Kristin McGee is Tonal's newest guest coach, and she’s bringing her Pilates experience to the machine. The Liberty’s former coach Sandy Brondello has found her next gig as the coach of the Toronto Tempo, the first international team in the WNBA that begins play in 2026. According to Hinge’s new Social Energy Study, which surveyed more than 10,000 participants, 38% of people experienced signs of social exhaustion—losing energy, feeling overstimulated—after just 2 to 3 hours of hanging out. (Hi, it’s me!) Misty Copeland, the first Black female principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre, retired this week and gave her farewell performance, which came after a five-year-break. What. An. Icon.
Have something you want me to nod to in an upcoming Weekly Hurdle? (Especially those local to New York promoting programming leading up to New York City Marathon!) Or, just want to say hi? Let me know, and slam the button below.
MY SOMETHING NEW
One of my goals for 2025 is to do something new every single week. I wrote about this earlier this year. Love these recaps? Let me know in the comments ⬇️
October 17: Dear New York inside of Grand Central
Went by the massive photographic art installation created by Brandon Stanton, the artist behind Humans of New York, last week with Mom. It was really remarkable. Aside from the main gallery inside of Vanderbilt Hall, where Stanton shared the stage with 10 local artists and 600 New York public school kids, he also took over 150 different video billboards in the grand concourse, as well as the subway ads below. Plus: As a part of the magic, he commissioned Juilliard students and alumni to play 50-minute concerts on a Steinway piano.
I could have read through the stories for hours. The craziest part: The original plan was to use the proceeds from his new book, Dear New York, but Stanton ended up having to allegedly dip into his life savings to cover the cost—which included space rental and covering the station’s lost ad revenue. Unfortunately, the exhibit closed on October 19. You can look at footage of it, here.
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